An assembly having at least two plastic components (20, 24) joined by resistive implant welding, comprising: a first plastic component having a channel structure; a resistive implant disposed in the channel structure; and a second plastic component having a complementary structure, the complementary structure being disposed in the channel structure such that the complementary structure is substantially adjacent to the resistive implant, the complementary structure being joined to the channel structure by means of an electrical current applied to the resistive implant to generate heat, wherein the channel structure of the first plastic component further comprises - a first side wall; - a second side wall; and - a flat base disposed substantially between the first side wall and the second side wall such that the resistive implant is located substantially adjacent to the flat base and between the first side wall and the second side wall, characterized in that the resistive implant further comprises - a wire mesh having at least one longitudinal side; - a plurality of open cells formed along the at least one longitudinal side of the wire mesh; and in that - a plurality of implant retention members is located at intervals along the channel structure at least at one of first side wall and second side wall, the plurality of implant retention members being sized to be frictionally engaged to the plurality of open mesh cells, thereby retaining the resistive implant between the first side wall and the second side wall prior to an electric current flow. a first plastic component having a channel structure; a resistive implant disposed in the channel structure; and a second plastic component having a complementary structure, the complementary structure being disposed in the channel structure such that the complementary structure is substantially adjacent to the resistive implant, the complementary structure being joined to the channel structure by means of an electrical current applied to the resistive implant to generate heat, wherein the channel structure of the first plastic component further comprises - a first side wall; - a second side wall; and - a flat base disposed substantially between the first side wall and the second side wall such that the resistive implant is located substantially adjacent to the flat base and between the first side wall and the second side wall, characterized in that the resistive implant further comprises - a wire mesh having at least one longitudinal side; - a plurality of open cells formed along the at least one longitudinal side of the wire mesh; and in that - a plurality of implant retention members is located at intervals along the channel structure at least at one of first side wall and second side wall, the plurality of implant retention members being sized to be frictionally engaged to the plurality of open mesh cells, thereby retaining the resistive implant between the first side wall and the second side wall prior to an electric current flow. - a first side wall; - a second side wall; and - a flat base disposed substantially between the first side wall and the second side wall such that the resistive implant is located substantially adjacent to the flat base and between the first side wall and the second side wall, characterized in that the resistive implant further comprises - a wire mesh having at least one longitudinal side; - a plurality of open cells formed along the at least one longitudinal side of the wire mesh; and in that - a plurality of implant retention members is located at intervals along the channel structure at least at one of first side wall and second side wall, the plurality of implant retention members being sized to be frictionally engaged to the plurality of open mesh cells, thereby retaining the resistive implant between the first side wall and the second side wall prior to an electric current flow.