7 ways to accurately calculate the consumption of electrodes so as not to disrupt your work (advice from a NAKS expert)

Electric arc welding of parts includes two main components. The first is the metal products being connected, the second is the additional metal that connects them. At the same time, it is important to determine the optimal consumption of electrodes per 1 m of seam using a calculator for calculation, which today can be found on the Internet.

The reason here is not only financial, but also technological. The weight of the connecting metal makes the finished product heavier, and this value can reach up to 1.5% of its initial weight.

If this is not important for static elements, then for moving mechanisms it can be significant, even critical.

Theory and practice of calculation

The difference in theory and practice largely depends on the conditions in which the welding will be performed, as well as on the skill of the welder, which is determined by the discharge. Read about what the categories of welders are and what they are in our article at the link.

If the process takes place in the wind or in uncomfortable conditions (in cramped spaces where there is no normal access), the welder will burn more electrodes. Therefore, the welding conditions must be taken into account when calculating.

If you are guided by VSN, then you can use the calculation method based on the loss coefficient. Its formula is as follows:

G=m * K.

K is the loss coefficient used for various brands, which we listed above in the table (range 1.5 -1.9).

M is the mass of the deposited metal. This value is calculated by multiplying the cross-sectional area of ​​the deposited metal by its density (m = p*F).

As a result, we obtain the following formula for calculating losses per 1 m of seam:

H= P * F * K.

If you need to determine losses for a specific length, in this case the formula looks like:

H= P * F * K * L.

where L is the length value. In some sources, the formula has a different form:

H=G*L

where G= K * m - it is called the specific consumption rate;

L is still the same value of the seam length.

Calculation of losses in practice is determined not by formulas, but experimentally.

To do this, the electrodes are first weighed. Next, two welders weld joints of the same type (the same thickness, diameter and edge preparation) that will be performed during the work.

As a result, control weighing of the remaining welding materials is carried out and the results obtained are compared with the values ​​of the theoretical calculation. This is where the practical consumption coefficient comes from.

Consumption pr./Exp. theory = Coef. consumables etc.

Next, when ordering materials, the values ​​​​obtained from theoretical calculations are multiplied by the practical consumption coefficient.

Example: if during the calculation we received a value of 10 kg, and the consumption coefficient. etc. is 1.42, then to obtain practical consumption:

10 kg*1.42 = 14.2 kg. Thus we get real losses.

Way to reduce costs

To improve economic performance, it is necessary to strictly implement technological rules. The qualifications of the welder are essential. To eliminate errors and inaccuracies caused by human factors, specialized automatic machines are used. Investments in the purchase of more complex equipment pay off during operation by reducing consumables consumed by 10-15%.

To reduce costs, you need to strictly follow technological rules.

Electrodes should be used only in the modes recommended by the manufacturer.

Deviations from the design current increase the consumption of materials or deteriorate the quality of the weld.

If manual technology is used, the final result largely depends on the skills of the welder. For this reason, some experts prefer a practical calculation method. By creating several control seams, you can accurately determine the material consumption under working conditions.

We recommend reading Technical characteristics of MP-3 electrodes

Error

Even the use of data obtained practically does not guarantee that losses will not increase. Often, when performing work on site, there may be wind, power surges, and materials may not be completely dried and many other factors that will affect overruns.

Also, during operation, defective electrodes may be identified: rusty, with chipped or swollen coating. They will not be able to be used.

Khafizov Ildar

Level IV NAKS specialist

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Based on practical experience, when ordering electrodes, I recommend adding an additional 3 to 5% to ensure process continuity. Because delivery of materials in case of shortage requires much higher costs.

To avoid problems with a large number of defective materials when purchasing, you need to open one pack from the batch and weld test samples. This can determine the quality of the electrodes and their suitability.

This can significantly save the budget if a large amount of materials is purchased (more than 1 ton).

We calculate the consumption of welding filler material in pieces

For small-scale welding operations, piece-by-piece calculation of the filler material is necessary. For example, you may need 50 welding electrodes of the UONI-13/45 brand with a diameter of 3 millimeters, of which there are 40 pieces in one kilogram. Then buying one and a half kilos will give a considerable surplus, and weighing with an accuracy of a gram will be too difficult.

By the way, it is the diameter that we need to calculate the number of filler materials in pieces, since the mass of metal deposited by one electrode in grams, which will be needed for the formula, depends on this value. We find the quantity for welding in one pass: HOP = 103ML/ME, where ME is the same melt mass of one rod in grams, which can be taken from the following table.

