Industries
Centralised gas supply for welding shops
From about a tonne of gas a month, cylinders cost more in handling than in gas. A stationary tank with a vaporizer and a distribution ring puts shielding gas at every post from a wall outlet.
When to move away from cylinders
| Posts | CO₂ per month | 40 l cylinders per month | Swaps per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | ≈ 350 kg | 15 | under 1 |
| 10 | ≈ 1.2 t | 49 | 2 |
| 20 | ≈ 2.3 t | 98 | 4–5 |
| 40 | ≈ 4.7 t | 195 | 9 |
From ten posts the cylinder fleet becomes a job of its own: rolling, securing, signing delivery notes, stopping welding at every swap. On top of that, 1–2 kg of unusable heel in each cylinder is paid for and never used.
What the system includes
- A liquid CO₂ tank and, if the shop welds with a mix, a liquid argon tank.
- A CO₂ vaporizer or an ambient argon vaporizer sized for peak draw: every post strikes an arc at the start of a shift.
- A distribution ring around the shop with wall outlets, regulators and flow meters.
- On-site Ar/CO₂ mixing or a ready-made mixture — decided on the economics of your shop.
- Turnkey installation: piping, leak testing, commissioning.
Pure CO₂ or a mixture
| Designation | Composition | Spatter | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | 100% CO₂ | high | thick sections, structural work |
| M21 | Ar + 15–25% CO₂ | low | general fabrication, visible welds |
| M20 | Ar + 5–15% CO₂ | very low | thin sheet, robotic lines |
Pure CO₂ is cheaper per kilogram, but spatter is wire you bought, melted and then removed by hand. How to work out which is cheaper for your shop is covered in CO₂ or an argon mix for welding.
Frequently asked questions
Does CO₂ for welding have to be food grade?
No. Welding needs technical CO₂ of adequate purity and, above all, dry gas: moisture is what causes porosity in the weld. Food grade costs more and gives welding nothing extra.
Does welding CO₂ burn or explode?
The gas neither burns nor supports combustion. The hazards are pressure in the cylinder or vessel and accumulation in pits and closed rooms, where CO₂ displaces air and acts on breathing at a few percent.
Equipment for this solution
- Cryogenic tanks for liquid CO₂ (carbon dioxide) 10–100 m³Supply of stationary vacuum-insulated cryogenic tanks for liquid CO₂ storage with volumes of 10, 20, 30, 50, 80 and 100 m³. Complete with shut-off and safety valves, pressure control systems, vaporizers and pressure-reducing units. Equipment selection, supply, installation, process piping and turnkey commissioning of the CO₂ system.
- Cryogenic tanks for liquid argon (LAR, Ar) 10–50 m³Supply of vacuum-insulated cryogenic tanks for storing liquid argon LAR (Ar) with volumes of 10, 20, 30 and 50 m³. Complete with ambient vaporizers, pressure regulators, shut-off and safety valves. Turnkey installation of argon supply systems.
- Vaporizers (gasifiers) for liquid CO₂ — 100–1000 kg/hSupply of vaporizers for gasifying liquid carbon dioxide (CO₂) with capacities of 100, 200, 300, 500, 800 and 1000 kg/h. Solutions for greenhouses, beverage production and bottling, food and industrial plants. Selection, supply, installation and integration into the CO₂ supply system.
- Ambient air vaporizers (gasifiers) for liquid nitrogen, oxygen and argon 50–2000 kg/hSupply of ambient air vaporizers for gasifying LIN, LOX and LAR with capacities from 50 to 2000 kg/h. Vaporizer selection by gas type, required capacity, working pressure and operating conditions.
- Turnkey installation of cryogenic and gas supply systemsWe install cryogenic tanks, vaporizers, gasifiers, pipelines, reducers, pressure regulators and shut-off and safety valves for CO₂, N₂, O₂ and Ar. The scope covers equipment selection and supply, installation on prepared foundations, process piping, connection and start-up of the gas supply system.
