Posted on 09/09/2009 9:09:03 AM PDT by neverdem
Hook-and-loop tape is the generic name. But everyone knows the plastic fastener that can be reused and repositioned endlessly as Velcro. Now, German engineers have developed industrial-grade analogs for automotive and other applications. Made from steel, the newly patented fasteners can operate at temperatures as high as 800° Celsius and at tensile loads of up to 35 metric tons per square meter.
Industrial companies approached the Technical University of Munich’s Institute of Metal Forming and Casting four years ago about developing the new connectors. They’re patterned on the burrs that some plants have evolved to adhere to the coats of animals for seed dispersal...
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...
That looks even better than duct tape for holding things together.
Heck yeah! I want some!
I’m thinking of replacing reactive armor on tanks, etc.
Bite your tongue!!
sweet ....
There is a million uses for that stuff if it works well.
I’d be happy enough to be the one who invented Velcro. (Or Post-It notes, for that matter.)
This might make construction in space or on Mars a lot simpler, but then, what do I know
So.....once you've connected the two sides....how in Hades do you separate them? With a pair of Caterpillar D9s?
A lot smaller surfaces require less force. Imagine a dime sized piece that would take a strong man to pull apart.
how I keep my pants up? Mostly... 
Bendy doesn't!
How do you fasten it to the substrate?
Extra Super-Duper Pooper Glue, I guess. Either that, since it is steel, it gets welded.
Spot welds?
Velcro was a Vulcan invention designed to hold fabrics and other surfaces together utilizing tiny hooks and loops.
Unknown at the time, this invention was introduced to Humans by T’Mir, a Vulcan stranded in Carbon Creek, Pennsylvania. T’Mir sold the invention to Big Creek Manufacturing and Sales Co. to raise funds to send Jack to college. Its real origin seemed to be unknown to Earth at least until the 22nd century.
Velcro ® brand hook and loop was invented by a man named George de Mestral in the 1940's while hunting in the Jura mountains in Switzerland. Mr. de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, discovered tiny hooks on the cockleburs that were stuck on his pants and in his dog's fur. Under the scrutiny of the microscope, he observed the hooks engaging the loops in the fabric of his pants.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.