Method of making a male resistance welding electrode

A method of making a male resistance welding electrode of a dispersion strengthened copper material, said electrode having a head portion at a first end thereof of a generally truncated conical shape and a truncated conical shank portion at the second end thereof, said shank portion defining a cylindrical recess therein and having an outer diameter which gradually reduces to a first diameter toward said second end, said shank portion being of a second diameter and said head portion being of a third diameter at the point where said head portion and said shank portion meet, said second diameter being less than said third diameter and greater than said first diameter, comprising the steps of:

• placing a cylindrical cut-off billet of dispersion strengthened copper material in a first cylindrical die cavity of a first die, said first die cavity being open at one end thereof and having an inner diameter substantially equal to said second diameter, said first die including a cylindrical pin located axially within said first die cavity and extending thereinto from the end opposite said open end of said first die cavity, said pin having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of said recess,
• applying pressure to said cut-off billet adjacent said open end of said first die cavity to cause forward extrusion of said billet over said pin, whereby a preform billet is produced of an outer diameter substantially equal to said second diameter and having said cylindrical recess formed in one end thereof,
• placing said preform billet in a second die cavity of a second die, said second die cavity being open at one end, said second die including a cylindrical pin of an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of said cylindrical recess, located axially within said second die cavity and extending thereinto from the end opposite said open end of said second die cavity, said second die cavity including a truncated conical cavity region around said cylindrical pin adjacent the end opposite said open end of said second die cavity, said truncated conical cavity region having an inner diameter adjacent said end opposite said open end of said second die cavity substantially equal to said first diameter and an inner diameter at the opposite end of said truncated conical cavity region substantially equal to said second diameter, said second die cavity further including a substantially cylindrical cavity region around said cylindrical pin adjacent the open end of said second die cavity, said substantially cylindrical cavity region having an inner diameter substantially equal to said third diameter, said preform billet being placed in said second die cavity such that said cylindrical recess thereof receives said cylindrical pin,
• applying pressure with a first forming member to the end of said preform billet opposite said cylindrical recess to force the end of said preform billet surrounding said cylindrical recess into said truncated conical cavity region, thereby forming said shank portion of said electrode, while upsetting the end of said preform billet opposite said cylindrical recess to a diameter substantially equal to said third diameter, thereby working said end of said preform billet opposite said recess to produce a nonfibrous grain structure by substantially increasing the diameter thereof to form a semi-finished workpiece, and
• while said semi-finished workpiece remains in said second die cavity, applying pressure to the end of said semi-finished workpiece adjacent said open end of said second die cavity with a second forming member defining a recess of a generally truncated conical shape to form said truncated conical head shape of said electrode, thereby producing said resistance welding electrode.