Zeus Launches XpanCore™ Mandrels to Simplify Hypotube Assembly Manufacturing
Zeus has announced the launch of XpanCore™, a new heat-activated mandrel technology designed to simplify the construction of metallic laser-cut hypotube assemblies used in advanced catheter manufacturing.
According to the company, laser-cut hypotubes are increasingly utilized in interventional devices because they offer greater strength, flexibility, and kink resistance compared to traditional braided or coiled shafts. However, manufacturing hypotube assemblies can introduce additional complexity, particularly when integrating liners within the inner diameter of the hypotube.
Designed to expand when heat is applied, XpanCore™ mandrels help address common challenges related to liner sizing, placement, and adhesion. The technology is intended to support more consistent assembly processes while reducing reliance on pressurized systems and other complex techniques used to secure liners against the inner walls of hypotubes.
“Constructing hypotube assemblies often requires extremely tight tolerances between the liner OD and the hypotube ID, along with complex techniques to secure the liner,” said Suresh Sainath, Chief Technology Officer at Zeus. “XpanCore was developed to help simplify that process by expanding gently and helping push the liner radially outward during processing, helping address common sizing, placement, and adhesion challenges, and ultimately helping speed production and improve yields.”
The company stated that the new mandrels are designed to support manufacturers as catheter designs continue to evolve toward greater complexity, tighter performance requirements, and more advanced shaft constructions.
“Next-generation catheter technologies require manufacturing solutions capable of keeping pace with increasingly sophisticated device designs,” said Mike Evers, Director of Commercial Marketing at Zeus. “With XpanCore, device manufacturers now have access to a new processing approach that can help simplify assembly, support repeatability and improved yields, and expand design flexibility across a wide range of advanced catheter applications.”
XpanCore™ mandrels are available in FEP and PFA materials and are designed to support the construction of hypotube assemblies and other complex catheter systems.
About Zeus: Zeus is a global provider of advanced polymer solutions and precision manufacturing technologies serving the medical, aerospace, energy, automotive, and fiber optics industries. Headquartered in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the company specializes in advanced materials engineering, catheter manufacturing, and device development services, helping customers solve complex design and manufacturing challenges since 1966.
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