Radiation welding and imaging apparatus and method for using the same

• Main Authors: Kubota, Masanori, Kubota, Ayako, Kubota, Munetaka, Kubota, Alexander Takuma
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.11.2004

The present invention relates, in general, to joining articles using electromagnetic radiation, and more specifically, to welding polymeric articles using electromagnetic radiation through optical aberration. An optical system for joining a first article having a composition and a second article having a composition at an interfacial surface between the first article and the second article, the optical system comprising: a radiation source for providing a radiant energy beam for joining the first article and the second article at the interfacial surface; and a first optical device for controlling a depth of focus of the radiant energy beam, the depth of focus corresponding to a depth of a joint between the first article and the second article at the interfacial surface, said first optical device controlling the depth of focus as a function of the composition of the first article and the composition of the second article.