Parts of a spark plug: The vital

components

Ever since it produced its first commercial spark plug in 1936,

NGK SPARK PLUG has become the world’s leading ignition and
sensor specialist. Today, NGK SPARK PLUG creates a variety
of high quality and technically advanced products, but it is the
spark plug which remains the company’s stand out creation.
Let’s take a closer look at this small but mighty ignition
catalyst, so vital to the smooth running of a petrol-powered
vehicle.

What do spark plugs do

Spark plugs are necessary for any petrol-fuelled ignition
combustion engine. They work by igniting the air-fuel mixture
in an engine that creates combustion which pushes the
pistons down, ultimately providing power to a car.

Just like the ones used in the 1930s, a spark plug is still
screwed in and consists basically of a thread, a metal sleeve,
electrodes and a ceramic insulator.

Cars, nevertheless, have changed significantly over the

decades in terms of appearance, power and safety. Spark plug
innovation, however, has kept pace, meaning that the ones
produced today are able to withstand much higher voltages,
pressures and temperatures, as well as being able to dissipate
more heat.
The 8 parts of a spark plug
1. Terminal
2. Ceramic Insulator
3. Resistor
4. Centre electrode
5. Ground (side) electrode
6. Gasket
7. Metal Shell
8. Ribs or Corrugation

1. Terminal

The connection terminal is usually an SAE ‘barrel’ shaped

connection, a 4 mm thread or a ’cup design’. The high tension
ignition lead or a pencil coil is plugged onto the terminal. This
connection allows the high voltage to be transferred to the
firing end of the spark plug.

2. Ceramic insulator
Most spark plugs used today feature a single-ceramic insulator
made from aluminium oxide, with other types of ceramic
materials like porcelain used in the past. This provides many
benefits, including thermal conductivity and superior
insulation. Resistance to overheating, thermal and mechanical
shock are other stand-out features. It also helps to prevent
overheating and provides exceptional resistance against
mechanical and thermal shock.

3. Resistor

In order to ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and

thus the fault-free operation of the onboard electronics, a
ceramic resistor is used inside the spark plug as an
interference suppression device. It is constructed by a fusion
of carbon and glass compounds which form a solid component
within the spark plug. It also prevents interference with
electronic components that are not located on the vehicle e.g.
domestic TV and radios.

In most vehicles, a resistor spark plug is required for optimum

operation because radio frequency interference (RFI) can
cause the other electrical components in the car to break
down prematurely.

Use of non-resistor spark plugs in vehicles that require them

can result in rough idling, abnormal combustion and misfires.
Since resistor spark plugs cause a reduction in spark energy,
non-resistor ones provide a stronger spark, which is why these
types are most commonly used in racing.

4. Centre electrode

The centre electrode can be made from nickel, copper,

chromium and precious metals such as iridium and platinum.

It is connected to the terminal by an internal copper wire,

which carries high electrical voltage through the spark plug to
the tip of the centre electrode, where it then jumps the small
gap to the ground (side) electrode, creating a spark.
Centre electrodes can vary in terms of size and shape.
Standard plugs, for example, generally have a 2.6mm centre
electrode. NGK SPARK PLUG’s precious metal plugs such as
‘Laser Iridium’ and ‘Iridium IX’, however, have a centre
electrode of 0.6mm, made from iridium.

With a smaller electrode, less voltage is required to jump the

electrode gap, which leads to fewer misfires and improves
ignitability. NGK SPARK PLUG’s special firing end design ‘v-
grooved centre electrode plug’, moreover, features a v-groove
cut into the centre electrode, which is situated parallel to the
ground electrode. This results in improved ignitability and
reduced quenching.

5. Ground (Side) electrode

Once the spark jumps the gap from the centre electrode to the
ground electrode, a spark is created which ignites the fuel in
the combustion chamber.

The ground electrode can come in a variety of shapes and

sizes. Some (multi-ground spark plugs) can even feature two,
three and four ground electrodes. These, however, do not
create more sparks than a spark plug with one ground
electrode.
For both single and multi-ground electrode spark plugs, only
one spark is created at a time. Standard spark plugs generally
feature a ground electrode made of nickel, while premium
plugs feature precious metals such as iridium and platinum
which, due to their hardness, are much more durable than
standard metal plugs.

6. Gasket

The gasket ring prevents any possibility of combustion gas

leaking past the spark plug due to the extremely high
combustion pressures. In doing this, it prevents any cylinder
pressure losses.

Another important function is that it provides good conduction

of head to the cylinder head and evens out the different
expansion properties of the cylinder head and spark plug
housing.

7. Metal Shell
This is the steel shell which a socket wrench fits around in
order to loosen and tighten a spark plug. A plug’s hex head can
come in a variety of sizes, which include 13mm, 14mm, 16mm,
18mm, 19mm, 21mm, 22mm, 24mm, 25mm and Bi-Hex 14.0mm.

8. Ribs or Corrugation or Leakage Barriers

Located above the terminal, the ribs help to protect against

spark flashover.

As has been demonstrated, the spark plug – despite its small

stature - is a highly complex piece of technology.
The spark plug’s parts consist of a multitude of different
components that work in unison to provide a petrol-fuelled
engine with the perfect ignition spark.

At NGK SPARK PLUG, a strong emphasis is placed on

achieving consistently high levels of customer satisfaction –
one of the company’s three main goals. Indeed, Aftermarket
customer satisfaction is particularly high for its products and
services, which is demonstrated by the company’s most recent
Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 67, having increased by two
points since its last edition. The NPS measures the willingness
of customers to recommend a company, with NGK SPARK
PLUG well above the average benchmark value of 41.

To learn more about the workings of this fascinating ignition

catalyst, log on to www.tekniwiki.com – the e-learning portal
from NGK SPARK PLUG.

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