Welding consumables

Deposited metal is not purchased filler

Deposition efficiency accounts for the difference between filler consumed and metal deposited in the weld. Use a value suited to the process and consumable. Excess reinforcement, starts, stops, and joint variation can increase consumption beyond the ideal geometry.

Arc time is not job time

Dividing deposited mass by deposition rate estimates time depositing weld metal. Fit-up, cleaning, repositioning, inspection, and consumable changes add labor and elapsed time. This estimate helps plan material and arc time; it does not establish a qualified weld size or procedure.

Separating weld geometry from deposition efficiency

For an ideal 6 mm equal-leg fillet, the triangular area is 18 mm². Over a one-meter length, that corresponds to 18,000 mm³ of deposited volume before adding reinforcement or process allowances. Density converts that volume to deposited mass. The idealization is useful for estimating, but a real weld profile may not be exactly triangular.

Purchased filler mass is larger than deposited mass when deposition efficiency is below 100 percent. Divide deposited mass by the efficiency fraction rather than multiplying it. A deposition rate expressed as deposited mass per hour then estimates arc time; a wire feed rate in meters per minute is a different quantity and needs a wire-area and density conversion. Check the basis of supplier data before entering it. For intermittent welds, use the total actual welded length rather than the full joint length. Add starts, stops, handling, cleanup, and inspection separately when turning the material estimate into a labor or project-time allowance.

Formula

Fillet area = leg²/2. Purchased filler = deposited mass / deposition efficiency.