For fuel cells to move out of the laboratory and make an impact on the way cities generate electricity or become a standard method for powering automobiles, the units will need to be mass produced in a cost-effective manner. The Edison Welding Institute (EWI) will host one of the first conferences to focus on fuel cell manufacturing issues on March 8 at the St. John's Conference Center in Plymouth, Mich. The program, "The Future of Lasers in Fuel Cell Manufacturing," will precede the Automotive Laser Applications Workshop (ALAW), running through March 10 in Plymouth.

The cost for the session is $100 for those attending the ALAW conference and $175 for those attending the fuel cell session only. For more information, visit http://www.ewi.org .