Welding & Fabrication worked example

Shielding Gas Cost with shielding gas flow rate at the regulator of 100 CFH: a worked example

What does the result look like when shielding gas flow rate at the regulator reaches 100 CFH? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when quoting GMAW, FCAW, or GTAW work and you need a realistic shielding gas line on the consumables cost stack.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Shielding gas flow rate at the regulator: 100 CFH (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 40)
  • Arc-on time on the job: 6 hr (unchanged)
  • Shielding gas price delivered: 0.18 $ / cu ft (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Shielding gas consumed = shielding gas flow rate × arc-on time on the job) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 108 $ for total shielding gas cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 600 units for shielding gas consumed.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6 hr for arc-on time on the job.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.18 $ / unit for shielding gas price.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where shielding gas flow rate at the regulator sits at 40 CFH and the headline result is 43.2 $, this scenario comes in 150% above the baseline at 108 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when shielding gas flow rate at the regulator is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It assumes flow is constant during the whole arc-on period and ignores purge gas, gas lost to line pressurization on each arc start, and leaks — real consumption often runs 5-20% higher than the arc-on estimate.

Results at a glance

  • Total shielding gas cost: 108 $ (headline result)
  • Shielding gas consumed: 600 units
  • Arc-on time on the job: 6 hr
  • Shielding gas price: 0.18 $ / unit

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Shielding Gas Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.