Cylinder pressure regulators are a flexible way to withdraw gas from a cylinder. Single-stage models are used when occasional gas consumption is required, such as calibration gas injection. Two-stage cylinder gas regulators are preferred when a continuous flow of gas is required over an extended period of time, like in instrumentation and continuous flow applications.
Coregas also provides gas cylinder regulators for medical gases, available for purchase at our online medical equipment store.
The Spectron FM51 is a single-stage cylinder pressure gas regulator. It may be fitted to the cylinder outlet valve to reduce the high pressure of the gas in the cylinder to a lower pressure suited to the application. The phrase single stage means that the pressure drop from the cylinder to the application takes one step.
Single-stage specialty gas cylinder regulators are ideal for one-shot applications such as calibration gas mixture injection or introducing purge gases before using process gases. Since the operator is present during use, they can adjust the pressure in real time via the regulator’s front-mounted knob.
Two-stage gas regulators are chosen when there is a continuous flow of gases or the equipment will be left running unattended, such as with instrumentation gases like detector gas or carrier gases.
Specialty gas regulators differ from industrial and medical gas regulators, so the three different categories should not be interchanged. The materials of construction inside each regulator are selected to be compatible with the gases that they are handling.
For example, the pressure-controlling diaphragm in a specialty gas regulator features a stainless steel diaphragm to prevent contamination, while an industrial version may use rubber components. To protect the integrity of the high-purity specialty gases or high-precision specialty gas mixtures, it is essential to use metal parts in contact with the gas to avoid potential contamination. Additionally, the machining tolerances of the different regulators are different, and these influence the leak rate within the regulator and from the regulator to the atmosphere. They also determine how much air contamination will enter the regulator and contaminate the gas stream. Specialty gases regulators have the lowest leak rates and the highest precision machining tolerances.
Each two-stage gas regulator is equipped with two pressure gauges:
You can also fit a shut-off valve or a sensitive flow metering valve to the outlet for finer control.
At the inlet to the cylinder pressure regulator is a stem with a nut, which may be firmly screwed onto the cylinder outlet valve to form a gas-tight connection. There are several possible nut types on the inlet stem, and these correspond to the various different thread connections on the cylinder valve. It is essential to connect a cylinder gas regulator to the correct type of cylinder; otherwise, damage to the cylinder outlet valve may occur. For this reason, it may be necessary to have several different types of regulators available for use on different types of pure specialty gases or specialty gas mixtures.
The regulator body is typically made from chrome-plated brass or stainless steel. Brass versions are more economical and suitable for non-corrosive gases such as helium, argon, oxygen, or flammable gases like hydrogen. Stainless steel should be selected for gas mixtures with traces of reactive components, such as 500 parts per billion (ppb) sulphur dioxide in nitrogen, or when pure corrosive gases are used.
In harsh conditions, like offshore oil and gas environments, or sensitive sectors such as pharmaceuticals and food processing, stainless steel is recommended regardless of gas type. If you need a versatile, long-lasting gas cylinder regulator, stainless steel is the safer investment. The reverse — using a brass regulator for corrosive gases — is not advised.
Cylinder pressure regulators regulate pressure, while valves regulate flow. It is therefore common to use a flow control valve, such as a needle valve, after the pressure regulator to make fine adjustments to the specialty gas flow rate.
When a gas cylinder runs out, the cylinder regulator must be removed and attached to a new full specialty gas cylinder. This isn’t usually a problem for single-stage regulators, since they’re typically used for short, attended tasks. However, if a continuous flow of gas is required, you should use an automatic changeover panel that connects two or more cylinders to the panel and automatically switches and allows the gas flow to be switched to a full one when the current one is nearly empty, so the gas supply isn’t interrupted.
If you need a cylinder pressure gas regulator for multiple purposes, consider upgrading to the FM53 two-stage regulator because it can also perform the role required of a single-stage regulator. Alternatively, the model FM52exact may be specified. It offers single-stage operation with pressure compensation, delivering similar stability at a lower price point.
A two-stage pressure regulator is slightly bulkier and a little more expensive. Single-stage regulators are lightweight and cost-effective, but their outlet pressure may increase over time as cylinder pressure drops. Two-stage regulators, like the FM53, help maintain steady outlet pressure throughout the cylinder’s use. The FM52exact offers a compact, single-stage design with built-in pressure compensation, delivering performance similar to a two-stage regulator. Its price falls between the FM51 and FM53, making it a practical mid-range option.
The Spectrolab FM53 is a two-stage gas cylinder regulator from our Spectron range. It connects to the cylinder outlet valve to reduce high gas pressure in two controlled stages. This two-step regulation ensures a more stable outlet pressure across the life of the cylinder.
