HLH Rapid

What HLH Rapid does

HLH Rapid is a private contract manufacturer specializing in rapid prototyping and low-to-mid volume production, serving over 3,000 customers across 50+ countries. The company's core offering is a unified in-house manufacturing platform covering CNC machining (3, 4, and 5-axis milling plus turning), rapid injection moulding, multiple 3D printing modalities (SLA, SLS, DMLS, MJF, MJP, FDM), sheet metal fabrication, vacuum casting, die casting, composites/carbon fibre, metal injection moulding (MIM), aluminium forging and extrusion, and reverse engineering/3D scanning. Production is concentrated in a 12,000 sqm fully owned facility in Dongguan, China, operational since 2008 and equipped with 150+ CNC machines (including 100+ 5-axis units) and staffed by 300+ engineers, designers, operators, and QC personnel. A UK headquarters in Leeds acts as the commercial front for Western customers, handling sales, DFM analysis, and import documentation under a multilingual team (English, Italian, French, Chinese).

The business model is sales-led and quote-based. Customers upload CAD files through an online instant quote system and receive free design-for-manufacturing (DFM) analysis and pricing. Pricing varies by process and complexity: CNC rates range from $10-$30/hour (3-axis, China) to $75-$150/hour (5-axis, Europe/US); injection moulds span $1,000 for simple single-cavity tools to $100,000+ for complex projects; individual CNC parts run from $100 to several thousand dollars. Lead times are as short as two weeks for rapid injection moulding T1 samples. The go-to-market emphasizes content marketing (blog, knowledge base, video, podcast) targeting engineers and product designers, with a Trustpilot-driven trust layer. Customer segments span automotive, robotics and automation, medical devices, product development firms, consumer products, aerospace and UAV, industrial equipment, and electronics prototyping, with named logos including Martin Audio, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Neander Marine, Kombo Audio, R2R MedEquip, Aliform Surgical, and Detectronic.

The company is held out as one of the few providers worldwide offering such a broad in-house process range under one roof, supported by ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 13485 (medical devices), and IATF 16949 (automotive) certifications. Ownership is private (HLH Rapid Limited, UK Company Number 12704810) with no disclosed parent, venture funding, or M&A activity. Co-Founder and General Manager James Murphy leads the business.

Name

HLH Rapid

Legal name

HLH Rapid Limited

Website

https://hlhrapid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

HLH Rapid is a private UK-headquartered contract manufacturer operating a 12,000 sqm facility in Dongguan, China, offering in-house rapid prototyping and low-to-mid volume production across CNC machining, injection moulding, 3D printing, sheet metal, die casting, and composites for 3,000+ customers in 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Manufacturing / Rapid Prototyping Services

NAICS

Machine Shops (332710), Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (3327)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Sheet Metal Work (3444), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Prototype Program Management & Low-Volume Pilot Runs (Bridge to Production) (IMAAAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering Prototype Builds (Form/Fit/Function) (IMAAAFAB), Rapid Tooling & Prototype Molds (Additive) (IMAAAFAD), Concept & Industrial Design Prototyping (Additive) (IMAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Rapid prototyping services
• CNC machining services
• Injection moulding services
• 3D printing services
• Low-volume manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Manufacturing Services: Quote-based pricing for rapid prototyping and production runs across multiple manufacturing processes including CNC machining, injection molding, 3D printing, sheet metal, die casting, and more. Revenue generated through per-project fees based on complexity, materials, and volume.
2. Tooling and Mould Manufacturing: Production of custom injection moulds and tools, including rapid tooling, bridge tooling, and production tooling. Mould costs range from $1,000 to $100,000+ depending on complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HLH Rapid is a rapid prototyping and low-to-mid volume contract manufacturer offering in-house CNC machining (3, 4, and 5-axis milling plus turning), rapid injection moulding, and 3D printing services, supported by sheet metal fabrication, vacuum casting, die casting, composites, MIM, aluminium forging/extrusion, and reverse engineering. Customers upload CAD files online, receive free DFM analysis and instant quotes, and have parts produced at a 12,000 sqm factory in Dongguan, China with sales and project management from Leeds, UK.

