Abstract: A hairpin conductor includes two wire segments each having respective first and second ends and a respective middle region. The segments are disposed in a side-by-side orientation such that their first ends are proximate each other and their second ends are proximate each other. The first ends are welded to each other and the second ends are welded to each other, or the middle regions are welded to each other, thereby providing a welded wire assembly, which is bent such that the two wire segments are bent equally to form the hairpin conductor. The hairpin conductor has a primary bend in the middle regions to form an apex thereat and first and second secondary bends in the two wire segments nearer to the apex than to the first and second ends to form respective first and second shoulders thereat. A method of forming the hairpin conductor is also presented.