If you’ve ever wondered if particle accelerators have a purpose outside pure research, the Surfi-Sculpt should answer that question. As you can see in this video, it purports to use individual electron bombardment to sculpt tiny hooks out of a piece of metal. The end result is a series of grips that allow the metal to adhere more easily to other materials.

In other words, it creates a metal velcro. Thankfully, the process isn’t too much of an industrial secret. In fact, it can partly be traced back to a 2012 paper published in Physics Procedia. Vapor pressures from the collision between metal and an electron laser beam force the metal to melt into this shape, creating a sort of hook.

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