Electrode brand	Electrode diameter of standard length, mm
	3,0	4,0	5,0	6,0
ANO-1	—	71,1	111,7	160,9
ANO-4	15,4	35,2	55,3	79,6
ANO-5	19,0	43,5	68,3	—
ANO-b, ANO-6U	15,4	35,2	54,9	78,9
MR-3	14,7	33,7	54,1	77,4
OZS-4	14,9	34,5	54,6	78,6
OZS-6	19,0	43,5	68,4	98,5
OZS-12	15,3	35,1	55,3	79,6
ANO-12	12,1	27,7	43,5	62,5
ANO-13	14,6	36,5	48,4	—
ANO-29M	15,8	35,7	55,2	—
ANO-27	19,0	43,5	68,3	—
DSK-50	—	41,2	64,7	—
TMU-21U	16,6	38,1	59,8	—
TML-1U	15,9	36,4	57,1	—
ANO-TM	16,6	38,1	59,8	—
ANO-TM60	16,6	38,1	59,8	—
ANO-10	—	66,7	104,8	151,1
ANO-11	19,0	43,5	68,3	—
SM-11	—	44,3	69,6	100,3
UONI-13/45	16,6	38,1	59,8	86,2
UONI-13/55	15,6	35,7	56,1	80,8
UONI-13/55U	16,6	38,1	59,8	86,2
UONI-13/65	15,9	36,4	57,1	—
UONI-13/85	17,9	41,1	64,5	—
UONI-13/85U	16,8	38,5	60,4	—
OZL-8	14,5	33,2	52,2	—
OZL-6	14,8	35,3	56,5	—
TsL-11	15,6	35,8	56,3	—
EA-395/9	14,5	33,2	52,2	—
EA-981/15	16,3	37,3	58,5	84,3
TsT-28	15,6	35,8	56,3	81,1
TsT-15	14,5	33,2	52,2	—
ANZHR-1	16,3	37,3	58,5	84,3
ANZHR-2	15,6	35,8	56,3	81,1

However, often the seam has to be welded in several passes, which means that the number of consumed electrodes will increase significantly. For such compounds we use a slightly different formula, which looks like HMP = (10

3

M - m )L/ME , where m is the mass of metal from the melting of one rod during the formation of the root weld. The latter indicator is determined separately by the given welding speed and current strength: m = ( aHI )/ U , where aH is the deposition coefficient from the characteristics of the electrode, I is the current strength (A), and U is the welding speed (m/h).

This is interesting: Direct and reverse polarity when welding

Consumption of electrodes per 1 ton of metal structures

Electrode losses can be calculated based on the mass of metal structures being welded - per ton of metal. This is a fairly rough estimate. It can be used in cases where a large amount of work remains. The result obtained is the upper limit for the consumption of welding materials.

The formula is as follows:

H= 0.011* Mcr.;

H - Required number of electrodes

Microdistrict — Mass of metal structures to be welded.

How to determine the cost of electrodes in kilograms?

In welding work, there is such a thing as filler material consumption rates, which are necessary, although difficult, to adhere to due to the specific nature of metal melting, which depends on many factors. In general, the definition of this standard is as follows: H = M + MO, where M corresponds to the mass of welded metal, and MO is the mass of waste, which accounts for the combustion of the rod, its spattering, and cinders.

However, this formula is too approximate; it does not take into account many factors that affect the costs of electrodes. Therefore, let's consider a more detailed calculation. When parts and structures are to be welded on a large scale, the filler material is purchased not in pieces, but in kilograms, taking into account the reduction in the weight of the electrodes during the drying process. In this case, it is advisable to calculate the consumption of welding electrodes per 1 meter of weld during welding to calculate their mass.

In this case, we will need such values ​​as the weight of the deposited metal and its cross-sectional area for a given sheet thickness. The general calculation of the cost of electrodes per 1 kg of melt looks like H = MKP, where KP is the loss coefficient of a filler material of a certain brand, taking into account the combustion of the rod, splashes and remaining cinders. This coefficient is taken from the following table:

Electrode cost factor	Group of stamps	Brand of coated electrode for welding steels
		Carbon and low alloy	Heat resistant and highly alloyed
1,5	I	ANO-1, ANG-1K, OZS-17N, ANO-19M, DSK-50, ANP-6P, NIAT-3M	TML-1U, TML-3U, OZL-25, TsT-28, ANV-17, ANZHR-1, ANZHR-2
1,6	II	OZS-23, VN-48, UP-1/45, ANO-5, ANO-13, ANO-19, ANO-20, OZS-6, ANO-10, ANO-11, ANO-30, ANO-TM, VSO-50SK, OZS-18, OZS-25, UONI-13/55U, ANO-TM60, VSF-65, ANO-TM70, ANP-2, UONI-13/65, UONI-13/85	TsL-20, KTI-7A, OZL-6, ZiO-8, OZL-8, ANV-13, ANV-34, NIAT-4, NIAT-5, NII-48G
1,7	III	ANO-4, ANO-6, ANO-6U, ANO-21, ANO-24, ANO-29M, ANO-32, MR-3, OZS-4, OZS-12, OZS-21, SM-11, UONI- 13/45, UONI-13/45, UONI-13/45SM, ANO-27, ANO-25, UONI-13/55,UONI-13/55SM, ITS-4S, OZS-24	TsU-5, TMU-21U, TsL-51, UONI-13/NZH, OZL-9A, TsT-15, OZL-17U, TsL-11
1,8	IV	WCC-4, K-5A	NZh-13, EA-395/9, EA-981/15

For all types of welded joints, GOSTs 5264-80 and 11534-75 specify symbols of the form C1, C2, and so on. The mass of a melt 1 meter long is determined by the formula M = FpL10-3 for compounds of types C1, C3, C26, U1, U2, U4, U5, T1, T3, H1 and H2. In this calculation, F is the cross-sectional area of ​​the weld, p is the density of carbon and low-alloy steels (7.85 g/cm3), and L is the specified length of the melt.

For other types of connections, the formula takes a different form: M = (0.8F + 0.5S)pL10-3, where S is the thickness of the metal sheet. In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​the seam in both formulas is calculated for each type of connection in a certain way, according to the values ​​​​taken from GOST 5264-80. For C5 this will look like F = Sb + 0.75eg, where b is the distance between the plates, and e and g are the width and height of the seam, respectively.

