Custom Tubing for Metal Detector Company
Application
Metal detector support shafts. Variable length.
Previous Limiting Technology
Extruded aluminum.
Challenge
Non-cylindrical, ergonomic-shaped tubing in 3 lengths that telescope inside one another for an expandable, variable combination of total lengths. Perfect cosmetics required right out of the mold. Secondary precision machining needed for locking mechanisms and fitted attachments.
Solution
We use sheets of carbon fiber pre-preg wrapped onto a semi-rigid heat expandable mandrel. This is then placed inside a rigid aluminum clamshell mold during cure to create a tight tolerance ID / OD tube for precision fitment, allowing each tube to slide inside the other freely but precisely. This process also provides excellent cosmetics. Ceramic coating is then applied for enhanced durability.