Technology
Footprint
The footprint system was developed as Matter wheels understood that despite urethane durometers, there are other factors that affect the feel of the wheel to the skater.
The critical element affecting the feel is the footprint, the larger the footprint, the softer the wheel.
Therefore, we believe its more important to measure the footprint of the wheel relative to the other wheels in a sequence. Matter uses an F – scale rating system.
F0 being the hardest, F1 the next hardest, and so on. This footprint scale is relavent only to each individual family or sequence, meaning that an F1 Juice will not have the same traditional hardness rating as an F1 XG wheel.
TR2 – Injection Molded Torus
All our wheels featuring the TR2 system contain our uniquely formulated injection molded torus (TR-2) and the TL-1, a unique elastomer ring between the Slip Joint hollow core and the TR-2, providing necessary rigid support and additional rebound. All together this makes any wheel with TR2 part of the very first four component wheel generation. We have now combined four separate and distinct components (Hollow core, TL-1, TR2 and the outer PU) in one wheel to deliver optimal track performance to the world class skating community. This combination provides the wheels with an incredible combination of grip and roll. Without a doubt, TR2 is where the future of inline speedskating begins.
HCT – Hollow Core Technology
Matter wheels staked its reputation on Hollow Core Technology. While travailing through a treacherous product development cycle, MATTER has been able to combine light weight with stiffness, necessary ingredients for a successful Road, track and Indoor wheel. The Matter Superjuice wheels furthermore feature the dome, that piece that sits right under the urethane has tremendous rebound and is the reason for the outstanding roll as it´s characterized by the Matter Road and Matter Indoor product. For all TR2 wheelks the dome was replaced by the TR2 system, and the two pieces of the hollow core are now jooint together by the socalled. slip-joint, making the core even more stable and performing.
EMT – Energy Management Technology
During the development of Hollow Core Technology, it became apparent that Hollow wasn’t the answer for ALL surfaces and all conditions. Clearly, there are certain styles of skating and certain terrains where additional flex is required to allow the skater to better manage energy. So, back to the lab we went and the end result is the two-piece, EMT flex technology. EMT has road and track applications and one will find the EMT option throughout the Matter line.
OT – Offset Technology
Our OT hub follows the same idea as EMT. The advantage is our ability to manage the energy to give specific foot prints and flex without sacrificing roll, grip and wear. The difference of OT vs. EMT is the hub construction. The EMT is based on a hollow core constructions vs. the OT is based on a solid hub construction. The EMT has some advantages compared to OT such as better rebound, improved flex for better power transfer and lighter weight. Yet there are quite some skaters that prefer a solid hub system, and for them the OT core offers the perfect solution. The OT hub can be found in the IMAGE wheels series. For 2012 the IMAGE was stiffened up a bit more, to improve the overall performance of the wheels.
USW – Ultrasonic Welding
Sonic Welding (USW) was incorporated is the method of joining two parts by converting electrical energy into heat energy by high frequency mechanical vibration and is suitable for plastics or metals. One part of the assembly is set in motion in order to cause intense friction between the two pieces, one of which remains held in place. This movement is provided by a vibrating component called a sonotrode which is applied at right angles to the surface of the part to be welded.
Friction is localized at the interface of the assembly. The resulting heat quickly melts the plastic which flows and causes a chemical bond. After it has cooled, a solid homogeneous weld between the two components is formed. The vibration frequency of the sonotrode is 20 to 40 kHz which is outside the perception limit of the human ear.
Ultrasonic plastics’ welding has advantages:
One piece Hollow Core Technology (HCT) promotes a stiffer more consistent roll. In addition, USW allows us to keep our HCT while developing an entirely new Energy Management Technology system (EMT). This is a breakthrough for elite inline racing because it is the first ever hollow core with energy management control, giving back nearly all the energy put in. Not only does Matter have superior urethane, we also understand the importance of making the urethane and core work coherently in order to optimize roll, grip, wear and overall performance for indoor, road, track and marathon racing.
CWT – Convertible Wheel Technology
CWT (Convertible Wheel Technology) was developed specifically for the Track. While EMT allows the skater to manage energy, CWT provides additional footprint on the track for better grip. Combined with XG, Code Red, Nuclear or now also Defcon, the skater will have the opportunity, NO MATTER THE SURFACE, to find the suitable track setup. See the Matter track wheel Matrix for suggested wheel setups based on surface type.