Sometimes, when calculating the cross-sectional area of ​​a weld, it is necessary to take into account the angle of the beveled edge of the workpiece, determining its tangent to be included in the formula.

Calculation of the number of electrodes per 1 meter of seam

To determine material costs per 1 m2, it is best to use the tables that you can find in our article below. The tables already indicate the amount of consumption only for the welding operation. When calculating the total quantity, it is necessary to take into account the loss of materials for making tacks.

To do this you need to use the following formula:

N = Nsv + Np.

where H is the required amount of electrode metal that will be required for welding 1 m long.

NSV - consumption for a welding operation - value from the table;

Np - Cost of tack welding.

The value of Np is calculated using the formula:

Нп = 0.15*Нсв

For thickness of welded parts less than 12 mm.

If the thickness is more than 12 mm, then the formula looks like:

Нп = 0.12*Нсв

For the convenience of calculating the consumption of electrodes per 1 m of seam, use calculators made by our specialists. You can download them to your computer or open them online.

For calculations when welding pipes

Calculator

For calculations when welding sheets and profile structures

Calculator

Useful article - Which electrodes to cook stainless steel with?

Tables

Consumption rates for welding materials are determined using a coefficient. This parameter is taken from special tables. If you need to determine the consumption of electrodes, for example, in pipe welding, then you should use the table.

To simplify calculations, you can use ready-made tables that provide ready-made data. It is much easier to use such material in production than to perform new calculations each time.

Standards for manual arc welding with coated rods are given in the tables below.

The norm is for 1 joint.

Pipe size, mm	Weight of deposited metal, g	Electrodes by groups, g					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
45´3	21	37	40	42	44	47	1
45´4	28	50	54	57	61	64	2
57´3	27	57	60	54	67	60	3
57´4	36	64	69	73	77	82	4
76´5	61	108	108	123	130	137	5

The norm for 1 m of seam.

Thickness walls, mm	Weight of deposited metal, g	El-dy by groups, gr					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
3	152	269	286	305	322	340	1
4	207	368	393	417	442	466	2
5	262	465	497	527	558	590	3

Costs for forming vertical pipeline joints with beveled edges

1 m seam.

Wall thickness, mm	Weight of deposited metal, g	El-dy by groups, gr					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
3	201	366	390	415	439	464	1
4	249	453	484	514	544	574	2
5	330	600	640	680	820	760	3
6	474	861	918	975	1033	1090	4
8	651	1182	1261	1410	1419	1498	5
10	885	1607	1714	1821	1928	2035	6
12	1166	2116	2257	2398	2539	2680	7
15	1893	3436	3665	3894	4123	4352	8
16	2081	3778	4030	4281	4533	4785	9
18	2297	4532	4834	5136	5438	5740	10

1 joint.

Pipe size, mm	Weight metal, g	El-dy, Mr.					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
45´3	27	60	54	58	61	64	1
45´4	34	62	66	70	74	79	2
57´3	35	64	69	73	77	82	3
57´4	44	79	85	90	95	100	4
76´5	77	140	149	158	168	177	5
89´6	130	235	251	266	282	298	6
108´6	158	287	306	325	344	363	7
133´6	195	354	377	401	425	448	8
133´8	268	483	516	548	580	613	9
159´6	234	424	453	481	509	537	10
159´8	320	580	619	658	697	735	11
219´6	323	586	625	664	703	742	12
219´8	442	803	856	910	963	1017	13
219´10	599	1088	1160	1233	1305	1376	14
219´12	787	1428	1523	1619	1714	1809	15
273´8	553	1003	1071	1138	1205	1272	16
273´10	750	1361	1452	1542	1633	1724	17
273´12	985	1788	1907	2026	2145	2265	18
273´15	1592	2890	3082	3275	3467	3660	19
325´8	659	1196	1276	1357	1436	1516	20
325´10	894	1623	1731	1839	1947	2055	21
325´12	1175	2133	2275	2417	2559	2701	22
325´15	1902	3453	3683	3913	4144	4374	23
377´8	765	1389	1482	1576	1667	1760	24
377´10	1039	1885	2010	2136	2261	2387	25
377´12	1365	2478	2643	2808	2973	3138	26
377´15	2211	4013	4281	4548	4816	5083	27
426´10	1175	2132	2274	2416	2558	2700	28
426´12	1545	2804	2990	3177	3364	3551	29
426´16	2759	4991	5324	5655	5988	6321	30
465´18	3598	6531	6966	7401	7836	8271	31

Horizontal pipeline connections with one edge beveled

1 m seam.

Wall thickness, mm	Weight metal, gr	Electrodes, g					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
3	232	411	438	466	493	521	1
4	299	529	564	599	635	670	2
5	384	680	724	770	816	861	3
6	470	832	887	943	998	1054	4
8	832	1474	1573	1671	1769	1868	5
10	1110	1965	2096	2227	2358	2489	6
12	1562	2765	2949	3133	3318	3502	7
15	2137	3782	4034	4287	4539	4791	8
16	2348	4157	4434	4712	4989	5266	9
18	2786	4931	5260	5588	5917	6246	10

1 joint.