Product overview

HLH Rapid is a rapid prototyping and low-to-mid volume manufacturing services provider offering an integrated portfolio of in-house manufacturing capabilities. The core offering centers on rapid injection moulding (with tooling and production runs), CNC machining (milling and turning across 3, 4, and 5 axes), and 3D printing (covering SLA, SLS, DMLS/SLM, MJP, MJF, and FDM technologies). These are complemented by secondary processes including sheet metal fabrication, vacuum casting, die casting, composites/carbon fibre, metal injection moulding, aluminium forging, aluminium extrusion, and reverse engineering/3D scanning. The company operates a 12,000 sqm factory in Dongguan, China, with a UK headquarters in Leeds, and serves customers in 50+ countries. An online instant quote system provides pricing for these services. The product portfolio is organized as a unified manufacturing services platform rather than discrete software products, with all processes performed in-house.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rapid Injection Moulding Rapid tooling and plastic injection moulding services with lead times as fast as 2 weeks for T1 samples, supporting mould shot life from 100 to 25,000+ parts. Designed for low-to-mid volume production runs from a few hundred to tens of thousands of parts, targeted at product teams needing fast iteration and bridge tooling before full production.
• CNC Machining Services Contract CNC milling (3, 4, and 5-axis) and CNC turning services with tight tolerances (down to ±0.002 inches, ±0.0005 inches for turning). Backed by over 150 advanced CNC machines, supporting series production, rapid prototyping, and one-off precision parts in metals, plastics, and carbon fibre.
• 3D Printing Services Multi-technology 3D printing service covering SLA, SLS, DMLS/SLM, MJP, MJF, and FDM for plastic and metal prototypes and production parts, offered as a unified service line so customers can select the best process for their application.
• Sheet Metal Prototyping Sheet metal fabrication services including laser cutting, punching, welding, and other processes for prototypes and low-volume production of metal assemblies and enclosures.
• Vacuum Casting Vacuum casting service producing plastic and rubber parts without the cost or lead time required for production tooling, suited to prototypes and low-volume production runs where injection moulding economics are not yet justified.
• Die Casting Die casting service for production of 10 to 100,000+ production-quality metal components in aluminium and zinc alloys, targeted at low- to mid-volume runs and bridge-to-production needs.
• Composites Carbon Fibre Carbon fibre composite prototyping services providing lightweight, high-strength parts for applications where reduced weight equals better performance, such as motorsports, UAV, and high-performance hardware.
• Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) Metal injection moulding service for producing small, complex metal parts at scale using powdered metal and binder systems, suited to high-volume production of intricate geometries that would be costly to machine.
• Aluminium Forging Custom aluminium forged parts manufacturing service suited to low and medium production quantities, delivering stronger parts than cast equivalents for structural applications.
• Aluminium Extrusion Custom aluminium extrusion and profile manufacturing service with turnaround times as quick as 2-3 weeks for low-volume and custom profiles.
• Export Tooling Flexible export tooling and production solutions that bring manufacturing closer to the customer's home market, acting as a bridge between rapid prototyping and full-scale production.
• Reverse Engineering / 3D Scanning 3D scanning and reverse engineering service that digitises existing parts and produces manufacturable CAD models, enabling reproduction, redesign, or design for manufacturing improvements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Time to market reduced through rapid prototyping capabilities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Hubs (formerly 3D Hubs): Global on-demand manufacturing platform aggregating CNC, 3D printing, injection moulding, and sheet metal services. Directly comparable via instant-quote model, broad process offering, and engineering customer base.
• Protolabs: Global leader in rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing, offering CNC machining, injection moulding, and 3D printing services. Closest direct competitor by service breadth and target customer (engineers needing fast prototypes and low-volume runs).
• Xometry: AI-enabled on-demand manufacturing marketplace offering CNC, 3D printing, injection moulding, and sheet metal fabrication. Competes directly via instant-quote platform and similar target customers across automotive, medical, and industrial.
• Fictiv: Digital manufacturing platform offering CNC machining, 3D printing, injection moulding, and sheet metal with an instant-quote workflow. Competes for the same hardware-startup and OEM prototyping customers.
• RapidDirect: China-based rapid manufacturing service bureau with online quoting for CNC, injection moulding, 3D printing, and sheet metal. Directly comparable in service portfolio and target customer.
• 3ERP: China-based rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing services company offering CNC machining, 3D printing, injection moulding, and finishing. Direct peer with similar cost-arbitrage model.
• Star Rapid: China-based rapid prototyping and low-volume manufacturing service bureau offering CNC, injection moulding, 3D printing, and sheet metal. Closest peer by ownership model (China factory + Western sales) and service mix.

Emerging players

• MakerVerse: Europe-based on-demand manufacturing platform providing CNC, 3D printing, and sheet metal services with a focus on European supply chain resilience. Emerging competitor targeting the same customers who may shift away from China-based suppliers.
• Shapeways: On-demand 3D printing and manufacturing services company with an online quote and ordering platform. Comparable on the 3D printing and rapid prototyping dimension, though more focused on additive-only workflows.

Broad incumbents

• JLCPCB: Large China-based rapid manufacturing services company offering PCB fabrication, CNC machining, 3D printing, and injection moulding. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities, though primarily known for PCB and electronics-focused production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hlh-rapid
• Xx.com/hlhrapid

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HLH Rapid