Zeus Industrial Products has launched XpanCore, a heat-activated mandrel technology designed for hypotube assembly in catheter manufacturing. The product was covered by both Medical Design & Outsourcing and Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry in June 2026.
XpanCore mandrels expand when heated, providing internal support during operations like braiding, coiling, or reflowing outer jackets onto hypotubes. After processing, the mandrel contracts for easy removal — eliminating the mechanical extraction step that can damage thin-walled hypotubes.
This addresses a genuine pain point in catheter manufacturing: hypotube-based shafts are increasingly common in neurovascular and structural heart devices, but the thin walls (often under 0.005") make them fragile during secondary operations. A mandrel that self-releases reduces scrap and cycle time.
What this means for buyers: If you're building devices with hypotube shafts, XpanCore is worth evaluating — especially for neurovascular or coronary platforms where wall thickness is pushing the limits of conventional mandrel extraction.