One example provides a spark plug including an axial centerline extending between a terminal end and a firing end, an insulative core including a central bore having a first diameter coincident with the axial centerline extending through the insulative core, an insulative nose proximate to the firing end, and a counter bore coincident with the axial centerline and extending axially into the insulative nose, the counter bore having a second diameter greater than the first diameter. A center electrode includes an electrode wire disposed within the central bore and having a first end extending into the counter bore, and an electrode head mechanically and electrically coupled to the first end of the electrode wire, a first portion of the electrode head seated within the counter bore to define an interface with the counter bore to provide a heat transfer path from the electrode head to the insulative core.

A prechamber spark plug having a housing, which at its front end comprises a prechamber with an ignition electrode arranged therein, wherein the ignition electrode comprises a base and electrode legs protruding from the base, wherein the ignition electrode is machined from a sheet made of an iridium alloy and the legs are bent out of the plane of the base to form a basket shape, characterized in that the ignition electrode, in particular the electrode legs, is/are separated out of the sheet metal by means of laser cutting. Furthermore, a corresponding ignition electrode and a method for producing such an ignition electrode are claimed.

A prechamber spark plug having a housing, which at its front end comprises a prechamber with an ignition electrode arranged therein, wherein the ignition electrode comprises a base and electrode legs protruding from the base, wherein the ignition electrode is machined from a sheet made of an iridium alloy and the legs are bent out of the plane of the base to form a basket shape, characterized in that the ignition electrode, in particular the electrode legs, is/are separated out of the sheet metal by means of laser cutting. Furthermore, a corresponding ignition electrode and a method for producing such an ignition electrode are claimed.

An automated, high throughput system that mechanically separates electrode tips from spark plugs to facilitate recovery of platinum group metals in the electrodes. Spark plugs may be fed into the system in bulk and an automated mechanism under computer control executes a sequence of operations to feed plugs in a fixed orientation and at a controlled rate to a robot arm. The robot arm has a gripper that securely holds a set of spark plugs and passes them across a cutting tool to separate tips from the bodies. The gripper has independently actuated finger assemblies that accommodate plugs of varying shapes. A visual inspection system ensures that spark plugs are oriented with the tips facing in the same direction to simplify operation of the robot and the cutting tool. The tips may be processed to extract the contained valuable metals; the remaining bodies may be recycled as iron scrap.

A spark plug includes: a cylindrical insulator; a center electrode that is held on an inner circumferential side of the insulator and includes a tip-end protruding portion that protrudes from the insulator toward a tip end side; a cylindrical housing that holds the insulator on an inner circumferential side; and a plug cover that is provided in a tip end portion of the housing so as to cover a pre-combustion chamber in which the tip-end protruding portion is arranged. The plug cover is provided with an injection hole that communicates the pre-combustion chamber to the outside. A positioning portion that performs positioning of the housing and the plug cover in a plug circumferential direction is provided in the housing and the plug cover.

A method for manufacturing a spark plug including a center electrode that extends in an axial direction, a metal shell that is provided around an outer periphery of the center electrode, and a rod-shaped ground electrode whose base end is joined to the metal shell and whose distal end is bent towards an axial-line side. The method comprises a bending step of bending an unbent ground electrode, which is the ground electrode that is not yet bent, by pressing against it a predetermined curved surface of a bend spacer, wherein the bend spacer is formed so as to be divisible into two or more members including a first member and a second member. The first member includes a mounting portion for mounting the bend spacer on a fixing tool and the second member includes the predetermined curved surface that comes into contact with the unbent ground electrode.

A method for manufacturing a spark plug including a center electrode that extends in an axial direction, a metal shell that is provided around an outer periphery of the center electrode, and a rod-shaped ground electrode whose base end is joined to the metal shell and whose distal end is bent towards an axial-line side. The method comprises a bending step of bending an unbent ground electrode, which is the ground electrode that is not yet bent, by pressing against it a predetermined curved surface of a bend spacer, wherein the bend spacer is formed so as to be divisible into two or more members including a first member and a second member. The first member includes a mounting portion for mounting the bend spacer on a fixing tool and the second member includes the predetermined curved surface that comes into contact with the unbent ground electrode.

A prechamber spark plug having a housing, which at its front end comprises a prechamber with an ignition electrode arranged therein, wherein the ignition electrode comprises a base and electrode legs protruding from the base, wherein the ignition electrode is machined from a sheet made of an iridium alloy and the legs are bent out of the plane of the base to form a basket shape, characterized in that the ignition electrode, in particular the electrode legs, is/are separated out of the sheet metal by means of laser cutting. Furthermore, a corresponding ignition electrode and a method for producing such an ignition electrode are claimed.

A prechamber spark plug having a housing, which at its front end comprises a prechamber with an ignition electrode arranged therein, wherein the ignition electrode comprises a base and electrode legs protruding from the base, wherein the ignition electrode is machined from a sheet made of an iridium alloy and the legs are bent out of the plane of the base to form a basket shape, characterized in that the ignition electrode, in particular the electrode legs, is/are separated out of the sheet metal by means of laser cutting. Furthermore, a corresponding ignition electrode and a method for producing such an ignition electrode are claimed.

A spark plug electrode with an electrode tip formed on an electrode base using an additive manufacturing process, such as a powder bed fusion technique. The spark plug electrode includes an electrode base that at least partially surrounds a heat dissipating core, an electrode tip that is formed on the electrode base and includes a precious metal-based material, and a thermal coupling zone that directly thermally couples the electrode tip to the heat dissipating core. In some examples, the electrode tip is formed on an electrode base that has been cut or severed to expose a portion of the heat dissipating core, such that the electrode tip is formed directly on the heat dissipating core using additive manufacturing.