Weld schedule for an item
Enter the welds of the item row by row — type, size, length and quantity — and the schedule gives each one its ISO 2553 size designation, its section and its deposited metal, then totals the length, the filler, the arc time and the gas. The table downloads and goes with the drawing.
Short answer
The deposition calculator works out one weld, but material is ordered for the whole item. The schedule takes every weld of the item at once: for each it gives the ISO 2553 size designation, the section and the deposited metal, and at the end it totals the length, the filler, the arc time and the gas. These are numbers for an order and a quotation, not for setting job times.
| No. | Weld type | Size, mm | Weld length, mm | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 |
Size — leg z for a fillet weld, plate thickness t for a butt weld.
Where the numbers come from
The schedule has no arithmetic of its own. The weld section is worked out by the same function as the deposition calculator and the cost calculator; the preparation of a butt weld comes from the same routine as the groove calculator and the pWPS generator; the deposition, speed and gas coefficients come from the same set the welding cost estimate runs on. The schedule adds exactly one thing — it brings several different welds of an item into one numbered table.
That is where the value sits: the figures here cannot drift away from the ones the separate calculators give on neighbouring pages.
It does not set work norms: arc time is the time the arc burns, not the time spent at the item. It does not handle partial penetration: the design throat of such a weld is set by the design, and deriving it from the thickness would be deciding on the designer’s behalf. It does not replace the drawing: welds are numbered in the order you enter them, and tying a number to a joint is your job — which is why the sheet carries a “Drawing” row.
How to use it
Five rows is enough: an item drawing usually carries three or four distinct welds, and repeats are entered as a quantity. If there are more, split the item into assemblies — that is how they are inspected anyway.
Order material from the “filler consumed” line rather than from the deposited metal: the difference between the two is exactly the loss to stub ends, spatter and burn-off, and the process coefficient has already accounted for it.
Worked example: a bracket with three kinds of weld
A bracket welded with process 135, access from one side. The drawing has three weld items:
| No. | Type | Size, mm | Length, mm | Qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | fillet (stiffeners to plate) | z = 6 | 300 | 4 |
| 2 | fillet (lugs) | z = 4 | 120 | 8 |
| 3 | butt, full penetration | t = 10 | 200 | 2 |
The schedule returns:
| No. | Designation | Total, mm | Area, mm² | Deposit, kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | a4.2 (z6) | 1200 | 20 | 0.187 |
| 2 | a2.8 (z4) | 960 | 9 | 0.066 |
| 3 | full penetration | 400 | 63 | 0.199 |
| Total | 2560 | — | 0.452 | |
In the summary: 2.56 m of weld, 0.452 kg of deposited metal, 0.486 kg of wire consumed (deposit divided by the 0.93 factor for MAG), 0.14 h of arc time and about 110 l of gas. The butt weld is 16 % of the length but 44 % of the deposit — the cross-section of a 10 mm single V (angle 50–60°, gap 1–3 mm, root face 1–2 mm, taken at the middle of each range) is more than three times that of the z6 fillet. That is why estimates are driven by weld cross-sections, not by metres of weld.
Fillet welds: why every millimetre of leg costs money
A fillet cross-section grows with the square of the leg z: z4 is 8.8 mm², z6 is 19.8 mm² (with the 10 % reinforcement allowance). A welder who lays z6 “to be safe” instead of the specified z5 uses 44 % more filler on that weld (36 against 25) and adds the same share of arc time — while the strength comes from a, not from the excess. Check the specified size with the fillet weld size calculator; a and z are linked by √2 (a = z / 1.41).
The drawing usually carries a; the shop measures z. The schedule shows both so nobody has to convert in their head: “a4.2 (z6)” means you check a 6 mm leg with the gauge.
How to number welds and tie them to the drawing
- Give each weld item on the drawing a number — the same one that stands in the first column of the schedule.
- Split welds of the same size in different assemblies if they are accepted separately or welded to another procedure.
- Enter the WPS number in the schedule header — with several WPSs, make a separate schedule for each.
- Carry the same weld number into the visual inspection report and the welder log: that is how the inspector finds who welded each joint and with what.
Material for the item itself — plate and sections — is handled by the bill of materials, and the full cost of welding including labour and power by the welding cost estimate. For a single weld the deposit details are in the weld metal calculator.
Common mistakes in a weld schedule
- Quantity instead of total length. “4 welds of 300” and “1200 mm” are the same thing; the error starts when someone enters 1200 and a quantity of 4.
- Throat a in the leg z field. The fillet size field takes z. Entering a halves the cross-section.
- A double-sided weld counted once. A double fillet is two welds: quantity times two.
- Ordering wire by deposit. Order by filler consumed; the difference is the process losses.
- Arc time as a labour standard. It is burning time only; fit-up, tacking and cleaning come on top.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the designation carry two numbers, a and z?
Because they are different sizes of the same weld. a is the design throat, set by the designer, and it is what stands in the ISO 2553 designation. z is the leg, measured with a gauge in the shop. The relation is simple: a = z / √2, roughly 0.7 of the leg. The schedule prints both so that one is not taken for the other.
Why is more filler consumed than ends up in the weld?
Because some of the filler never reaches the weld: stub ends, spatter, burn-off. The process coefficient sets the difference — about 0.65 for manual metal arc, about 0.93 for MAG. Ordering by the deposited metal leaves you about a third short on electrodes, and about 7 % short on MAG wire.
Can arc time be used to set a work norm?
No. It is pure arc-burning time. The real time includes fit-up, tacking, cleaning, turning the item and moving between joints; the operating factor on such work is usually 0.2–0.4. The schedule is for ordering material, not for setting job times.
Why is there no partial penetration?
Because its depth is a design decision, not a consequence of plate thickness. Full penetration follows from the geometry unambiguously; a partial one is stated in the documentation. Putting a plausible-looking figure here would mean deciding for the designer and writing an error into the order.
How do I enter a circumferential weld around a pipe?
As the circumference: π times the outside diameter. A Ø 60.3 mm pipe gives about 189 mm of weld per joint, Ø 114.3 mm about 359 mm. Put the circumference in the length column and the number of such joints in the quantity column.
How do I enter an intermittent weld?
As the length of one segment and the number of segments, not the length of the whole edge. A 4 × 50 (100) weld on a 500 mm edge (4·50 + 3·100 = 500) is four segments of 50 mm, i.e. 200 mm of weld instead of 500. If there are several such edges, multiply the segment count by the number of edges.
Is a weld schedule the same as a welding plan?
Not quite. EN 1090-2 calls for a welding plan as part of the production documentation: besides the list of welds it covers the WPS, welding sequence, measures against distortion and the extent of inspection. The schedule on this page gives its numerical part — numbered welds with sizes and consumption.
Updated: