The Ford Cortina and the Araldite
02/28/2014
"Araldite" is a word that is familiar to many and evokes nostalgic memories for some people. The peculiar smell, the packet with the two components to be mixed, the small plastic instrument for mixing, all this is still present, although most people last came into contact with this special adhesive decades ago.
The substance was invented by the Swiss company "De Trey Frères SA". They licensed the process to Ciba AG, who introduced the product in 1945 as "Araldite". The epoxy two-component material could be used to bond a wide variety of materials - from porcelain to metal - rock-solid. It could also be used to cast and shape molds. The efficient adhesive, which then hardened relatively quickly, was only created by combining the two liquids in the tubes in the correct ratio.
Surprising effects were also repeatedly used to demonstrate its quality. In 1982, for example, a Ford Cortina (the last model year) was glued to a billboard in England. This certainly made a big impression!