Pipe size, mm	Weight metal, gr	El-dy, gr					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
57´3	41	72	77	82	87	92	1
57´4	53	93	99	105	111	117	2
76´5	89	158	169	179	190	201	3
89´6	128	227	242	257	272	288	4
108´6	157	277	295	314	332	351	5
133´6	193	342	365	388	410	433	6
133´8	341	603	643	683	723	764	7
159´6	232	410	437	465	492	520	8
159´8	482	724	772	820	869	917	9
219´6	320	567	604	642	680	718	10
219´8	565	1001	1068	1135	1201	1268	11
219´10	751	1330	1419	1508	1596	1685	12
219´12	1054	1866	1991	2115	2240	2364	13
273´8	1707	1251	1335	1419	1502	1586	14
273´10	940	1664	1775	1886	1997	2108	15
273´12	1320	2336	2492	2647	2804	2959	16
273´15	1797	3181	3393	3605	3817	4029	17
325´8	843	1492	1592	1691	1790	1890	18
325´10	1121	1985	2117	2249	2382	2514	19
325´12	1575	2787	2973	3158	3344	3530	20
325´15	2147	3801	4064	4308	4562	4815	21
377´10	1302	2035	2459	2612	2766	2920	22
377´12	1829	3238	3530	3669	3885	4101	23
377´16	2741	4851	5174	5449	5822	6145	24
465´18	4015	7106	7580	8052	8526	9000	25

C19 vertical joints with beveled edges

1 m seam.

Thickness Art., mm	Weight metal, gr	El-dy, gr					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
3	201	366	390	415	439	464	1
4	260	472	503	535	566	598	2
5	329	599	639	679	719	759	3
6	464	842	898	955	1011	1067	4
8	670	1216	1297	1378	1459	1540	5
10	974	1768	1885	2004	2121	2240	6
12	1250	2269	2420	2571	2722	2874	7
15	2010	3649	3894	4137	4380	4623	8
16	2204	4000	4266	4534	4800	5067	9
18	2615	4748	5063	5378	5695	6011	10

1 joint.

Pipe size, mm	Weight metal, gr	El-dy, gr					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
45´3	27	50	54	58	61	64	1
45´4	36	65	69	73	77	82	2
57´3	35	64	69	73	77	82	3
57´4	46	83	88	94	99	105	4
76´5	77	140	149	158	167	177	5
89´6	127	230	245	261	276	291	6
108´6	154	280	299	318	337	355	7
133´6	191	346	369	392	415	438	8
133´8	274	497	530	564	597	630	9
159´6	229	415	443	471	498	526	10
159´8	329	597	637	677	716	756	11
219´6	216	573	611	650	683	727	12
219´8	455	826	881	936	991	1046	13
219´10	659	1197	1276	1357	1436	1516	14
219´12	844	1532	1633	1735	1837	1940	15
273´8	569	1032	1101	1170	1239	1307	16
273´10	825	1497	1597	1697	1796	1897	17
273´12	1056	1917	2045	2172	2300	2428	18
273´15	1691	3069	3275	3479	3684	3880	19
325´8	678	1231	1313	1394	1476	1580	20
325´10	984	1786	1904	2024	2142	2262	21
325´12	1260	2287	2449	2592	2744	2897	22
325´15	2020	3667	3913	4158	4402	4646	23
377´10	1143	2074	2211	2351	2488	2627	24
377´12	1464	2657	2834	3011	3187	3365	25
377´15	2348	4262	4548	4832	5116	5400	26
426´10	1292	2346	2501	2659	2815	2972	27
426´12	1656	3006	3206	3407	3607	3808	28
426´16	2911	5284	5635	5989	6341	6693	29
465´18	3768	6839	7296	7750	8206	8662	30

Connections C52 of vertical pipeline joints with curved beveled edges

1 m seam.

Thickness Art., mm	Weight metal, gr	El-dy, gr					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
10	551	1371	1462	1554	1645	1737	1
12	1164	2112	2253	2394	2534	2675	2
15	1606	2915	3109	3303	3497	3692	3
16	1755	3185	3397	3609	3821	4034	4
18	2085	3785	4037	4289	4541	4794	5
20	2409	4373	4664	4956	5247	5539	6
22	2763	5015	5349	5683	6017	6352	7

1 joint.

Pipe dimensions, mm	Weight of filled metal, g	El-dy, gr					Order number
		II	III	IV	V	VI
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
133´10	310	562	599	637	675	712	1
159´10	370	672	716	762	806	851	2
159´12	570	1035	1104	1173	1242	1311	3
219´10	514	932	994	1057	1119	1181	4
219´12	791	1436	1532	1628	1723	1819	6
219´16	1176	2134	2276	2418	2560	2703	6
273´10	642	1165	1248	1321	1398	1476	7
273´12	989	1795	1915	2035	2154	2274	8
273´15	1349	2449	2612	2775	2938	3101	9
273´20	2024	3673	3918	4163	4430	4653	10
325´10	763	1385	1477	1570	1682	1754	11
325´12	1175	2133	2276	2418	2559	2702	12
325´15	1622	2944	3140	3336	3532	3729	13
325´18	2085	3785	4037	4289	4541	4794	14
377´10	891	1618	1725	1834	1941	2080	15
377´12	1361	2471	2636	2881	2965	3130	16
377´15	1879	3411	3638	3865	4092	4320	17
377´18	2440	4429	4723	5018	5313	5609	18
426´10	1004	1823	1945	2067	2188	2310	19
426´12	1548	2809	2997	3184	3370	3558	20
426´16	2316	4204	4484	4764	5044	5325	21
426´20	3180	5772	6157	6542	6962	7312	22
465´18	3003	5450	5813	6176	6539	6903	23
465´22	3979	7222	7703	8184	8665	9153	24

C53 vertical pipeline joints with a curved bevel

1 m seam.