The two-stage regulators are chosen when there is a continuous flow of gases or the equipment will be left running unattended. Common uses include supplying instrumentation gases such as hydrogen and Zero Air for FID detector gas or helium and argon as gas chromatography carrier gases.
Each two-stage gas regulator is equipped with two pressure gauges:
You can also fit a shut-off valve or a sensitive flow metering valve to the outlet for finer control.
At the inlet to cylinder pressure gas regulators is a stem with a nut, which may be firmly screwed onto the cylinder outlet valve to form a gas-tight connection. There are several possible nut types on the inlet stem, and these correspond to the various different thread connections on the cylinder valve. Using the wrong type can damage the cylinder valve. For this reason, it may be necessary to have several different types of regulators available for use on different types of pure specialty gases or specialty gas mixtures.
Specialty gas regulators differ from industrial and medical gases regulators and the three different categories should not be interchanged. The construction materials inside each regulator are selected to be compatible with the gases that they are handling. For example, the pressure controlling diaphragm in a specialty gases regulator is made from stainless steel, whereas the same component in an industrial regulator may be made from rubber.
To protect the integrity of the high-purity specialty gases or high-precision specialty gas mixtures, it is essential to use metal parts in contact with the gas to avoid potential contamination. Additionally, the machining tolerances of the different regulators are different, and these influence the leak rate within the regulator and from the regulator to the atmosphere. They also determine how much contamination from air will ingress into the regulator and contaminate the gas stream. Specialty gases regulators have the lowest leak rates and the highest precision machining tolerances.
Cylinder pressure regulators regulate pressure, while valves regulate flow. It is therefore common to use a flow control valve such as a needle valve after the pressure regulator to make fine adjustments to the specialty gas flow rate.
When a gas cylinder runs out, the cylinder regulator must be removed and attached to a new full specialty gas cylinder. This isn’t usually a problem for single-stage regulators, since they’re typically used for short, attended tasks. However, if a continuous flow of gas is required, you should use an automatic changeover panel that connects two or more cylinders to the panel and automatically switches and allows the gas flow to be switched to a full one when the current one is nearly empty, so the gas supply isn’t interrupted.
If a cylinder pressure regulator is to be used for multiple purposes, consider upgrading to the two-stage regulator because it will be able to perform the role required of a single-stage regulator. The opposite is, however, not the case.
The alternative to a two-stage regulator, such as the FM53 is a single-stage pressure regulator, such as the FM51, which is more compact and less expensive. The benefit of the two-stage regulator is that it produces a steady outlet pressure from the regulator throughout the life of the gas cylinder. When single-stage regulators are left with a continuous gas flow, the outlet pressure creeps up slightly over time in response to the falling cylinder gas pressure. Two-stage pressure regulation largely avoids this issue. Single-stage regulators are ideal for "one-shot" applications where the user is present, such as the introduction of calibration gas mixtures.
The SPECTROLAB Fm52exact is between the FM51 and the FM53 in terms of price and pressure stability performance. It has a single-stage design with added pressure compensation, giving it performance similar to a two-stage regulator. It may be the ideal choice for your application if you are working within a capped budget.
It is important to know that FM52 and FM53 regulators can only adjust a 200 Bar cylinder pressure to a very low pressure. For instance, if you are adjusting outlet pressure between 1 Bar and 1.5 Bar, only FM53 can achieve this low pressure. For adjusting outlet pressure between 2 Bar and 4 Bar, FM52 or FM53 should be selected. For adjusting outlet pressure between 5 Bar and above, FM51, FM52, and FM53 are your available options.
For high-quality gas regulators, expert advice and reliable supply, trust Coregas. We manufacture locally and distribute across Australia and New Zealand, with specialty systems tailored to your industry. Coregas supplies a wide range of gases compatible with cylinder regulators.
Contact us today to find the right gas cylinder regulator and our wide product offering, which includes oxygen, acetylene, argon, carbon dioxide, LPG, nitrogen and helium gas.
A gas cylinder regulator connects to the outlet valve of a gas cylinder and reduces the high-pressure gas to a lower, controlled pressure suitable for your application.
Yes. There are single-stage and two-stage gas regulators, each designed for different flow and pressure stability requirements. Specialty, medical, and industrial regulators also differ in materials and performance.
No. The gas regulator must match the gas type and the valve thread to avoid safety issues or damage. Always check compatibility before use.
A low-pressure gas regulator reduces gas to under 100 psi, while high-pressure regulators manage output above that. Your choice depends on the required pressure for your equipment.
If your gas system or equipment requires pressure control, you’ll need a gas regulator. It's essential for both safety and performance in gas delivery systems.
Coregas is the exclusive distributor of the SPETROLAB specialty gases equipment range in Australia. SPECTROLAB is a product range of SPECTRON, a German specialty gases equipment supplier with a worldwide reputation for the utmost standards in quality and reliability.
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