Ask Cougartron Part 8: What is the actual cost of consumables for electrolytic weld cleaning

Weld cleaning | Ask Cougartron | Wednesday, 15 May 2019

What is the actual cost of consumables for electrolytic weld cleaning?

Electrolytic weld cleaning is an affordable finishing method devoid of large initial expenditure on equipment.

But what about consumables used during the process? Just how pricey are the weld cleaning brushes and fluids?

The new installment of our Ask Cougartron Q/A series deals with this important issue and brings a couple of numerical references you can use when planning your expenses.

How can I forecast my expenditure on weld cleaning fluids and brushes?

Your costs primarily depend on the requirements of your projects

The principle is very simple – the more you work, the more you’ll spend on consumable materials. However, there are few other note-worthy factors that can affect the use of said consumables.

• Weld size
• weld type
• steel type
• brush type
• machine model
• and your work habits

…are just some of the additional factors influencing your costs.

Now, let’s talk numbers

As Tom – our weld cleaning expert – shows in the video above, we calculated the expenses using our CGT-350 cleaning liquid in combination with popular Powerbrush weld cleaning brushes. Here is what you can expect in terms of costs and performance:

• 5L (1.3 Gal) of CGT-350 costs 120€ ( $145)  and will clean ~ 1500 m (5000ft) of stainless steel TIG welds
• 10-pack of Powerbrush brushes costs 190 € ($210) and will clean ~ 2500 m (8200ft) of stainless steel TIG welds
• The cost comes out to 15.60 € per 100 m  ($18 per 330ft) of  stainless steel TIG welds

It is important to note that the calculations are valid for the equipment we have used, your actual expenses may be lower or higher. As we have explained earlier, they will ultimately depend on a number of different factors.

 

Need help forecasting your expenses?

Forecasting costs based on different production requirements can be very demanding. If you need help overcoming this challenge or any other related to weld cleaning and surface passivation, feel free to contact us at any time.

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