Diamond Billiard Products has replaced the traditional wood legs on its professional tournament pool tables with a high-performance molded composite solution, a move that reduces labor, improves durability, and accelerates tournament setup. The conversion, developed in partnership with custom injection molder Manar, addresses longstanding inefficiencies in manufacturing and installation while maintaining the precision expected at the highest levels of competition.
The original wood legs required cutting, shaping, sanding, finishing, and pre-assembly across multiple departments, involving eight employees and 10 to 12 individual components per leg. From raw material to finished product, production could take up to three months. Brent Lykins, mechanical engineer at Diamond, said, 'I'm here to find better ways of doing things, approaches to reduce manufacturing time and enhance performance. The wood legs were very labor intensive. We wanted to streamline it.'
Installation was also inefficient. At tournaments, installers had to access leveling nuts near the floor, often lying on their backs to make adjustments. With tables set up across uneven venues, this process was slow and physically demanding. The new design uses a side-access panel and battery-powered tool, allowing installers to adjust legs up to 1.5 inches while seated. Installation is now three to four times faster, with improved ergonomics.
Diamond spent several years developing concepts and 3D-printed prototypes before partnering with Manar to refine the design for injection molding. The final material, 40% long-glass polypropylene, provides the strength required for structural performance. FEA validation confirmed the legs could support a 1,200- to 1,300-pound table with minimal deflection. Diamond also conducted real-world stress testing, lifting and dropping tables to confirm durability.
The operational impact was dramatic. Part consolidation reduced 10 to 12 wood components to a primary molded body with a foot block and shaft. Anthony Neeley, new business development and director of operations at Manar, explained, 'This wasn't just about molding a part. It was about applying a design for manufacturability approach to meet the structural demands of tournament-level use and deliver measurable operational improvements.'
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, quality fallout of up to 50%, and risk exposure. The new pocket consolidates parts, eliminates overseas finishing, uses automated molding with robotic insert placement, and offers improved durability with a modern matte black textured finish.
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. More information about Diamond Billiard Products is available at www.diamondbilliards.com.
