Strong, lightweight pultruded fibreglass rods and tubes, widely used in the advertising industry and across our banner and umbrella hardware ranges
Unidirectional solid round rods
Sizes available: 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm , 10 mm ,12 mm
Unidirectional solid X profile rods
Sizes available: 14.6 mm PCD, 8.5 mm PCD
PCD means the diameter of a round hole the X-profile rod will just fit into.
Unidirectional tubes
15 x 6 mm round
Pulwound tubes
20 mm OD x 15.2 mm ID
24.3 mm OD x 20.2 mm ID
Unidirectional vs Pulwound
All profiles are manufactured from glass fibre reinforced VinylEster resin. UD (Unidirectional) rods have all the fibres running lengthwise for maximum axial stiffness and strength. Pulwound tubes have both lengthwise fibres plus circumferential hoop fibres for superior torsional and shear strength and added resistance to crushing.
Unidirectional rods are available in lengths up to a maximum of 10.5m, or cut to size. Tubes are stocked in 1.5m lengths but can be cut down, or made in longer lengths, on request
Sizes and specifications
Solid UD Rods- Glassfibre/Vinyl Ester
| Profile | OD (mm) | Mass (g/m) | Stiffness (EI) N·m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid UD | 2.0 | 6.9 | 0.03 |
| Solid UD | 3.0 | 15.5 | 0.17 |
| Solid UD | 4.0 | 25 | 0.55 |
| Solid UD | 5.0 | 39 | 1.35 |
| Solid UD | 6.0 | 63 | 2.80 |
| Solid UD | 7.0 | 83 | 5.19 |
| Solid UD | 8.0 | 102 | 8.85 |
| Solid UD | 10.0 | 170 | 21.6 |
| Solid UD | 11.0 | 198 | 31.6 |
| Solid UD | 12.0 | 233 | 44.8 |
X-Profile UD Rods — Glass Fibre / VinylEster
| Profile | PCD (mm) | Mass (g/m) | Stiffness (EI) N·m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-Profile UD | 14.6 | 193 | 35.5 |
| X-Profile UD | 8.5 | 78 | 5.2 |
PCD = pitch circle diameter — the diameter of a hole the X-profile rod will just fit into. X-profile has 4 fins in cross-section: the larger 14.6mm PCD profile is used in Teardrop banners and umbrella frames; the smaller 8.5mm PCD is used in mini parasol umbrellas.
Like the flanges of an I-beam, the X-profile gets its stiffness by placing material away from the centre ( neutral axis) rather than as a solid core — for the same stiffness, it’s lighter than an equivalent round rod or ; You get more stiffness for less mass.
Unidirectional Tubes — Glass Fibre / VinylEster
| Profile | OD (mm) | ID (mm) | Mass (g/m) | Stiffness (EI) N·m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tube UD | 15.0 | 6.3 | 322 | 106 |
Pulwound Tubes — Glass Fibre / VinylEster
| Profile | OD (mm) | ID (mm) | Mass (g/m) | Stiffness (EI) N·m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulwound tube | 24.3 | 20.15 | 306 | 316 |
| Pulwound tube | 20.0 | 15.15 | 279 | 184 |
Pulwound tubes are stocked in 1.5m lengths but can be cut shorter, or made in longer lengths, on request
Stiffness (EI) explained
What is EI? EI stands for Flexural Rigidity — it combines material stiffness (E, Young’s Modulus) with cross-section shape (I, Second Moment of Area). A higher EI means the pole bends less under the same load. A pole with twice the EI deflects half as much under the same load at the same height.
Want a stiffer option? Moving from the X-profile to the 15×6 UD tube gives roughly 3x the stiffness. Moving from there to the 24.3×20.2 pulwound tube gives nearly 3x more again — a total of almost 9x stiffer than the X-profile.