Diamond Billiard Products has replaced the wooden legs on its tournament pool tables with a high-performance molded composite solution, a move that reduces labor, improves durability, and speeds up installation at major events. The conversion, developed in partnership with custom injection molder Manar, represents a significant modernization of a traditional product category.
For decades, Diamond's table legs were made of wood, requiring cutting, shaping, sanding, finishing, and pre-assembly across multiple departments. Each leg involved 10 to 12 individual components and required up to three months from raw material to finished product, with eight employees dedicated to the process. Brent Lykins, mechanical engineer at Diamond, explained the motivation: "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.
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, provided the strength required for structural performance. Finite element analysis confirmed the legs could support a 1,200- to 1,300-pound table with minimal deflection, and real-world stress testing validated 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. Production time dropped from months to a fraction of that. The new design also improved tournament setup: installers now use a side-access panel and battery-powered tool while seated, adjusting legs up to 1.5 inches to accommodate uneven floors. Installation is three to four times faster, with improved ergonomics.
Anthony Neeley, new business development and director of operations at Manar, said, "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." Diamond's facility is located near a Manar location, enabling close collaboration and rapid sample exchange.
Following the success of the legs, Diamond also partnered with Manar to manufacture its table pockets. Previously, pocket components were molded domestically, shipped to Taiwan for leather wrapping, and returned, resulting in lead times of up to three months, freight delays, and quality fallout of up to 50%. The new design 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.
By converting a core structural component from wood to composite, Diamond reduced labor and manufacturing time, improved installation ergonomics, increased durability, and strengthened supply chain reliability—all while maintaining tournament-level performance. More information about Diamond Billiard Products is available at www.diamondbilliards.com. Manar, a 100% employee-owned U.S. manufacturer, can be found at www.manarinc.com.
