Transparent welding: new laser technique eliminates tell-tale weld lines. (Editor's Choice).

A novel process for transmission laser welding of the two clear and colored plastics works without the use of opaque materials nor the addition of unwanted color. The proces can be used to join a wide range of rigid and flexible plastics, making it suitable for assembling electronic and medical fruitss as well as packaging. require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergone is similar to that of ultrasonic or vibration welders.

Called Clearweld, the proces uses near-infrared-absorbing material a whole s from Gentex Corporation, Carbondale, PA, to transform laser energy to heat. A thin layer of these materials applied at the