Adding a new type of welding operation to your shop?
Use SecturaFAB’s “Quick Add” feature to automatically generate calculators for simple welding needs like tungsten inert gas (TIG), metal inert gas (MIG), robotic welds, or spot welds so your team can quote any scenario quickly and consistently, without underestimating.
Want to watch an example? Play the video to follow along with these setup steps.
1. Select the settings icon. Then, choose "Operations" from the Production settings.
2. Select “Quick Add.”
3. Welding is located under “Secondary Operations.” As a refresher, here’s how operations are defined in SecturaFAB:
- Primary Operation: The first operation applied to an item in a quote, often the cutting operation.
- Secondary Operation: Added after the part is created, such as bending, grinding, or painting.
4. Five welding options are available: MIG, TIG, robotic, spot, and generic. Reference the table for the calculator names tied to each weld option:
| Calculators by Weld Type | ||||
| MIG | TIG | Robotic | Spot | Generic |
| Weld-Setup-Mig | Weld-Setup-Tig | Weld Setup-Robot | Weld-Setup-Spot | Weld Setup-Weld |
| Mig Weld Per Inch | Tig Weld Per Inch | Robot Weld – calc_weld | Spot Weld Per Spot | Weld – calc_weld |
| Weld Fixture Per Unit Mig Weld | Weld Fixture Per Unit Tig Weld | Weld Fixture Per Unit Robotic Weld | Weld Fixture Per Unit Spot Weld |
Weld Fixture Per Unit Welding |
Calculator Tips:
- Don’t need to account for something? Uncheck the box. In our example, we don’t account for fixture times, so we uncheck that line item.
- Do not change “calc_weld” fields (for robotic and generic) from the default value. Those calculators draw on a tech table with built-in feedrates and do not require any adjustments.
- In the left-hand column, enter your unique timings/parameters. In the right-hand column, enter the default value that will display when the operation is applied to a quote.
5. Let’s add a new MIG welding operation. Enter the cost per hour, price per hour, and a recognizable name for the operation.
In our shop, the labor cost plus consumables is $75. Our per hour price is $90. We also offer TIG welding, so we need a distinct name — let’s call it MIG Weld.
Then, select the plus sign to reveal the calculators.
6. Based on the table in #4, we can enter values for Weld-Setup-Mig, Weld Fixture Per Unit Mig Weld, and Mig Weld Per Inch.
7. Uncheck unused calculator line items. We don’t account for fixture time in our shop, so we’ll uncheck that box, too.
Then, select “Add” one time. Important: One click submits your information — to avoid duplication, click “Add” just once.
8. Now, confirm your operation is available. Return to the Operations page.
9. Select “Weld” and choose “View.”
10. There’s our new MIG Weld operation with the two calculators we defined.
11. From a quote, we can now select “MIG Weld” to apply this new operation. Learn more about quoting welds in How to Use the Welding Calculator.
Following these steps, you can successfully set up a weld operation in SecturaFAB. Please refer to our additional resources and videos or check out how to quick add a fiber laser operation here.