Diamond Billiard Products has replaced the wooden legs of its tournament pool tables with a high-performance molded composite solution, reducing labor, improving durability, and accelerating installation at professional events. The change, developed in partnership with custom injection molder Manar, represents a significant structural and operational transformation for a company known for precision equipment used in top-level competitions.
For decades, Diamond's table legs were made of wood, requiring cutting, shaping, sanding, finishing, and pre-assembly across multiple departments. Production involved eight employees and 10 to 12 individual components per leg, with a lead time of up to three months. Brent Lykins, mechanical engineer at Diamond, said the goal was to find better approaches to reduce manufacturing time and enhance performance. The new design consolidates parts into a primary molded body with a foot block and shaft, produced in a fraction of the time.
The material selected was 40% long-glass polypropylene, which provides the strength required for structural performance. Finite element analysis (FEA) confirmed the legs could support a 1,200- to 1,300-pound table with minimal deflection, and real-world stress testing involving lifting and dropping tables confirmed durability. The operational impact was dramatic: the wood legs that once required months of multi-step handling were replaced with a molded structural component produced quickly and reliably.
Tournament setup also improved significantly. Previously, installers had to access leveling nuts near the floor, often lying on their backs to make adjustments. With the new design, installers use a side-access panel and battery-powered tool while seated, allowing legs to be adjusted up to 1.5 inches to accommodate uneven floors. Installation is three to four times faster, with improved ergonomics and no sacrifice in precision. At large tournaments with hundreds of tables, the time savings are substantial.
Manar played a critical role early in the process, helping to refine Diamond's initial concepts into a manufacturable solution. Anthony Neeley, new business development and director of operations at Manar, noted that the project was about applying a design for manufacturability approach to meet structural demands and deliver measurable operational improvements. Diamond's facility is located near a Manar location, allowing close collaboration and rapid sample exchange. Diamond now relies on Manar for leg production and continued innovation.
Following the success of the legs, Diamond partnered with Manar to manufacture its table pockets. Previously, pocket components were molded domestically, shipped to Taiwan for leather wrapping, and returned, resulting in long lead times of up to three months, freight delays, and quality fallout of up to 50%. The redesigned pocket consolidates parts, eliminates the overseas finishing step, uses automated molding with robotic insert placement, and offers improved durability with a modern matte black textured finish. This redesign mitigates risk, reduces scrap, and improves supply reliability.
By converting a core structural component from wood to composite, Diamond reduced labor and manufacturing time, improved installation ergonomics, increased durability, strengthened supply chain reliability, and maintained tournament-level performance. The partnership with Manar allowed Diamond to modernize a legacy product without compromising the quality players expect. More information about Diamond Billiard Products is available at www.diamondbilliards.com and about Manar at www.manarinc.com.
