When a standard fiberglass profile won't deliver the strength, geometry, or performance your project demands, off-the-shelf options create costly compromises. That's exactly where Tencom's custom engineering capabilities shine.
For more than 28 years — with pultrusion operations in Holland, Ohio, dating back to 1995 — Tencom has operated as a high-touch engineering partner. We don't just manufacture parts. We collaborate with your team to design, optimize, and produce custom fiberglass pultruded profiles that solve real application challenges.
Why Custom Engineering Makes the Difference in Pultrusion
Standard structural shapes work for many jobs. But when you need a unique cross-section, specific mechanical properties, integrated features, or performance in extreme environments, custom engineering becomes essential.
Tencom's design and engineering team works directly with customers to define the right combination of:
- Resin matrix
- Composite reinforcement
- Profile shape
- Target properties such as weight, strength, flexibility, density, firmness, and tensile performance
This collaborative approach ensures the final pultruded component performs exactly as intended — whether it's a conductor rod, a complex structural profile for infrastructure, or a specialized OEM part.
Tencom's Technical Capabilities and Specifications
Tencom brings substantial production flexibility backed by state-of-the-art equipment. Key capabilities include:
- Fiber options: E-Glass, E-Glass with mat, Carbon, and Kevlar
- Resin systems: Polyester, Vinyl Ester, Epoxy, Phenolic, Polyurethane, and proprietary formulations
- Profile sizes: Up to 15 inches wide by 6 inches high (with deep expertise in smaller, precision profiles under 2 inches square)
- Tolerances: Tight as ±0.005 inches
- Shapes and profiles: Solid rods, conductor rods, tubes, oval solids, channels, tees, half rounds, rectangular and square bar stock, and virtually any custom profile imaginable
- Production volume: Prototypes through large-scale runs
- Typical lead time: 3–4 weeks
Conductor rods receive special attention through co-pultrusion of fiberglass-reinforced resin directly over copper wire — a capability that requires precise process control.
The Custom Engineering Process at Tencom
While every project is unique, customers consistently experience a structured, transparent journey:
- Requirements and consultation — Clear definition of mechanical, environmental, and dimensional needs.
- Material and design optimization — Selection of the optimal resin, fiber architecture, and profile geometry.
- CAD development — Support for AutoCAD and Inventor file formats.
- Prototyping — Validation before committing to full production.
- Pultrusion manufacturing — Continuous process using roving or mat/roving, resin bath, heated die, in-die cure, and cut-to-length.
- Secondary operations and finishing — Precision value-added work to deliver ready-to-install components.
Secondary Operations That Complete the Solution
Tencom doesn't stop at the die. In-house secondary operations allow customers to receive finished parts that reduce downstream labor and lead time:
- High-precision automatic cutting for extreme tolerances
- Drilling holes and milling slots
- Chamfering, rounding, and pointing
- Grinding and sandblasting
These capabilities support complex geometries and tight specifications while maintaining the inherent advantages of pultruded composites: high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, electrical and thermal insulation, electromagnetic transparency, dimensional stability, and consistent color throughout the part.
Industries That Rely on Tencom's Custom Engineering
Tencom's custom capabilities serve demanding sectors including:
- Electrical utilities and telecommunications
- Construction and infrastructure
- Fenestration (window reinforcements)
- Marine and corrosion-resistant equipment
- Industrial equipment and OEM applications
- Recreation, sporting goods, and consumer products
- Misc. Others
From utility isolation rods and duct rods to specialized window reinforcements and structural components, the common thread is the need for performance that standard profiles cannot deliver.
The Tencom Advantage
What sets Tencom apart is the combination of deep technical expertise and genuine customer focus. Our engineers, quality control specialists, and service team guide projects from initial concept through production and delivery. We specialize in solving problems that off-the-shelf parts cannot address, and we do it with a commitment to quality, competitive pricing, and on-time delivery.
Because we control the entire process in our Holland, Ohio facility — from material selection and die design through secondary operations — customers gain both technical precision and supply chain reliability.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tencom's Custom Engineering Capabilities
What makes Tencom's custom engineering different from other pultruders? Tencom functions as a true engineering partner rather than a pure manufacturer. Our team collaborates on material selection, profile optimization, and performance targets from the earliest stages, ensuring the final part meets exact application requirements rather than forcing a compromise on available standard shapes.
What fiber and resin combinations can Tencom engineer? We work with E-Glass, E-Glass with mat, Carbon, and Kevlar reinforcements. Resin options include Polyester, Vinyl Ester, Epoxy, Phenolic, Polyurethane, and proprietary systems. This range allows us to fine-tune strength, stiffness, corrosion resistance, electrical properties, and thermal performance.
What are Tencom's size and tolerance capabilities for custom profiles? We routinely produce profiles up to 15 inches wide by 6 inches high while maintaining deep expertise in smaller, high-precision work. Standard tolerances reach ±0.005 inches, with high-precision automatic cutting available for even tighter requirements.
Does Tencom offer prototyping for custom pultrusions? Yes. We produce prototypes to validate designs before scaling to full production runs, reducing risk and enabling early design refinements.
What secondary fabrication services does Tencom provide? In addition to pultrusion, we offer drilling, slot milling, chamfering, rounding, pointing, grinding, sandblasting, and precision cutting to length. These operations deliver parts ready for immediate use or assembly.
How long does a typical custom engineering project take? Lead times generally run 3–4 weeks once the design is finalized, depending on profile complexity and current production scheduling. Prototyping can often be completed faster to accelerate validation.
Which industries benefit most from Tencom's custom pultrusion engineering? Utilities, telecommunications, construction, infrastructure, marine, industrial equipment, fenestration, and OEM manufacturers consistently rely on our ability to deliver tailored profiles that outperform standard alternatives in strength, durability, weight, and environmental resistance.
When your next project requires a fiberglass profile that doesn't exist in any catalog, Tencom's custom engineering capabilities provide the expertise, equipment, and partnership to bring it to life.
Our team is ready to review your requirements and explore how a precisely engineered pultruded solution can improve performance and reduce total project cost.
