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See 20 YouTube Video's About MIG Shielding Gas Control & Other Info

1) WELDERS RAP-On Gas   2) Science of MIG Gas Flow Control

MIG Welders Waste About 80% of the Shielding Gas Used- SEE WHY

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What Percentage of Welding Cost is Shielding Gas?
Unfortunately most published welding cost calculations are based on an incorrect assumption that shielding gas usage is the flow rate set on a flowmeter times the welding time!  After understanding the data in this website and looking at your real costs you realize this is an erroneous assumption!

First, evaluating what is typically published:

General Assumptions:

  1. 0.035 diameter solid wire operating at 190 amps.  That deposits 5.5 lbs/hr when the arc is on.  Assume wire cost is $0.85/pound
  2. 30 CFH Shielding Gas flow.  Assume cost of $0.10/cubic foot for an argon based gas (= $10.00/100 cubic feet)
  3. Direct Labor cost = $18.00/ hour
  4. Labor Overhead = 30% of Labor cost

 

NO Gas Waste Case: With the above assumptions and  no consideration for  shielding gas waste, the resulting weld cost  pie chart is shown on the left.  This is what is typically published as the method of calculating shielding gas costs. 
Shielding gas is shown as only 5 % of total cost and less than wire costs which are 7%.  This is based on an unrealistic assumption of no gas waste.

 

High Waste Case: To evaluate a high waste case, assume gas waste is the high end defined in the literature, i.e. gas usage is, 30 CF/ lb of wire (SEE References) with a high duty cycle.
Shielding gas would now be 32% of welding costs!  Probably higher than actual unless your welders are also setting much to high a flow rate. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: Consider your real gas usage when estimating the cost of shielding gas not a calculation based on an unrealistic assumption!

 

Want to see additional graphic comparisons and the actual data that made up these graphs?

The Calculations are Covered in

 "Lean Welding Manufacturing" Learning Program

"Optimizing Shielding Gas Use and Eliminating Waste" includes details of this information in a Do-It-Yourself 11 Module Program 

It quantifies waste due to surge flow, leaks, ways to monitor leaks and the gas flow settings where air is pulled into the shielding stream.  Unfortunately many are using far too much gas flow, wrongly employing the philosophy, "If Some is Good More Must be Better" !

 

 

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* US Patent  # 6,610,957;  "Welding Shielding Gas Saver Device" August 26, 2003,  Patent Pending in other countries.   The "Flow Rate Limiter" device is
 covered by 2008 US patent #7,462,709.  Other site material may be covered under our 2006 US Patents # 7,015,412 or # 7,019,248 .
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Last modified: 09/08/10

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