Thickness Art., mm	Load mass metal, gr	El-dy, gr					Order number
		II	III	IV	V	VI
16	1566	2843	3032	3221	3411	3600	1
18	1958	3554	3790	4027	4264	4501	8
20	2314	4200	4480	4760	5040	5320	3
22	2681	4866	5190	5515	5839	6164	4

1 joint.

Pipe size, mm	Weight of metal, g	El-dy by groups, g					Line code
		II	III	IV	V	VI
219´16	1053	1911	2038	2165	2292	2419	1
273´20	1940	3521	3756	3991	4226	4460	2
325´18	1958	3554	3790	4027	4264	4501	3
377´18	2281	4140	4415	4691	4967	5243	4
426´16	2070	3758	4008	4258	4509	4759	6
426´20	3052	5539	5908	6278	6647	7016	6
465´18	2822	5122	5463	5804	6146	6487	7
465´22	3855	6998	7464	7931	8397	8864	8

Connections U7 corner flanges with pipe

1 m seam.

Thickness st., m	Load mass metal, gr	El-dy by groups, gr					Lines
		II	III	IV	V	VI
3	129	234	250	265	281	297	1
4	186	333	360	383	405	428	2
5	272	494	527	559	592	625	3
6	366	664	709	753	797	841	4
8	494	897	956	1016	1076	1136	6
10	626	1136	1212	1288	1363	1439	6
12	775	1407	1500	1594	1688	1782	7
15	941	1708	1822	1936	2049	2163	8

1 flange.

Pipe dimensions, mm	Weight metal, gr	El-dy by groups, gr					Number
		II	III	IV	V	VI
25´3	10	18	20	21	22	23	1
32´3	13	23	25	27	28	30	2
38´3	15	28	30	32	33	35	3
45´4	26	48	51	64	57	60	4
57´4	33	60	64	68	72	77	5
76´5	65	118	126	133	141	149	6
89´6	102	186	198	210	223	235	7
108´6	124	225	240	255	270	285	8
133´6	152	277	296	314	333	351	9
133´8	206	375	399	424	449	474	10
159´6	182	331	354	376	398	420	11
159´8	247	448	477	507	537	567	12
219´6	252	457	487	518	548	578	13
219´8	340	617	657	699	740	781	14
219´10	430	781	833	886	937	989	15
219´12	533	967	1031	1096	1161	1225	16
273´6	313	569	608	645	683	721	17
273´8	424	769	819	871	922	974	18
273´10	536	974	1039	1104	1168	1233	19
273´12	664	1206	1286	1366	1447	1528	20
325´8	504	915	976	1037	1098	1159	21
325´10	639	1159	1237	1314	1391	1468	22
325´12	791	1436	1531	1627	1723	1818	23
325´15	944	1743	1859	1976	2091	2207	24
377´8	585	1062	1132	1203	1274	1345	25
377´10	741	1345	1435	1525	1613	1703	26
377´12	918	1666	1776	1887	1998	2109	27
377´15	1114	2022	2157	2292	2426	2560	28
426´10	837	1520	1621	1723	1823	1925	29
426´12	1037	1882	2006	2132	2258	2384	30
426´15	1260	2285	2437	2590	2741	2893	31

Angle U8 flanges with a pipe with a symmetrical bevel of one edge

1 m seam.

Thickness Art., mm	Weight metal, g	El-dy by groups, g					Order number
		II	III	IV	V	VI
3	90	163	174	185	196	207	1
4	165	299	319	339	359	379	2
5	285	517	552	586	621	655	3
6	411	746	796	845	895	945	4
8	592	1076	1148	1220	1292	1363	5
10	770	1398	1491	1584	1677	1770	6
12	970	1761	1878	1995	2113	2230	7
15	1192	2163	2308	2452	2596	2740	8

Angular U8 flanges.

1 m seam.

Thickness Art., mm	Weight metal, gram	El-dy, gram					Order number
		II	III	IV	V	VI
3	91	136	146	155	164	173	1
4	148	222	237	252	266	281	2
5	218	327	349	371	392	414	3

1 pipe.

Pipe dimensions, mi	Load mass metal, gram	El-dy, gram					Order number
		II	III	IV	V	VI
25´3	9	13	14	15	16	17	1
32´3	11	17	18	19	20	21	2
38´3	13	20	21	23	24	25	3
45´4	26	39	41	44	46	49	4
57´4	33	49	52	55	59	62	5
76´5	64	96	102	109	115	121	6

Standards for manual argon arc welding are given in the tables below.

Vertical connections of C2 pipelines

1 m seam.

Thickness Art., mm	Load mass metal, g	Welding wire, g	Tungsten non-consumable rod, g	Argon, l		Order number
				welding	blowing
2	44	54	1,064	107	70,4	1
3	45	56	1,103	110	72,0	2

1 joint.

Pipe dimensions, mm	Load mass metal, gram	Welding wire, grams	Tungsten non-consumable rod, mg	Argon, l		Order number
				welding	blowing
25´2	3	4	80	7,3	4,8	1
25´3	3	4	82	7,3	4,8	2
32´2	4	5	103	9,8	6,4	3
32´3	4	5	107	10,0	6,5	4
38´2	5	6	123	12,2	8,0	5
38´3	6	7	128	14,6	9,6	6
45´2	7	8	147	17,1	11,2	7
45´3	7	8	152	17,1	11,2	8
57´3	8	10	194	19,5	12,8	9

Vertical connections C17 pipelines with beveled edges

1 m connection.

