Welding speed calculations

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How do you calculate (or estimate) the speed of welding (inch/min) for a certain thickness, position, type of weld and process?For instance I have an upcoming project with a bunch of 3/8" plate that needs to be welded. Most of it will be corner welds in the flat position or horizontal fillet welds. I will weld it with 7018 1/8". Thanks guys!/Pete
Reply:What would be the needle these calculations? Been welding for a long time and it has been done by feel. I am most interested in that the purpose would be...as 7018 is not necessarily a penetration rod like say 6010. Will the welds need to be full pen?
Reply:

Originally Posted by Pete.S.

How do you calculate (or estimate) the speed of welding (inch/min) for a certain thickness, position, type of weld and process?For instance I have an upcoming project with a bunch of 3/8" plate that needs to be welded. Most of it will be corner welds in the flat position or horizontal fillet welds. I will weld it with 7018 1/8". Thanks guys!/Pete
Reply:I'm guessing you need this for calculating heat input in kilojoules or maybe time to finish welding calculations?The units of inch/minute tells you that this is just division.Set up you phone (or camera) to record and face it to a clock or timer near enough that you will see the flash of welding start on screen.Now start welding and use up a rod at your normal comfortable speed.Example:  If you welded 10" in 1.5 minutes.Division of  10/1.5 = 6.7 inches/minute.Adjust your speed from there.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:i always found cutting and fitting joints and tack welding the most time consuming. often 4 people can tack weld stuff to keep up with one welder just welding
Reply:if 12 rods per pound and burn 10 lbs a 8hr day thats 120 feet or 1440 inches or 720 inches if weaving and only getting 6" of weld per rod.720/8= 90 inches per hour or 1.5 inch per minute (1.5 to 3 inch per minute depending on 6 or 12" of weld per rod).i guess i am slow or waste a lot of time doing other than welding stuff
Reply:Pete.S. - the Lincoln SMAW guide has some of the numbers for lbs/ft and lbs/hr that you may be looking for.http://www.lincolnelectric.com/asset...18MR/c2410.pdfDave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:

Originally Posted by Pete.S.

How do you calculate (or estimate) the speed of welding (inch/min) for a certain thickness, position, type of weld and process?For instance I have an upcoming project with a bunch of 3/8" plate that needs to be welded. Most of it will be corner welds in the flat position or horizontal fillet welds. I will weld it with 7018 1/8". Thanks guys!/Pete
Reply:http://www.esabna.com/euweb/fm_handbook/577fm8_1.htmhttp://www.esabna.com/euweb/awtc/Lesson9_3.htmEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:biggest speed increase is use a bigger rod size. too often 5/32 or 3/16 rod is not even tried..in the flat position often you can weld 200% faster if you try a few different things. number one is bigger rod size
Reply:Thanks guys for taking the time to reply.It was a couple months since I asked this question and I figured out the answer too. The answer was that it was going to take a f-cking long time just laying down all the beads with a 1/8" 7018.

All the info texts says that 7024 and as big rod as possible and flat position would be the right choice for a stick. But we didn't have a powerful enough machine to go to a very large rod on a 100% duty cycle and the welds can't all be done in the flat position.So we found a used machine, a more powerful mig that we are going to run with gas shielded flux core instead. Obviously we could go bigger and better for more $$$ but we ended up with a machine that can do 300 Amps @ 100% duty cycle with a water cooled gun. The deposition rate in theory is a little more than 3 times higher compared to our stick option. This machine can do stick too at the same duty cycle so we are set now and can do whatever feels right for the job at hand..Last edited by Pete.S.; 04-17-2016 at 12:46 PM.
Reply:It's been a while since I looked thru that portion, but I'm pretty sure Lincolns book Procedure of Arc Welding covers how  you calculate (or estimate) the speed of welding (inch/min) for a certain thickness, position, type of weld and process.As far as why you'd need it, that info would let you know how much rod/wire you'd need and how long it would take to make the welds if you are estimating a large job, say heavy columns/beams for the World Trade center..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan