The Weld Fab Welding & Fabrication Planning Desk
Menu

SHEET TWF·T-06 REV 2026-08-20 METHOD M.2026-08-20.1

MIG wire runtime estimator

Estimates remaining wire length and continuous-feed runtime from entered spool mass, wire diameter, material density and wire feed speed — continuous feed, not arc-on time.

Classification Material/runtime planning estimate

InputsT-06
F-01
kg

Wire mass left on the spool, greater than 0.

F-02
mm

Marked wire diameter, greater than 0.

F-03
kg/m³

You supply this figure — 7,850 is the worked example for steel wire.

F-04
m/min

The feed speed set on your machine, greater than 0.

JavaScript is off in this browser, so no live record can be issued. The worked example below walks the full method with real figures, and the blank card on this page prints as a worksheet.

R-WIRE-nnn

MIG wire runtime estimator

Awaiting inputs — enter values and issue a record. Empty slots below print as a blank worksheet.

Field slots

F-01Remaining wire mass
F-02Wire diameter
F-03Wire material density
F-04Wire feed speed
RECORD VOID — inputs changed since issue. Recalculate to issue a new record.

Worksheet · https://theweldfab.com/tools/mig-wire-runtime-estimator/ · METHOD M.2026-08-20.1 · REV 2026-08-20

Worked example

STATIC — not a live result

A 5 kg spool of 1.0 mm wire at an entered density of 7,850 kg/m³ works out to ≈ 810.98 m of wire; at an entered feed speed of 6 m/min that is ≈ 135.16 minutes of continuous feed.

R-WIRE-EX

MIG wire runtime estimator

Planning estimate

≈ 135.2 min of continuous feed left

Entered assumptions

F-01Remaining wire mass5 kg
F-02Wire diameter1.0 mm
F-03Wire material density (entered)7850 kg/m³
F-04Wire feed speed (entered)6 m/min

Planning figures

R-01Estimated wire length810.9806 m
R-02Continuous-feed runtime135.1634 min

Planning support only — verify against nameplate/manufacturer data.

RECORD VOID — inputs changed since issue. Recalculate to issue a new record.

Method

M.2026-08-20.1

Four lines of arithmetic, with the diameter converted to metres:

  • wire cross-section m² = π × diameter² ÷ 4
  • wire volume m³ = mass kg ÷ density kg/m³
  • wire length m = volume ÷ cross-section
  • continuous-feed runtime min = length ÷ feed speed m/min

Worked figures: 5 kg of 1.0 mm wire at an entered 7,850 kg/m³ gives 810.9806 m of wire; at an entered 6 m/min that is 135.1634 minutes of continuous feed.

Limits & stop conditions

T-06
  • Continuous-feed figure only — real arc time depends on your duty and settings.
  • No voltage, current or weld-setting recommendation is made here. TWI notes wire diameter and feed speed influence welding current; the manufacturer’s WPS and equipment data remain authoritative.
  • HOLD — any entry that is missing, non-finite or not greater than 0 keeps the record unissued.

Source register

  1. S1 Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding — Process and Applications (Job Knowledge 4) ↗ TWI Ltd retrieved 2026-08-19
Bench Awaiting values