Thickness Art., mm	Weight substances, gram	Welding wire, grams	Tungsten non-melting, mg	Argon, l		Order number
				welding	blowing
3	117	145	2305	285,5	18,7	1
4	154	191	3034	375,7	18,7	2
5	190	236	3743	463,4	48,0	3
6	253	314	4984	617,3	48,0	4

1 joint.

Pipe dimensions, mm	Load mass substances, gram	Welding wire, grams	Tungsten non-melting, mg	Argon, l		Order number
				welding	blowing
25´3	9	11	173	22,0	1,5	1
32´3	11	14	224	26,8	1,8	2
38´3	14	17	267	34,2	2,3	3
45´4	21	26	416	51,2	2,7	4
57´4	27	33	531	65,9	3,5	6
76´5	44	55	872	107,4	8,6	6
89´6	69	86	1366	168,4	13,4	7
108´6	84	106	1660	205,0	16,3	8
133´6	104	129	2048	253,8	20,0	9
159´6	125	155	2457	305,0	24,0	10
219´6	172	214	3394	419,7	33,0	11
273´6	215	267	4241	524,6	41,2	12

C18 vertical pipeline joints

1 m connection.

Thickness Art., mm	Weight of deposited metal, g	Welding wire, g	Tungsten non-melting, mg	Argon, l	Number
2	146	182	2896	356,2	1
3	199	247	3920	485,6	2
4	250	310	4930	610,0	3
5	330	409	6501	805,2	4
6	473	588	9338	1154,1	6

1 joint.

Pipe dimensions, mm	Weight of deposited metal, grams	Welding wire, grams	Tungsten non-melting, mg	Argon, l	Line code
				for welding
25´2	11	14	217	26,8	1
25´3	15	19	294	36,6	2
32´2	14	18	281	34,2	3
32´3	19	24	380	46,4	4
38´2	17	21	336	41,5	5
38´3	23	29	455	57,1	6
45´2	21	25	400	51,2	7
45´4	35	43	675	85,4	8
57´4	44	54	863	107,4	9
76´5	76	95	1515	185,4	10
89´6	130	161	2549	317,2	11
108´6	158	196	3110	385,5	12
133´6	195	242	3838	475,8	13
159´6	233	290	4604	568,5	14
219´6	322	400	6359	785,7	15
273´6	402	500	7947	980,9	16

Connections C5 of vertical pipeline joints without bevel

1 m seam.

Wall thickness, mm	Weight of deposited metal, grams	Welding wire, grams	Tungsten non-melting, mg	Argon, l	Line number
2	87	108	1714	212,3	1
3	106	132	2110	258,6	2

1 joint.

Pipe chambers, mm	Weight of deposited metal, grams	Welding wire, grams	Tungsten non-consumable rod, mg	Argon, l	Line number
25´2	6	8	129	14,6	1
25´3	8	10	180	19,5	2
32´2	9	11	166	22,0	3
32´3	10	13	233	24,4	4
38´2	10	13	233	24,4	5
38´3	12	15	278	29,3	6
45´2	12	15	278	29,3	7
46´3	14	18	331	34,2	8
57´3	18	23	422	56,1	9

Connections C19 of vertical pipeline joints with beveled edges

1 m connection.

Wall thickness, mm	Weight of deposited metal, kg	Welding wire, kg	Al-d tungsten non-consumable, g	Argon, l	Line number
2	0,146	0,182	2,896	356,2	01
3	0,199	0,247	3,920	485,6	02
4	0,259	0,322	5,122	632,0	03
5	0,329	0,409	6,501	802,8	04
6	0,463	0,575	9,141	1129,7	06

1 joint.

Pipe dimensions, mm	Weight of deposited metal, grams	Welding wire, grams	Al-d tungsten non-consumable, mg	Argon, l	Line number
25´2	11	14	217	26,8	1
25´3	15	19	294	36,6	2
32´2	14	18	281	34,2	3
32´3	19	24	380	46,4	4
38´2	17	21	336	41,5	5
38´3	23	29	455	56,1	6
45´2	20	25	400	48,8	7
45´4	35	44	537	85,4	8
57´4	45	56	896	109,8	9
76´5	76	95	1515	185,4	10
89´6	126	157	2495	307,4	11
108´6	156	192	3044	378,2	12
133´6	190	236	3757	463,6	13
159´6	229	284	4507	558,8	10
219´6	315	392	6225	768,6	14
273´6	394	489	7779	961,4	15

Connections C8 horizontal joints.
The tables above allow you to determine the consumption of electrodes per joint, meter of seam or per ton of metal. Flux consumption during automatic welding is usually 20% by weight of the welding wire consumption.

Thus, it becomes clear how to calculate the number of electrodes in each specific task.

Piece consumption of electrodes

If you need to calculate the quantity consumption in pieces, this can be done using the following formula:

N=H/Mel,

where N is the total flow rate in kg;

Mel is the mass of one electrode (taken from the table below).

Table - Weight 1 pc. - (Mel)

Diameter, mm	Weight, kg
2,5	0,02
3,0	0,032
4,0	0,053
5,0	0,083

H - taken from the table (or calculated using the formulas described above), taking into account the length of the seam. Since the data in the tables is given for 1 meter of welding seam.

