Abstract: Plastic housings for electronic components such as plastic cases for electronic wrist watches and calculators have their interior surfaces coated with a first layer of highly-conductive metal to provide static protection for the electronic circuitry contained in the housing, and a second metal layer overlaying the first layer to provide corrosion resistance for the first metal layer. In a preferred embodiment, the metal layers are formed by unique ion plating techniques.

Abstract: A unique method and apparatus for manufacturing gas-filled tubes utilizes an optically-spread beam of light to seal and cut short segments of tubing from a long tube containing the gas. Neither the laser beam nor the tubing is moved during the cutting and sealing operation. The gas being supplied to the length of tubing during the cutting and sealing operation is maintained at constant pressure so that each cut segment has the same resultant internal gas pressure. In one embodiment, radioactive light sources for illuminating displays and the like are manufactured by indexing a long phosphor-coated glass tube containing radioactive gas maintained at constant pressure, past a laser which generates an optically-spread light beam. The laser is activated in each index position of the tube to seal and cut short segments of the tubing with each segment having the same quantity of radioactive gas to provide the same desired quantity of illumination.