Measured flow to quote input
Assist Gas Consumption Matrix
Convert measured flow and gas-on time into volume while preserving units and reference conditions. The worked matrix explains L/min, m³/h, standard flow, and separate purge/pierce stages. All numbers are arithmetic examples, not cutting settings.
Content reviewed 2026-11-02. Verify the applicability of each source before using a value in a quote.
Input to record
Gas identity, meter flow and unit, actual or reference-state conditions, non-overlapping gas-on stages, and a supplier price on the same volume basis.
Output to carry forward
Volume by stage and total volume on a stated basis, ready for the existing gas calculator and quote cost stack.
Flow × time
For constant measured flow, V = Q × t with matching time units. L/min × minutes gives liters; divide by 1,000 for m³. For changing flow, calculate each measured interval separately and add volumes only on the same reference basis. Include purge and piercing once; exclude idle time when gas is off.
L/min is actual volumetric flow at the stated conditions. Standard L/min refers to a specified reference temperature and absolute pressure. Keep those conditions with the result and match them to the supplier’s billing basis before multiplying by a price. The table does not convert actual flow into standard flow, mass, cylinder capacity, or liquid-gas volume.
Pressure and gas cost
Pressure is a process record, not a flow reading. Record whether it is gauge or absolute and where it was measured. This worksheet does not derive flow from nozzle diameter or regulator pressure. Use a measured meter record, a scoped OEM flow chart, or a supplier measurement method instead.
Variable gas cost = same-basis consumed m³ × your supplier price per m³. Record currency, invoice date, and billing conditions. Keep rental, delivery, tank losses, and generator power/service as separate cost inputs so the quote does not count them twice. Carry the recorded volume assumptions into the gas calculator, then the laser-cutting quote.
Gas usage record
Record your own setup and download a CSV. Fields stay in this page only, are not submitted, and clear on reload. A completed record is not approval of a machine setting.
Sources and scope
Content reviewed 2026-11-02. A documentation reference supports the stated method or data only; it does not approve settings on another machine.
- Alicat: Mass Flow vs. Volumetric Flow
Actual volumetric flow varies with pressure and temperature; standardized volumetric flow such as SLPM/NLPM is tied to reference conditions. This source does not supply laser-nozzle flow settings.
- Alicat: What is Mass Flow?
Explains reference-state volumetric units and mass-flow relationships. Confirm the meter’s configured reference temperature/absolute pressure; do not assume every supplier or instrument uses one default.
Showing 6 of 6 rows
| Illustrative flow | Gas-on time | Calculation | Volume output | Volume basis | Pressure context | Source / method | Applicability | Confidence | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 L/min | 10 min | 30 × 10 / 1000 | 0.300 m³ | Actual volume at the recorded meter conditions | Record measurement point and gauge/absolute basis; not used to infer flow | Unit arithmetic derived from Q × t; Alicat source supports the distinction between actual and reference-state flow | Illustrative flow/time inputs only; not recommended gas settings for any head, gas, material, or thickness | Deterministic unit example; replace inputs with a measured record | 2026-11-02 |
| 30 L/min | 90 s = 1.5 min | 30 × (90 / 60) / 1000 | 0.045 m³ | Same actual-state basis as the flow reading | Same basis as the flow record; no pressure-to-flow conversion | Unit arithmetic derived from Q × t; Alicat source supports the distinction between actual and reference-state flow | Illustrative flow/time inputs only; not recommended gas settings for any head, gas, material, or thickness | Deterministic unit example; replace inputs with a measured record | 2026-11-02 |
| 1.8 m³/h | 10 min = 1/6 h | 1.8 × 10 / 60 | 0.300 m³ | Retain actual or reference-state basis from the meter | Log as separate process context | Unit arithmetic derived from Q × t; Alicat source supports the distinction between actual and reference-state flow | Illustrative flow/time inputs only; not recommended gas settings for any head, gas, material, or thickness | Deterministic unit example; replace inputs with a measured record | 2026-11-02 |
| 30 standard L/min | 10 min | 30 × 10 / 1000 | 0.300 reference m³ | Use exactly the meter’s specified reference temperature and absolute pressure | Reference pressure is not the nozzle’s gauge pressure | Unit arithmetic derived from Q × t; Alicat source supports the distinction between actual and reference-state flow | Illustrative flow/time inputs only; not recommended gas settings for any head, gas, material, or thickness | Deterministic unit example; replace inputs with a measured record | 2026-11-02 |
| Cut: 30 L/min; purge: 10 L/min | Cut: 10 min; purge: 2 min | (30 × 10 + 10 × 2) / 1000 | 0.320 m³ | Sum only when both readings use the same state basis | Record each stage independently | Unit arithmetic derived from Q × t; Alicat source supports the distinction between actual and reference-state flow | Illustrative flow/time inputs only; not recommended gas settings for any head, gas, material, or thickness | Deterministic unit example; replace inputs with a measured record | 2026-11-02 |
| 12 L/min during gas-on stage | 20 repeats × 3 s = 1 min | 12 × (20 × 3 / 60) / 1000 | 0.012 m³ | Count only additional gas-on time not already in cut/purge totals | Record stage pressure; duration alone is not a flow measurement | Unit arithmetic derived from Q × t; Alicat source supports the distinction between actual and reference-state flow | Illustrative flow/time inputs only; not recommended gas settings for any head, gas, material, or thickness | Deterministic unit example; replace inputs with a measured record | 2026-11-02 |
Reference workflow
- Match the job, material, machine head, and quality requirement to a row.
- Confirm the source, review date, and confidence before copying the value into a quote worksheet.
- Use a measured result or current OEM record when the row is marked as required or unverified.