Calculation example: if parts to be welded with a thickness of 3 mm with a C17 groove are welded in a vertical position with 2.5 mm electrodes, then the H value according to the table per 1 m of weld is 0.211 kg. If you need to weld 2 m of a seam, then H = 2 * 0.211 = 0.422 kg.

In this case, the calculation of the electrodes will be as follows: N=0.422/0.02=22 pcs.;

Useful article - How to cook stainless steel with an electrode

How much is contained in 1 kg?

As a rule, the weight of the pack is not strictly regulated, but usually this value is 1, 5, 6 or 8 kg. The exact weight is indicated on the packaging itself .

Depending on the diameter of the rod, the pack contains a different number of products. If this value is not indicated on the label, it can be calculated based on the weight of one rod.

If you don’t have a table at hand, you can get your bearings as follows. We multiply the length (usually 45 cm) by the cross-sectional area, determined by the formula for the area of ​​a circle: S=πR2. We multiply the obtained result with the volumetric weight of steel 7.85 g/cm3.

The weight of an electrode with a diameter of 4 mm will be about 61g. Dividing 1 kg by 0.06 we get 16 pieces.

Calculation of consumption when welding pipes

If you are welding pipes and need to calculate the consumption of electrodes during welding, you can use the following methods:

1. Use our calculator.
2. Find data in the tables from VSN 416-81 and VSN 452-84, which already show the consumption rate of electrodes per 1 joint.

In cases where the required pipe size is not in the VSN tables, you can use the following formula:

Nt=N*lseam

where N is the consumption per 1 required cutting (data are given in the table below)

lseam - length of the seam, it is calculated using the formula for circumference - lseam = Dtr * 3.14

C2
Thickness of parts, mm	N, kg/1 meter of pipe seam
3	0,119
4	0,162
5	0,183

C17		C19
Thickness of parts, mm	N, kg/1 meter of pipe seam	Thickness of parts, mm	N, kg/1 meter of pipe seam
4	0,382	3	0,415
5	0,513	4	0,535
6	0,665	5	0,679
7	0,834	6	0,955
8	1,099	8	1,378
10	1,676	10	2,004
12	2,18	12	2,571
14	2,785	15	4,137
16	3,486	16	4,534
18	4,157	18	5,378

U18		U19
Thickness of parts, mm	N, kg/1 meter of pipe seam	Thickness of parts, mm	N, kg/1 meter of pipe seam
6	0,511	6	0,799
8	0,862	8	1,183
10	1,301	10	1,584
12	1,831	12	2,484
14	2,45	14	3,123
16	3,157	16	3,769
18	3,956	18	4,372
20	4,843	20	4,833

U5
Thickness of parts, mm	N, kg/1 meter of pipe seam - up to. Ø194	N, kg/1 meter of pipe seam - St. Ø194
6	0,643	0,672
7	0,78	0,813
8	0,933	0,969
10	1,289	1,333
12	1,707	1,76
14	2,19	2,249
16	2,737	2,805
18	3,349	3,424
20	4,024	4,107

Calculation example: For a pipe with a diameter of 89x7, cutting C17, fixed joint. From the table given above for cutting C17 when welding in the ceiling position, we select the corresponding flow rate value N - 0.834. Next, we calculate Nt = 0.089 * 3.14 * 0.834 = 0.233 kg per 1 joint.

Examples of formulas used

Other methods can be used for calculations.

If there is no reference data on the weight of the deposited metal, use the formula Vnm = p*S, where:

• p – specific density (7,850 kg/cubic m for carbon steel grades);
• S is the cross-sectional area that is formed when the technological process standards are observed.

The S value is taken from the table or calculated independently.

For the example discussed above, the formula S=t*z+0.75*w*h is suitable, where:

• t – thickness of parts;
• z – gap;
• w (h) – width (height) of the overlap above the joint.

Consumption coefficients by electrode type are given above for a length of 450 mm.

Different methods are used for calculations.

For other values ​​of this parameter, the following corrections (multipliers) are applied:

• 250 mm – 1.12;
• 300 mm – 1.07;
• 350 mm – 1.04;
• 400 mm – 1.02.

When creating connections using a protective environment, the following correction factors are used:

• 1.05 – carbon dioxide (welding thick steel sheets);
• 1.15 – use of automatic and semi-automatic material feeders (CO²);
• 1.7 – creating seams with wire filled with powder filler.

Using the formula Hg=Py*L+P, the standard consumption of inert gases is determined to create a reliable protective environment. Here:

• Ru – specific norm per meter of length (L) of a welded joint;
• Рд – consumption for additional and auxiliary operations (purging, mode setting).

We recommend reading Description of ANO-21 electrodes

To calculate the specific value, multiply the optimal flow rate according to the rotameter (Рр) by the operating cycle time (T): Ру=Рр*T. If there are no table values, the last parameter is calculated manually using the formula T=(Vnm*60*1000)/(Kn*I), where:

• Kn – deposition coefficient;
• I is the current strength used for welding.

When creating connections, correction factors are used.
Below are the Kn values ​​in g/Ah for different modes:

I (A)	Wire diameter (mm)
	1,6	2	2,5
200	14,2	12,2	–
300	16,5	13,5	11,1
400	21,1	16,8	13,9
500	28,3	22,3	17,8

When working with electrodes, use the formula T=60/V, where V is the speed of creating a welded joint. This parameter depends on the complexity of the operations performed and the method used. Structures are manually welded at a speed of up to 15-20 m/h. Using an automatic machine increases V to 100 m/h or more.

