Composite tubes

Are you looking for a lighter, stronger, or stiffer pultruded carbon fiber tube or maybe a glass fiber tube? Our composites may be the solution!

Not all composite tubes are equal. The material design and engineering should be tailored to the mechanical requirements and environmental conditions where the tube will be used. That's why we at Exel Composites first work with you to understand your needs, and then our composite engineers will propose a composite tube design (including geometries, reinforcement selections, and resin system recipe).

Next we use our volume manufacturing technologies of pultrusion and pull-winding to manufacture bespoke glass fiber and carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP tubes). These highly automated processes ensure consistent fiber density and product quality. Additionally, since they are continuous processes, they are perfect for high volume productions of composite tubes.

Interested to learn more? Read more about our solutions below. Fill the form on the page and our team will get in touch with you.

Get in touch

How we work with you to create your
composite tube

We at Exel Composites specialize in glass fiber and carbon fiber tube manufacturing. The creation of a composite solution is a collaborative process. Our R&D works with your product engineers or R&D to first outline and understand your needs.

Next, we engineer your composite tube, and work together to test prototypes. The choice of reinforcements and resin system used depends on your requirements. Some solutions use glass reinforcements, some use carbon. Additionally, we can advise on the best use of hybrid composites, where we combine different fiber reinforcements (such as glass and carbon) into your solution, providing many of the benefits of both reinforcements. Once the prototypes are accepted by your team, we move to volume production. Learn more about composite tube possibilities here.

Whether you are looking for carbon fiber pipes, carbon fiber rods or fiberglass tubes for sale, we've got you covered. Get in touch with our team today by filling the form at the top of the page. You can also book a meeting with Marc from our US team via the link below.

US-manufactured composite tubes: performance, speed & compliance

With new tariffs on imported goods, now is the time to source US-manufactured tubes that deliver performance without the added cost. Exel Composites produces high-quality composite tubes in the USA, using advanced pultrusion and pull-winding techniques. Our American-made tubing offers unbeatable value, lead times, and technical advantages—all without tariff-related delays or fees.

Composite tubes made in US Erlanger, Kentucky

Exel Composites proudly operates a full-scale manufacturing facility in Erlanger, Kentucky, where our expert team produces pultruded and pull-wound tubes for customers across North America. Our Kentucky-based composite tube production ensures faster delivery, local support, and strict quality control. Whether you need standard profiles or custom-engineered solutions, our US team is ready to help with your composite tubing needs—quickly, efficiently, and reliably.

Why Choose US-manufactured tubes from Exel Composites?

Our composite tubing made in the USA is engineered for structural integrity, reliability, and fast turnaround. By producing locally, we ensure:

No tariffs or import duties
Avoid added costs and supply chain uncertainty by choosing tubes made in the USA.
Faster lead times
Domestic production means quicker delivery to your facility or project site.
Local support and service
Get responsive help and custom solutions from our US-based team.
US quality standards
Our American-made composite tubes meet strict domestic quality and regulatory requirements.
Custom engineering
We collaborate with you to deliver customized US composite tubing built for your specific performance needs.

Advanced pultrusion & pull-winding technology

We manufacture US composite tubes using cutting-edge continuous methods that enhance performance and consistency:

High fiber volume fraction
Pultruded and pull-wound tubes offer exceptional stiffness and strength.
Precision fiber alignment
Pull-winding ensures optimal hoop and longitudinal strength for demanding applications.
Consistent quality
Automated manufacturing delivers reliable, repeatable results.
Smooth surface finish
Ideal for both functional and aesthetic use—often with no post-processing required.
Cost-effective high volume
Continuous production keeps unit costs low and scales easily with your demand.

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Composite tube and rod manufacturing techniques

Our composite tube production uses continuous manufacturing technologies. Compared to other composite manufacturing, our pultrusion and pull-winding are both continuous processes. This provides advantages not only in production output but also quality. Our pultruded carbon tubes are custom made to your specifications and manufactured with high standards. Product quality variables like fiber density and fiber placement are easy to manage with pultrusion and pull-winding since each fiber is carefully guided into place.

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Pultrusion

Pultrusion is a well-known process. As a continuous process, where a composite is formed by first aligning the reinforcements (rovings, tows, mats, veils, etc. ) which are then pulled into a resin bath, and then pulled into the heated die. Inside the die the resin is cured, creating the composite.

Pultrusion aligns fibers unidirectionally, perfect for high tension, high axial-strength applications.

Pull-winding

You won't find any other manufacturer using pull-winding at our scale the US. It's how we create stronger, lighter composite profiles using a continuous manufacturing technology. Our pull-winding manufacturing process also delivers consistent quality, and unique aesthetics.

Pultrusion compared to prepreg and filament winding

Prepreg tubes
Excellent mechanical properties, but higher costs and longer processing times make them less ideal for high-volume jobs. Prepregs also require careful handling and storage to prevent premature curing.
Filament wound tubes
Great for complex geometries, but not as efficient or cost-effective for straight tube production as pultrusion.

Exel’s US-manufactured pultruded tubes and pull-wound tubes strike the perfect balance—offering advanced mechanical properties, design flexibility, and the logistical and financial benefits of American-made composite tubing.

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How does carbon fiber tube manufacturing with pull-winding work?

Pull-winding is very similar to pultrusion, with the main difference of adding cross-wound reinforcements. This allows layup configurations with both unidirectional and cross-wound (off-axis) fiber alignments.

The cross-windings add additional hoop strength and deflection properties (transverse stiffness and strength). Additionally the cross-windings can be tailored to provide a customized cross-wound aesthetic unique to your composite tube.

To achieve your deflection and hoop stress requirements, we align reinforcing fibers both longitudinally and off-axis (to ± almost 90°). We can tailor winding angles, colors, and materials for a unique design.

Exel has developed several decades of pull-winding experience in Europe and brought its technology and experience to the United States.

Composite tube reinforcements and resins

We offer a wide range of reinforcements and resin systems for tubes. If you have special needs, please feel free to get in contact with us to discuss. Our global manufacturing experience means we have worked with many different materials over the years and in addition to glass fiber and carbon fiber tubes, can an also manufacture hybrid tubes.

Reap the benefits of hybrid composite tubes

Hybrid composite tubes are made of a combination of both glass and carbon fibers, allowing manufacturers to tailor mechanical properties for any given application without changing the specified dimensions of the tubes or poles by adjusting the ratio of glass fiber to carbon fiber in the structure.

Reinforcement options include glass, carbon, aramid and flax. Our hybrid technology combines different reinforcements into a composite solution.

Resin system options include epoxy, polyurethane, polyester and vinyl ester.

Layup configuration options include unidirectional, cross-wind (0° to ±90° roving or tow), fabric (0° to ±90° woven), Mat (chopped strand or continuous fiber) and Veil (nonwoen, provides smoth resin rich surface).

Carbon fiber rods and tubes made in the USA

Looking for carbon fiber rod and tube manufacturing in the US? Our Erlanger, Kentucky factory provides both R&D and manufacturing capabilities. Our local team is part of Exel's global R&D and manufacturing network, so you benefit from the company's global expertise and experience.

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