Carbon 3D prints stuff that's squishy, springy and comes in unusual shapes

Carbon can 3D print customized dental products. These were made of two materials later glued together.

Carbon's new L1 printers are used to make things like Adidas running shoe midsoles and custom-shaped shock absorbers for Riddell football helmets.

Carbon builds a shock-absorbing lattice inside these Ridell professional football helmets. They're custom-fit to each player and weigh about a half pound less than traditional helmets, the company says.

The underside of this Riddell helmet shoes the Carbon-made lattice used to absorb shock.

This part of a Carbon-printed water pump is more complex than is possible to manufacture with injection molding processes, the company says.

A history of Carbon prototypes. At right are "Donnie" and "Leo," models used to persuade investors to fund the startup's second round of funding.

Carbon 3D prints these springy, lightweight lattices used in Adidas running shoes.

This Carbon-built bracket, while unspectacular, is used inside Ford Mustangs. 3D printing enables lighter parts than are possible with metal manufacturing.

Carbon's L1 printer can create a lightweight, springy midsole for an Adidas running shoe in less than a half hour.

A big vat of resin for Carbon's printers rests in the company's Redwood City, California, headquarters.