Filler Metal Consumption Calculator for Wire and Electrodes
Buyers and planners need to know how much wire or electrode to order for a job. This calculator converts weld metal weight into filler to purchase and rounds up to whole packs.
Your numbers
GMAW solid wire 90-98, FCAW 80-90, SAW about 95-99, SMAW 55-70 after stub loss.
Your results
Estimate for purchasing. Actual use varies with fit-up, welder skill, process settings and stub length practice.
Filler required vs deposition efficiency
Sweeps Deposition efficiency from 50 to 100, holding your other inputs fixed.
Consumables planning in the ERP
Optional: discuss deriving filler demand from routings automatically.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it
Enter the weld metal per meter, which you can get from the weld metal volume calculator, then the weld length per assembly and the quantity. Choose the deposition efficiency for your process and an allowance for rework. Enter the pack size and price to see the number of packs and cost.
- Use real deposition efficiency per process
- Allowance covers repair and setup waste
- Round up to whole packs
- Update after actual consumption data
Deposition efficiency explained
Deposition efficiency is the share of purchased filler that ends up in the weld. Solid wire GMAW loses only a little to spatter. Flux cored wire loses more to slag and spatter. Stick electrodes lose the unused stub and coating weight, so efficiency counts the weight of the whole electrode. Submerged arc is very efficient but flux is separate and is not counted here.
Worked example
A job needs 0.8 kg of weld metal per meter, 6 m per assembly and 40 assemblies. That is 192 kg deposited. At 90 percent efficiency and an 8 percent allowance, the filler needed is about 230 kg, which is 16 packs of 15 kg. The calculator shows the leftover so you can see whether a smaller pack would waste less.
Common mistakes
Teams order from net weld weight without efficiency, ignore stub loss on stick electrodes, and forget separate flux for submerged arc. They also order before verifying whether the same wire is already in stock.
- No efficiency factor
- Flux not budgeted
- Wrong alloy class
- Stock not checked
Frequently Asked Questions
What deposition efficiency should I use?
Typical ranges are 90 to 98 percent for solid wire GMAW, 80 to 90 for flux cored, 95 to 99 for submerged arc wire, and 55 to 70 for stick electrodes including stub. Use measured data from your own shop if you have it.
Is flux included for submerged arc?
No. Flux is a separate consumable, often used at roughly one kilogram per kilogram of wire, but the ratio varies. Budget it as its own line using your supplier's data.
Why add a rework allowance?
Repairs, test welds, tack welds, setup, and cutting wire at spool changes all consume filler that never appears in the nominal joint volume. A single-digit percentage is common but measure your actual usage.
How do I keep track of lots?
Record filler heat or lot numbers against jobs for traceability where the code requires it. Consumable storage, such as baking low hydrogen electrodes, also matters. An ERP lot control feature can store this with each issue.
Netray can help connect consumable requirements from routings and bills of material to purchasing in your ERP, with expiry and lot traceability.
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