Diamond Billiard Products has replaced the traditional wooden legs on its professional pool tables with a high-performance injection-molded composite solution, dramatically cutting labor, improving durability, and accelerating tournament installation. The change represents a structural and operational transformation for the company, which supplies tables used in professional tournaments worldwide.
The original wood legs required eight employees and 10 to 12 individual components per leg, with production taking up to three months from raw material to finished product. Brent Lykins, mechanical engineer at Diamond, said the process was labor-intensive and the company sought a better approach. “I'm here to find better ways of doing things, approaches to reduce manufacturing time and enhance performance,” he explained.
After developing concepts and 3D-printed prototypes over several years, Diamond partnered with Manar, a custom plastic injection molder, to refine the design for manufacturability. The final material, 40% long-glass polypropylene, provides the strength needed to support a 1,200- to 1,300-pound table with minimal deflection, as confirmed by FEA validation and real-world stress testing. The new leg consolidates 10 to 12 wood components into a primary molded body with a foot block and shaft.
The operational impact has been significant. The molded legs are produced in a fraction of the time previously required for wood, and installation is three to four times faster. Installers now use a side-access panel and battery-powered tool while seated, instead of lying on their backs to adjust leveling nuts from underneath. Legs can be adjusted up to 1.5 inches to accommodate uneven floors, improving ergonomics without sacrificing precision.
Anthony Neeley, new business development and director of operations at Manar, emphasized the collaborative effort. “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,” he said. Diamond's facility is located near a Manar location, allowing 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 pocket consolidates parts, eliminates a production step, removes dependency on 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 has reduced labor and manufacturing time, improved installation ergonomics, increased durability, strengthened supply chain reliability, and maintained tournament-level performance. The innovations demonstrate that even iconic, traditional products like pool tables can benefit from modern manufacturing techniques.
