Catheter Mandrel Technology

Our mandrel diameter tolerances can be maintained as low as +/- 0.0005 inches and set us apart from in-house options or competing suppliers. Available in diameters from 0.020 inches to 0.25 inches, our medical mandrels create reinforced tubing solutions for diagnostic catheters, guide catheters, high-pressure contrast injection tubing, and other minimally invasive, small-diameter medical devices. Adding such reinforcement to tube walls improves torque transmission, kink resistance, column strength, and internal pressure resistance. Reinforcements are constructed from metal or polymer fibers and applied in braided or coiled constructions depending on the application requirements. Application of the reinforcement is typically performed over a thin-wall polymer tube. An outer polymer layer is extruded or hand-assembled and reflowed over the reinforcement layer to form the multilayer construction.

Medical catheter manufacturers around the world use TekniPlex Healthcare’s catheter mandrels to retain critical lumen tolerances during extrusion, braiding, coiling, and jacketing processes. Low friction material properties and ultra-smooth surfaces allow these cores to be easily removed after catheter shaft assembly.