KEVOS® MAKEOS · Fabrication
Intermittent Fillet Weld Plan (Continuous Leg, Segment Count and Pitch, Cost Saving)
For a lightly loaded joint, can I use intermittent fillet welds instead of a continuous weld, how many segments at what pitch, and how much does it save?
Plan of a fillet-welded joint along a given length: the throat and leg needed with a continuous weld and its cost (as the fillet weld joint design tool), then intermittent segments of a chosen length at the minimum leg for the plate thickness — the total length needed, the number of segments so that the clear gap between them stays within your limit, the pitch, and the cost of the intermittent weld (as the same tool for the shorter total length), with the saving against the continuous weld.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Load on the joint | kN | Load the welds carry along the joint. |
| Joint length available to weld | mm | Length of the joint that can be welded. |
| Allowable throat shear stress | MPa | Allowable shear stress on the weld throat. |
| Minimum leg for the plate thickness | mm | Smallest fillet leg for the plate thickness from your welding code. |
| Thinner plate thickness | mm | Thickness of the thinner plate (the leg should not exceed it). |
| Segment length | mm | Length of each intermittent segment. |
| Largest clear gap between segments | mm | Largest clear gap allowed between segments (from your code; often a multiple of the plate thickness). |
| Cost | ||
| Convexity and overfill allowance | % | Allowance for convexity and overfill. |
| Weld metal density | kg/m³ | Density of the weld metal. |
| Deposition rate | kg/h | Weld metal deposited per hour of arc time. |
| Operating factor (arc-on share) | % | Share of paid time the arc is on. |
| Filler deposition efficiency | % | Share of filler bought that ends up in the weld. |
| Labour and overhead rate | $/h | Labour and overhead per paid hour. |
| Filler price | $/kg | Price of filler. |
Method and formulas
- Throat = F ÷ (L τ); leg = throat ÷ 0.707, rounded up to a whole millimetre and not below the minimum; cost from weld metal, arc time, labour and filler (as the fillet weld joint design tool).
- Intermittent length needed at the minimum leg = F ÷ (0.707 a τ); segments = the larger of that length ÷ segment length and the number that keeps the gap within the limit.
- Pitch = (joint length − segment) ÷ (segments − 1); cost as the same tool for the total segment length.
- Example: continuous needs a 5 mm leg; 4 segments of 50 mm at 183.33 mm pitch save 66.667%.
Limitations
- Static load spread evenly along the joint; fatigue loading and sealed joints need continuous welds.
- Segments of equal length; end segments at the joint ends.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Replace a continuous weld on a lightly loaded stiffener
- Set out stitch welds on a frame
- Cut weld cost and distortion on long joints
Who it is for
- Fabrication engineers
- Welding supervisors
- Design engineers
What you get
- Continuous weld leg and cost
- Intermittent segments, pitch and gap
- Cost saving
Interpreting the result
- Intermittent welds pay off when the minimum leg already gives far more strength than the load needs.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1433–1486. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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