Calculating Filler Metal Consumption The number of pounds of welding electrodes or welding wire necessary to complete a given weld joint may be calculated by the formula: p - WL E Where: Pounds of electrode or wire required Weight per foot of weld metal Length of weld (feet) Deposition efficiency nhouew ou m-=v Weight Per Foot of Weld Metal Calculating the weight of weld metal requires that we consider the following items. 1. Area of the cross-section of the weld. 2. Length of the weld. 3. Volume of the weld in cubic inches. 4. Weight of the weld metal per cubic inch. In the fillet weld shown below, the area of the cross- section (the triangle) is equal to one half the base times the height, the volume of the weld is equal to the area times the length, and the weight of the weld then, is the volume times the weight of the material (steel) per cubic inch. (A) HEIGHT 0.5" 0.5" Volume of Weld =.5B x Ax 12 Weight of Steel = .283 Ib per cu. in. Weight of Weld = (0.5 x 0.5) x 0.5 x 12x .283 (B) BASE = .424 Ib. CALCULATING THE WEIGHT PER FOOT OF A FILLET WELD This example is for a fillet weld with no reinforcement. Similar calculations can be made for butt or lap joints. Deposition Efficiency The deposition efficiency of an electrode or welding wire indicates the portion of that product you can expect to be deposited as weld metal. Losses due to slag, spatter, fume and in the case of semi automatic or automatic welding processes, the ends cut before each weld and the wire left in the feed cable make no process 100% efficient. 8-2