Resistance welding electrode and method of manufacturing same

A method of manufacturing a resistance welding electrode for supplying a current to metal workpieces to weld the workpieces to each other, comprising the steps of:

• shaping an electrode matrix as a cylinder having a diameter greater than the resistance welding electrode;
• defining a plurality of holes in said electrode matrix parallel to a direction in which a current flows therethrough such that the total cross-sectional area of said holes is in the range of 0.5 to 40% of the cross-sectional area of the electrode matrix after the resistance welding electrode is formed, wherein selective holes of said plurality of holes are spaced at equal distances from each other throughout said electrode matrix,
• filling a powder of a material having an electric conductivity different from that of said electrode matrix in said plurality of holes thereby to form an electrode blank;
• drawing said electrode blank until the electrode blank has a predetermined diameter;
• and
• shaping the drawn electrode blank into a predetermined electrode configuration, wherein said powder forms respective exposed interior or outermost lands on a surface of a tip end of said electrode matrix, such that said interior and outermost exposed lands are each positioned on said tip end concurrently at (i) selective respective vertices of a plurality of equilateral triangles and at (ii) respective vertices of equilateral polygons containing six or more of said equilateral triangles.

A method of manufacturing a resistance welding electrode for supplying a current to metal workpieces to weld the workpieces to each other, comprising the steps of:

• shaping an electrode matrix as a cylinder having a diameter greater than the resistance welding electrode;
• defining a plurality of holes in said electrode matrix parallel to a direction in which a current flows therethrough such that the total cross-sectional area of said holes is in the range of 0.5 to 40% of the cross-sectional area of the electrode matrix after the resistance welding electrode is formed, wherein selective holes of said plurality of holes are spaced at equal distances from each other throughout said electrode matrix;
• inserting a plurality of rods of a material having an electric conductivity different from that of said electrode matrix respectively into said holes thereby to form an electrode blank;
• drawing said electrode blank until the electrode blank has a predetermined diameter;
• and
• shaping the drawn electrode blank into a predetermined electrode configuration, wherein said rods form respective exposed interior and outermost lands on a surface of a tip end of said electrode matrix, such that said interior and outermost exposed lands are positioned on said tip end concurrently at (i) selective respective vertices of a plurality of equilateral triangles and at (ii) respective vertices of equilateral Polygons containing six or more of said equilateral triangles.