Welding & Fabrication worked example

Shielding Gas Cost with shielding gas flow rate at the regulator of 20 CFH: a worked example

This worked example runs the shielding gas cost numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: shielding gas flow rate at the regulator of 20 CFH instead of the typical 40 CFH. Estimate shielding gas cost from flow rate (CFH), arc-on hours, and gas price per cubic foot.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Shielding gas flow rate at the regulator: 20 CFH (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 40)
  • Arc-on time on the job: 6 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Shielding gas price delivered: 0.18 $ / cu ft (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Shielding gas consumed = shielding gas flow rate × arc-on time on the job.
  • Total shielding gas cost works out to 21.6 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Shielding gas consumed works out to 120 units at these inputs.
  • Arc-on time on the job works out to 6 hr at these inputs.
  • Shielding gas price works out to 0.18 $ / unit at these inputs.

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 50% below the baseline at 21.6 $.
  • Use it when quoting a fabrication job, auditing gas consumption against cylinder deliveries, or justifying a flow-rate reduction to management. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total shielding gas cost: 21.6 $ (headline result)
  • Shielding gas consumed: 120 units
  • Arc-on time on the job: 6 hr
  • Shielding gas price: 0.18 $ / unit

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Shielding Gas Cost calculator, set shielding gas flow rate at the regulator to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.