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Our portfolio of products primarily serves electronics, whether they be microelectronics, semiconductor packaging, or even electric motors in EVs. In all of these application fields, strength is a key metric. It not only determines how much pressure an adhesive can withstand but can also be an indicator for the length of an adhesive’s service life. With this in mind, a question our engineers often ask themselves is, “How much can our adhesives withstand?”
In 2018, we set out to discover just that, developing an adhesive that would eventually be able to suspend an astounding 17.5 tons midair. A year later, this record-breaking payload was realized.
What resulted was a modified version of the high-temperature-resistant DELO MONOPOX HT2860. This epoxy resin forms a very dense network during heat curing. A special filler was used to modify existing properties in order to achieve the extreme strength required to lift a weight of 17.5 tons with only 3 grams of adhesive, breaking the world record.
Since their very invention, adhesives have grown to become more and more capable. We’re proud to hold the record, but there’s much more to the story.
In 2007, there was an attempt to keep a 3.9-ton pickup truck suspended midair using only adhesives as reinforcement. It failed initially, with the fixture giving way and the pickup falling to the ground. However, the second attempt proved to be a success, with the truck staying suspended for around a minute.
A similar record attempt was made two years later, but in this case adding a Smart Fortwo supermini, strapping it to the bed of the pickup to achieve a weight of over five tons. In all, mere superglue kept it all in the air.
Not long after breaking the world record at 5.02 tons, a new attempt was successfully made by placing a weight on a pickup truck bed that brought the overall mass to 6.18 tons. For this, only nine droplets of all-purpose adhesive were used.
Two years later, another successful record attempt was made by suspending an 8.1-ton forklift truck in the air using only superglue.
A year after that came the first record attempt for world’s strongest adhesive using a material that was neither an all-purpose adhesive nor superglue. Rather, a two-component adhesive was used for the first time, keeping 10.1 tons suspended midair using only the surface area of a soda can.
Unlike previous attempts, here a structural adhesive was not used. Instead, PEEK, a high-performance plastic, was melted and left to cool between steel drums which held the material, emulating a traditional hot melt process.
On July 12, 2019, DELO had a crane lift a 10-wheel, 13-ton truck 40 meters into the air. The truck, which also carried additional concrete slabs for a total mass to 17.5 tons, was bonded at the wheels to lifters using only three grams of specially formulated DELO adhesive. With this DELO secured the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the Heaviest Weight Lifted with Glue.
Over a span of 12 years, the world record for strongest adhesive increased more than fourfold.
Want in on the innovation? Contact us today to see how we can help your company’s application.
DELO is a leading provider of high-tech adhesives. For over 25 years, we have offered solutions for the automotive, electronics, and semiconductor industries. Our innovative technologies set industry standards. Companies like Bosch, Huawei, and Siemens rely on DELO for superior adhesive technologies.
We are your touchpoint for high-tech bonding. Our specialist worldwide are keen to support you. Get in touch with us now!
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