NOVELTY - The production of a negative grid for a battery (10), comprises supplying a strip of battery grid material, performing a progressive punching operation on the grid material to remove material and form a grid, and coating the battery grid with an active material. The punching operation produces a negative battery grid having grid wires bounded by a frame comprising a top frame member, first and second side frame members coupled to the top frame member at first and second ends respectively, and a bottom frame member spaced apart from the top frame member and coupled to the side frame members.    USE - The method is useful for producing a negative grid for a battery (claimed) e.g. lead-acid starting, lighting and ignition batteries for vehicles.    ADVANTAGE - The method provides high performance of the negative grids used in batteries, and prevents the internal battery shorting thus providing long life to the battery.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The production of a negative grid for a battery (10), comprises supplying a strip of battery grid material, performing a progressive punching operation on the grid material to remove material and form a grid, and coating the battery grid with an active material. The punching operation produces a negative battery grid having grid wires bounded by a frame comprises a top frame member, first and second side frame members coupled to the top frame member at first and second ends respectively, and a bottom frame member spaced apart from the top frame member and coupled to the side frame members. The negative grid does not include exposed wire ends that puncture a polymeric separator when the negative grid is provided within the separator. The battery grid material is a continuously cast lead alloy strip that is processed to modify the thickness and grain structure of the continuously cast lead alloy strip. The battery grid has a thickness of 0.010-0.050 inches. A series of interconnected battery grids are formed by punching the grid material. The wires are arranged in a pattern of a diamond shape, in which the wires are not intersecting one another at right angles. One of the top and bottom frame elements, and first and second side frame elements include a feature intended to compensate for grid growth during use of the grids. The grid wires intersect one another at nodes. The wires are coupled to the top frame member at an intersection points having a radius between the top frame member and the grid wires to enhance the electrical conductivity between the top frame member and the grid wires. The grid wires are gradually increased in width as the grid wires approach the intersection points with the top frame member, coined in a coining operation to produce a cross-section of the grid wires that has a shape of an octagon shape, a diamond shape, a rhomboid shape, a hexagon shape and an oval shape, and deformed along 90% of the length of the grid wire between nodes at the opposite ends of the grid wire.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a cutaway perspective view of a battery.    Battery (10)    Container (12)    Lid (14)    Cell element (30)    Positive plate. (32)