A stent manufacturing assembly (10) for assisting in the manufacturing of a medical stent and a process for manufacturing a medical stent are disclosed. A patterned sheet of metal can be wrapped around the manufacturing assembly's outer surface. The assembly includes a mandrel (11) and a sleeve (12). The mandrel includes a rigid and substantially cylindrical external surface, and the sleeve surrounds the mandrel and has a variable inner diameter. The sleeve adheres to the inner surface of the stent formed around the sleeve to allow the sleeve to remain in place. After the mandrel is slidably removed from the sleeve, the sleeve radially collapses and contracts, thereby causing minimal shear stress on the stent's inner surface and preventing or minimizing friction and pressure between the mandrel and the stent.
