World-class design and fabrication facilities.
Located at the epicenter of U.S. car culture in Southern California, our world-class facility is fully equipped to take any automotive OEM design project from "ideation to fabrication.” Unlike most other studios, Hydra Design Labs has the in-house expertise – and the state-of-the-art equipment and technology – to sketch an initial design, expand and test the concept in CAD, model the vehicle in full-size or scale form and completely fabricate a prototype or production vehicle – all under one roof.
Three Isolated Design Studios
In addition to designing and developing world-class vehicles – Hydra also offers the ultimate in privacy and confidentiality via three isolated design studios. Each of our separate studios is fully equipped for complete new model development, including dedicated surface plates for both scale models and full-size prototypes, and all necessary support equipment. Hydra provides a private space where our team can focus on each project and encourage collaboration with our clients.
Clay Modeling Facilities and Services
Hydra’s world class facilities are purpose-built to include complete in-house clay modeling services. Clay modeling is a critical part of our automotive development process – these models allow us to bring a rendering to life, while assessing design details and proportions that may not be so evident in computer data. Jumping back and forth between CAD modeling and Clay modeling provides the best of both worlds. After milling CAD data into clay, the model is then refined by hand and then laser-scanned to bring the new changes back into data. The finished clay model can be painted or evaluated with Di-noc film. We can create clay models for any project requirements, including interiors or exteriors at either scale or full size, and our facilities offer all of the tooling and equipment needed to produce clay models entirely in-house.
Full Machining Capabilities with Five-Axis CNC Milling
Hydra’s complete in-house machine shop can work with numerous materials including Aluminum, RenShape and ABS. We can handle all machining needs for model verification, prototyping, tooling and more. Our facilities include a full-size Gantry mills with five-axis CNC milling capabilities.
When it comes to bringing a design to life, Hydra is equipped with the complete metal fabrication and tooling required for every stage of prototyping and new model development. Our facilities offer full steel and aluminum fabrication machinery, including welding, metal-cutting and forming equipment, plus full wood shop amenities.
Prototyping & Composite Facilities
Hydra’s facilities are fully equipped to turn a design project into a rolling, complete prototype or concept vehicle – including full finishing and painting, with a dedicated spray booth to produce high-quality finishes on prototypes, concept vehicles and more.
Our facilities are also equipped to offer advanced composite work, for urethane castings, epoxies, carbon fiber tooling and other parts. Our hard modeling department offers all of the necessary equipment and tools for bracketing, fitting and pre-fit of precision components, plus prototype cooling capabilities.
