Polyimide Tubing Suppliers: Ten Names to Review and Five Questions to Ask
Sourcing & Suppliers · 2026-09-16 · 5 min read
Polyimide tubing is one of the narrowest supply bases in the polymer tube world. The resin is expensive, the process control needed for a thin concentric wall is unforgiving, and a large part of the volume goes into medical devices and semiconductor test, both of which come with qualification overhead. That leaves a small set of genuine manufacturers and a longer tail of distributors carrying the same wound tube from the same mills. This shortlist is a research starting point.
Ten suppliers to research
| Supplier | Based in | What they are known for in this category |
|---|---|---|
| WELLELE (Well Electric) | Suzhou, China | Drawing-based polyimide tube for probe cards, test sockets, motor insulation and sensor capillaries: stated ID and OD tolerance, controlled concentricity, clean cut, batch certificate |
| MicroLumen | Oldsmar, USA | High-performance thermoset polyimide tubing for cardiovascular, neurovascular and urology devices, with a wide range of micro IDs and wall sections |
| Putnam Plastics | Dayville, USA | Custom polyimide tubing and shaft liners for catheters, including very thin liner walls and composite and reinforced constructions |
| Zeus Industrial Products | Orangeburg, USA | Polymer extrusion specialist covering polyimide alongside fluoropolymers, with reinforced and low-friction composite variants |
| Teleflex Medical OEM | USA | Micro-diameter polyimide tubing built by dip-coat film casting, with coil and braid reinforced designs and embedded-conductor options |
| Confluent Medical Technologies | Scottsdale, USA | Filmcast polyimide tubing and composites, including a higher-strength polyimide variant and regulatory-aligned options |
| American Durafilm | Holliston, USA | Seamless thermoset polyimide tubing across a wide range of IDs and walls, with cleanroom fabrication |
| Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics | France | Large high-performance plastics business with precision tubing and film across medical, aerospace and industrial sectors |
| Furukawa Electric | Tokyo, Japan | Advanced materials and electrical components, using polyimide's electrical and thermal properties in wire and component products |
| Polyfluor Plastics | Netherlands | High-performance plastics house offering specialty tubing including polyimide, oriented to custom industrial and medical sizes |
For buyers sourcing from Asia there is a further tier worth knowing: several Chinese polymer houses extrude medical and industrial grade polyimide and PI composite tubing, generally as part of a broader catheter and precision-tubing catalogue rather than as a standalone polyimide line. That tier competes on batch size and lead time more than on device qualification, which makes it a reasonable fit for industrial and instrument work and a harder fit for a regulated device programme.
Five questions that expose a reseller
- Which process makes the tube, extruded or wound, and which one for my size? A reseller knows the material name and nothing about the process window. The route changes the wall uniformity, so the answer matters.
- What is the maximum wall variation around the circumference on my bore? This is the concentricity number in a form an inspector can measure. A supplier who cannot answer it does not control the process.
- How do you cut, and what is the burr limit? On thin-wall PI, the cut is a functional feature. Sheared ends leave a lip that fouls a probe or sheds particulate.
- Is the certificate tied to the resin lot, and does it include the dimensional measurements on the finished part rather than the extruded length? The finished part is what you install.
- What happens when I ask for a size that is not in the catalogue? A manufacturer answers with a mandrel or a die and a review. A reseller answers with a lead time.
The qualification question that decides everything
Polyimide tubing splits into two markets by paperwork, not by material. Device and semiconductor work needs a controlled change process, a certificate trail, and often a cleanroom-compatible cut. Industrial and instrument work needs the dimensions to be right and the batch to repeat. Those two needs send you to different suppliers, and it is worth deciding which one you are before the first enquiry.
How to run the shortlist
- Write the drawing with the functional surface called out, plus concentricity as a wall variation, the cut specification and the cleanliness class.
- Send the same drawing to three suppliers: one device-oriented specialist, one broad extrusion house and one custom manufacturer.
- Ask each for a sample lot and measure wall variation at several points around the circumference, not once.
- Section a tube and look at the cut under magnification. That single check eliminates more suppliers than any datasheet comparison.
- Ask what the supplier would change on your drawing. A manufacturer will push back on a tolerance that is not needed; a reseller will not.
In the wider build this belongs to the polyimide capillary tubing route, which gathers every part it covers.
Products for this job
These are the polyimide tubing routes we run, from sub-millimetre bore to sensor-sheath wall. Sample and prototype quantities for Polyimide Tubing Suppliers are quoted before any tooling is committed.
Related reading
- Polyimide Tube Wall Thickness and ID Tolerance
- Polyimide Capillary Tube for Thermocouples and RTDs
- Polyimide Tube in Radiation and Semiconductor
- Fluoropolymer Heat Shrink Tubing Suppliers
Common questions
Who makes polyimide tubing?
The supply base is small and split between medical-device specialists such as MicroLumen, Putnam Plastics, Teleflex Medical OEM and Confluent Medical, broad high-performance extrusion houses such as Zeus and Saint-Gobain, and drawing-based custom manufacturers such as WELLELE. Your choice depends mostly on the paperwork and qualification level your programme needs.
Why is polyimide tubing so expensive?
The resin is costly and the process control needed for a thin concentric wall is demanding, so the number of qualified producers stays low. The volume also tends to be small, which keeps unit cost high. It is generally specified only where the temperature, thin wall or dimensional precision cannot be met by a cheaper polymer.
Can I buy polyimide tubing off the shelf?
A few standard sizes exist in the catalogue of specialist suppliers. Most polyimide tube is made to a drawing, because the bore and the wall are set by the device or the socket. If a catalogue size happens to fit, that is a convenience rather than the normal route.
Is wound polyimide tube the same as extruded?
No. Wall uniformity and the micro-size capability differ, and so does the price. Extruded tube gives a more consistent thin wall in small bores; wound tube suits larger diameters and thicker sections. Ask which process your quotation is based on.
What should I check on a sample?
Wall variation at several points around the circumference and along the length, bore straightness, and the cut under magnification. Those three checks catch most of the variation that separates a good batch from a marginal one.
Do suppliers in Asia qualify for medical work?
Some do, and the ones that do will have the quality system documentation to show for it. Many do not, and are better suited to industrial, instrument and semiconductor-support parts. Ask for the quality system certificates and the change-control process before assuming either.
How do I compare quotations on the same drawing?
Compare what each supplier says it controls. Two quotations on the same drawing can differ because one holds the bore and lets the outside diameter float while the other does the opposite. Ask each to state the controlled dimension and the free dimensions.
What does WELLELE supply in this category?
Polyimide tubing for probe cards, test sockets, spring-probe assemblies, motor and coil insulation and high-temperature component sleeving, plus polyimide capillary tube for thermocouple and RTD sheaths. We quote to a stated ID and OD tolerance with controlled concentricity, clean-cut and low-burr finishes, and lot traceability to the incoming material certificate.
Specifying this part?
Send the drawing for a manufacturability review.