Dec 2009
Electronically Releasing Adhesives
The 600 pound I-beam is suspended above the
ground, held securely in place by a single square
inch of an epoxy adhesive. The two metal substrates
that form the bond are connected to a small
battery pack. With the lip of a switch, a low power
current is passed through the adhesive, releasing
the bond so that the beam crashes down with a
loud bang. This is no ordinary epoxy. Developed by
EIC Laboratories under an Air Force funded SBIR
contract, this epoxy was designed for the temporary
attachment of electronic test packages to the
external surfaces of jet aircraft.
Dr. Michael Gilbert, EIC Laboratories, Inc.
