Welding
Welding settings calculator
In short
Starting welding settings come from manufacturer tables by process (MIG/MAG, flux-cored, TIG, covered electrode), material, thickness and position. The calculation gives current, voltage, wire feed speed, gas and polarity, then the joint preparation (ISO 9692-1) and an estimated number of passes.
Calculation
Example calculated with the tool’s default values.
Inputs
- Process
- MIG / MAG, solid wire (131, 135)
- Material, wire and gas
- Steel, solid wire ER70S-6, 75 % Ar / 25 % CO2
- Wire diameter
- 0.9 mm
- Plate thickness
- 3.2 mm
- Position (EN ISO 6947 · AWS)
- PA · 1G / 1F · Flat
- Joint
- Butt
- Access
- Welded from one side
- Preparation
- Per the standard
- Value read on the machine
- None
Results
- Wire feed speed
- 5.8 m/mintable value
Worked example
Every value in this section belongs to the example, calculated with the tool’s default values.
Other results of the example
- Voltage
- 17.4 V
- Wire feed speed
- 230in/min (ipm, table unit)
- Table gas flow
- 16.5 L/min35 CFH
- Table gas
- 75 % Ar / 25 % CO2
- Current type
- DC+
- Reference current (Miller rule)
- 126 A1 A per 0.001 in thickness
- Position
- PAAWS 1G / 1F · Flat
- Preparation
- 1.3Single V (ISO 9692-1)
- Included angle α
- 50°
- Gap b
- 2.0 mm
- Root face c
- 1.0 mm
- Groove area
- 8.7 mm²
- Passes (estimate)
- 1layers ≤ 6 mm, pass ≤ 16 mm wide (AWS D1.1)
- Starting point taken from manufacturer tables: it does not replace the qualified WPS or the consumable datasheet; adjust on a trial.
- Position PA: no sourced correction for MIG/MAG; the table is for flat. Vertical-up or overhead, reduce on a trial, per the WPS.
- Voltage and wire speed depend on stickout and the power source: the Miller table is indicative, fine-tune by arc sound and bead.
- D1.1 pass limits: short circuit (GMAW-S) is not prequalified; estimate to be confirmed.
Step-by-step calculation
Miller table row
ER70S-6, 75 % Ar / 25 % CO2, wire Ø 0.9 mm
3.2 mm : 17.4 V / 230 ipm
Wire speed conversion
m/min = ipm × 0.0254
230 × 0.0254 = 5.84 m/min
Reference current
I = e(in) × 1000
3.2 / 25.4 × 1000 = 126 A
Groove area
A = b·t + (t − c)²·tan(α/2)
t = 3.2 ; b = 2.0 ; c = 1.0 ; α = 50° ; A = 8.7 mm²
Passes
layers = ⌈depth / hmax⌉; passes per layer = ⌈width / wmax⌉
1 layer(s), 1 pass(es)
Preparation 1.3: ranges and values used
| Dimension | Min | Max | Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| α (°) | 40 | 60 | 50 |
| b (mm) | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| c (mm) | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Layers (from the root)
| Layer | Thickness (mm) | Width (mm) | Passes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 1 |
How to use it
- Pick the process, then the material with its wire and gas, or the electrode and its diameter.
- Enter the plate thickness and the welding position (EN ISO 6947 or AWS).
- Pick the joint: butt, fillet (with the throat a) or full penetration, and access from one or both sides.
- Leave the preparation "per the standard" or set the groove angle, root gap and root face.
- Read the starting setting: wire feed speed in MIG/MAG (current if the table gives none), current in TIG and with covered electrodes, argon flow for TIG on duplex; adjust on a trial.
Frequently asked questions
What are the MIG welding settings for steel?
Example from the Miller table: ER70S-6 wire 0.9 mm, 75 % Ar / 25 % CO2 gas, 3.2 mm plate flat: 17.4 V and 230 ipm, that is 230 × 0.0254 = 5.84 m/min wire feed speed, DC+, with 35 CFH of gas. The Miller reference current, 1 A per 0.001 in thickness, gives 3.2 / 25.4 × 1000 = 126 A.
What amperage for a stick electrode?
The calculation uses the manufacturer ranges by diameter. For Ø 3.2 mm: 90 to 140 A for a basic electrode (ESAB OK 48.00, DC+), 80 to 150 A for a rutile one (ESAB OK 46.00), 70 to 130 A for an E308L-17 stainless one. The starting current is the middle of the range, multiplied out of position: × 0.85 vertical, × 0.8 overhead.
What are the TIG welding settings for stainless?
The Linde table (stainless, DCEN, flat) gives one value per thickness: 70 A at 0.062 in with a 1/16 in (1.6 mm) tungsten, 140 A at 0.125 in with a 3/32 in (2.4 mm) tungsten and 15 CFH of argon. Between two rows, the current is interpolated and flagged. Also protect the root side with a back purge.
What are the TIG settings for steel?
The CK Worldwide table (low-alloy steel, electrode negative) gives 95 to 135 A at 1.6 mm, 145 to 205 A at 3.2 mm, 210 to 260 A at 4.8 mm and 240 to 300 A at 6.4 mm. The ranges are wide: start low. The fillet joint has the same ranges as the butt joint.
Which joint preparation and how many passes?
The calculation picks the ISO 9692-1 preparation (IMOA for duplex). For a 3.2 mm butt joint in MIG/MAG: single V (1.3), α = 50°, root gap b = 2 mm, root face c = 1 mm, groove area A = b·t + (t − c)²·tan(α/2) = 8.7 mm², so 1 pass with the AWS D1.1 limits (layers ≤ 6 mm, pass ≤ 16 mm wide).
Should the settings go down out of position?
With a covered electrode, yes: the current is multiplied by 0.95 in PB, 0.9 in PC, 0.85 in PF and PG, 0.8 overhead and on fixed pipe. In MIG/MAG there is no sourced correction: the table is for flat, reduce on a trial per the WPS. For TIG aluminium, the Linde table has one column per position.
Limits
Indicative results: starting settings taken from manufacturer tables (Miller, ESAB, Lincoln, Linde, CK Worldwide, IMOA), which replace neither the qualified WPS nor the consumable datasheet; adjust on a trial. Outside the tables, the calculation refuses rather than extrapolates. The number of passes is an estimate from the AWS D1.1 limits, with no estimate for TIG; short circuit (GMAW-S) is not prequalified there.
Sources
- Miller : choix des paramètres de soudage au MIG : Tableau tension / vitesse de fil par épaisseur (acier ER70S-6, fil fourré E71T-1, alu ER4043) (link)
- Miller : MIG Welding, Setting the Correct Parameters : Règle 1 A par 0,001 in ; plages par diamètre de fil (link)
- TWI Job Knowledge 004 : MIG welding : Fil au pôle positif, tension constante (link)
- ISO 9692-1:2013 : préparations de joints (acier) : Tableaux 1 (un côté), 2 (deux côtés), 3 (angle) (link)
- AWS D1.1:2015 : exigences des DMOS préqualifiés : Tableau 3.6 (épaisseur et largeur de passe) (link)
- Fronius : positions de soudage EN ISO 6947 et AWS : Affiche Welding positions (link)