New Balance and Formlabs continue to leverage TripleCell platform

We told you at the beginning of July about the 3D printing platform that had just been launched by New Balance and Formlabs – the TripleCell platform. At the time, the companies announced that this platform would be used to launch the 990 Sport and the FuelCell Echo Triple trainers. This partnership is not new, it started two years ago, in 2017, when the 3D printer manufacturer and the leader in athletic wear announced to the public that they were developing high performance materials, hardware, and a manufacturing process for athlete footwear.

Following the unveil of the TripleCell platform, the 990 Sport launched during the summer and sold out quickly. Now, it is time for the FuelCell Echo Triple trainer to hit the market. In terms of technology, the latter has also been 3D printed using SLA 3D printers with the custom-made, high-performance Rebound Resin. This resin explains the beginnings of the partnership between New Balance and Formlabs. The two companies came together to develop this material that essentially presents higher resistance to wear and tear than other materials.

3D printed pieces using the Rebound Resin from Formlabs | Image via Formlabs

On Formlabs website you can read: “Shoe materials experience a variety of environments, with the additional need to withstand various levels of pressure thousands of times per day. Designed to create springy, resilient lattice structures, Rebound Resin has a much higher energy return, tear strength, and elongation than any other Formlabs material. Rebound Resin is strong enough to be used in gaskets, seals, and automotive interiors, but light and flexible enough for the sole of a shoe. New Balance has exclusive rights to use Rebound Resin in footwear, but the material was designed for a wide range of applications.”