Many products installed in a home are taken for granted as things that should always work properly. A good example is the electrical outlet.

Welding may be the most effective and structurally sound way to connect metal parts, but certain applications can pose a challenge.

Laser welding of plastic parts creates precise, high-quality, particulate-free joints for medical devices, consumer products and other assemblies. However, for the process to work, the laser light must pass through the top part to be absorbed by the bottom part. Welding a clear plastic part to another clear plastic part was not possible.

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — PRC Laser Corp., an industrial laser manufacturer, plans to invest $1.4 million into a new facility in Charleston County that will create 73 jobs.

The word "welding"; evokes a particular image - the exposed flame of a torch and red hot molten metal. Metal parts are heated to a liquid state to join them to one another. For small scale and electrical products, this isn't a viable bonding method. Ultrasonic welding allows a bond to form between metals, without requiring the metal to leave the solid state.

SEGUIN, TX — United Alloy Inc., a Wisconsin metal fabricator, plans to invest $35 million in a new factory outside San Antonio, TX, company and local officials recently announced.

MONTGOMERY, AL—Hyundai executives recently announced plans to add a new vehicle to the production lineup as part of a $410 million expansion project that will create 200 jobs at the company's manufacturing plant here.