DEARBORN, MICHIGAN: Ford wants adhesive innovations inspired by the gecko.
Glue used to adhere foams to plastics and metals can make disassembling car parts for recycling nearly impossible.
Enter the gecko.
The lizard’s toe pads allow it to stick to most surfaces without liquids or surface tension. The reptile can then easily release itself, leaving no residue. A typical mature gecko weighing 71g is capable of supporting 133Kg.
The gecko could inspire a host of adhesive innovations for global applications at Ford, said Debbie Mielewski, Ford senior technical leader for plastics and sustainability research.
“Solving this problem could provide cost savings and certainly an environmental saving,” she said.
The biomimetic approach is not new. The Shinkansen, or ‘Bullet Train’, in Japan was inspired by the kingfisher.
Velcro took its cues from a burr. And improved medical needles were developed based on the mosquito.
Beyond recycling, the Ford design teams have worked for nearly a decade to find nature-inspired technologies, with recent successes in yarn production for seating materials and headliners.
Ford is the only automaker to use Unifi’s high-performance REPREVE fiber, made from 100 per cent recycled materials including plastic bottles, in its vehicles.
Ford employs REPREVE in five of its vehicles – the new F-150, Explorer, Edge, Focus Electric and Fusion – making it a globally used material.