The time spent on auxiliary operations according to the standards ranges from 0.05 to 0.2 minutes when working with consumable and non-consumable electrodes, respectively. The calculated flow rate should be adjusted when welding small parts. Performing these and other complex operations increases the consumption of inert gas by 15-20%. When planning deliveries, it should be taken into account that a standard 40-liter cylinder is filled with liquid carbon dioxide (25 kg) when refilling.

Upon transition to a gaseous state, this amount forms 507 liters of a protective inert environment.

Calculation of consumption when welding profiles

When welding a profile such as an I-beam, a channel, a profile pipe, and so on, the same standards are used as for welding sheet metal. Their methodology is given in the section HERE.

An important feature that should be taken into account is the duration of the process. The longer the seams and the longer the welding, the higher the percentage of metal waste, and, accordingly, the higher the losses.

Also, welding of metal structures often occurs at heights, which complicates the work process and increases losses. There is a simple pattern here - the more difficult it is for a welder to work, the more materials and time will be spent.

What does it depend on?

Costs for electrodes, welding wire, etc. used when connecting structural elements, electrical energy consumption is mainly affected by the cross-section of the weld.

In turn, this indicator depends on exactly how the welding is performed, how thick the metal is, and the quality of preparation of the parts.

Important! Even slight moistening of the electrodes sharply increases consumption, reduces the quality of the seam, and makes work more difficult. Store materials exclusively in a dry place, in packaging that prevents the ingress of water.

As a rule, the main characteristic - the leg of the seam, on which its cross-section depends, is determined by the project. From here the required diameter of the welding material, the strength of the welding current, etc. are determined.

If we carefully examine the electric welding process, we will be convinced that not all of the introduced metal is used. Some of it is evaporated by the arc flame, some is sprayed with familiar welding sparks.

A certain amount of metal is bound in the slag covering the seam, formed by molten coating and oxides. These losses are defined by the word “waste” .

Finally, the process technology itself involves holding the electrode. Accordingly, part of it remains unused. Such a piece is technically called a “cinder”; its length is about 50 mm . Part of these costs depends on the location and length of the seam. Losses are also higher when you have to weld many separate sections, for example, when welding reinforcement, than one long seam.

How to reduce consumption

To reduce losses of welding materials without compromising the quality of the resulting products, the following recommendations can be used:

1. When purchasing large quantities, carry out incoming inspection and check the quality of the electrodes. This will identify low-quality materials that will be rejected or only partially used.
2. Use semi-automatic and automatic welding methods where possible. When welding in a shielded gas environment, use gas mixtures containing helium and argon to reduce spatter.
3. Carry out the process at constant current and use reverse polarity.
4. Carry out the process at optimal conditions (without increasing the current strength) to reduce waste.

Write in the comments what you think affects consumption the most.

Factors influencing rod consumption

The rods melt during the welding process. Their material is transferred into the seam. The longer the work lasts, the more the product melts. After a certain period of time, new rods have to be used. Manual welding with an electric arc is characterized by rapid consumption of material.

Electrode consumption rates for pipeline welding depend on many factors. Among them are:

• diameter of the product used for welding. The larger the diameter of the rod, the slower the product will be consumed. For proper welding, the thickness of the rod must be selected in accordance with the thickness of the material that will be processed;
• gap between welded pipes. The wider the gap, the more rods will be spent connecting the pipes. The narrower the gap, the narrower it will be necessary to make a welding seam and, accordingly, the less products will be spent;
• current strength. The current strength greatly affects the consumption of rods. It should be selected in accordance with the thickness of the electrodes. If selected incorrectly, consumption may be increased. For example, if the current selected for a thin rod is too high, it will melt very quickly. In addition, with excessive current, increased metal spatter occurs, which also affects the service life of the rod. Too little current can also increase consumption, since to create a high-quality seam, in this case, you will have to use wide oscillatory movements, which also affects consumption;
• thickness of the workpiece metal. The higher the thickness of the element being processed, the deeper it is necessary to boil, which affects the time of use of the rod and, accordingly, the total consumption of the rods.

Before starting welding work, it is necessary to calculate the approximate consumption of products. This will allow you to prepare the required number of rods and ensure a non-stop welding process. The classification of electrodes will help you choose suitable products.

Practical calculation

Involves determining the mass of metal and carrying out welding test work. When they are completed, the cinder is measured, the voltage and current, and the length of the seam made are taken into account. Based on these data, the number of required electrodes for welding a seam of a certain length is determined.

An accurate calculation will be in the case when both the external data and the position angle when performing the main work remain similar to those that were during testing. To avoid inaccurate determination, the experiment is repeated three to four times. If this condition is met, the calculation will be even more accurate than when using formulas.

Theoretical calculation

Based on the use of various formulas. In practice, two types of calculations are most widespread:

1. by coefficient;
2. according to physical characteristics.

The first method covers various categories of consumables and is calculated by the formula: H = M * K, where M is the mass of the metal being welded, and K is the special additive consumption coefficient.

The second method is based on the characteristics of both the electrode used and the metal structure being welded, calculated by the formula: G = F * L * Weight of the wire, in which F is the cross-sectional area and L is the length of the weld.

If the first formula allows you to calculate the consumption, then the second formula allows you to calculate the mass of deposited metal. Both calculations are “tabular”, that is, they are based on standard indicators corresponding to certain brands of electrode, type of metal, and weld size.