Each sector below operates at a specific pressure range, with its own inlet conditions, duty cycle and gas-purity requirements. Select a sector to read the full application detail, or browse all six below.
Each application profile below sets out the compression requirement, the operating conditions, and which product range applies. For assistance matching your specific process to the right equipment, contact our engineering team.
Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generators typically produce oxygen at 4 – 6 bar. This is insufficient for filling standard T-type medical or industrial oxygen cylinders, which are rated at 150 bar (15.0 MPa) working pressure. Our oil-free reciprocating booster compressors raise the output from PSA pressure directly to 150 bar or 165 bar for cylinder filling, without any oil contamination risk in the gas stream.
Oil-free compression is a mandatory requirement for medical-grade oxygen. The PTFE dry-running piston ring design eliminates oil from the compression zone entirely — output oxygen meets ISO 8573-1 Class 1 oil requirements without any downstream oil coalescer filter. Annual maintenance is limited to piston ring and valve seat inspection; no oil changes, no oil filter replacements.
Converter steelmaking (BOF) blows oxygen into molten iron at sustained high flow rates. A 120-tonne BOF converter typically consumes 12 – 20 m³/min of oxygen during the blow cycle. An integrated steelworks with multiple converters operating simultaneously may require total flow rates of 50 – 100 m³/min at a consistent pipeline pressure of 3.0 MPa (30 bar).
Blast furnace oxygen enrichment runs at lower pressure (2 – 8 bar) and is handled by our low-pressure range. Electric arc furnace (EAF) oxygen lancing and metal heat treatment applications sit in the 20 – 35 bar range. Our ZW / LW series covers 380V installations from 4 m³/min; the DW and 4MW series scales to 100 m³/min on 6kV / 10kV high-voltage supply for major steelworks projects.
Replacing combustion air with near-pure oxygen in glass furnace burners raises flame temperature, reduces fuel consumption by up to 30% and cuts NOx emissions significantly. Oxygen demand for a typical float glass or container glass tank furnace runs 5 – 20 m³/min at 1.0 – 1.5 MPa at the burner manifold distribution header.
All models in this pressure range run on standard 380V — no high-voltage supply or transformer needed. The lightest model (LW-6/15 at 1.8 tonnes) can be positioned with a counterbalance forklift, which simplifies installation in existing furnace facilities where crane access is restricted. For large multi-furnace production lines, the LW-24/16 serves flow rates up to 24 m³/min at 1.6 MPa on a single machine.
Gas distributors and industrial gas companies fill standard 40-litre T-type cylinders at 150 bar or 165 bar for supply to welding operations, food-grade nitrogen users, laboratory supply and medical distribution. A multi-gas filling station may simultaneously fill oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen cylinders — all three gases use the same ZW oil-free reciprocating platform, with gas-specific material selection for seals and internal surfaces.
Low maintenance overhead is essential for filling station profitability: with no oil changes and no oil filter replacements, the annual maintenance scope is limited to piston ring inspection, valve seat check and general mechanical review. All models run on 380V standard industrial power. Throughput per compressor unit ranges from 60 Nm³/h to 300 Nm³/h, and units can be operated in parallel to scale station capacity as demand grows.
High-density recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) maintain dissolved oxygen at 10 – 12 mg/L to support stocking densities far beyond what conventional air aeration can support. On-site PSA oxygen generation at 4 – 6 bar, paired with our low-pressure reciprocating compressors to maintain supply pressure across the distribution ring main, eliminates dependency on daily cylinder deliveries and provides the stable continuous supply that RAS operations require.
Low-pressure oxygen compressors in aquaculture applications typically operate at 0.2 – 0.8 MPa (2 – 8 bar). The ZW and LW series cover flow rates from under 1 m³/min for a small indoor RAS installation up to 150 m³/min for a large-scale commercial salmon or shrimp facility. Compact footprint models are available for installations where space inside existing buildings is constrained.
Partial oxidation (POX) syngas production, oxy-chlorination of ethylene, and waste gas oxidation reactors all require oxygen at precisely controlled pressures ranging from 3 MPa to 32 MPa. These applications are typically specified by EPC engineering contractors against formal API 618 data sheets, requiring full documentation packages including IOM manuals, foundation loading data, P&ID, material certificates and factory performance test records.
For the largest installations — integrated steel complexes, major chemical parks and coal-to-chemicals plants — cryogenic air separation units produce both oxygen and nitrogen at volumes that require dedicated ASU-grade compression equipment specified against the ASU process data sheet. The 4ZW-84/30 (84 m³/min, 3.0 MPa) and 4MW-93/35 (93 m³/min, 3.5 MPa) represent the confirmed large-scale options from our portfolio; further configurations are available on enquiry against your process specification.
Beyond the primary industry groupings above, our compressors are specified for a range of specific process requirements. The underlying product ranges are the same — the distinction is in how the pressure, flow and gas purity requirements are matched to each use case.
Fibre laser cutting of carbon steel uses oxygen assist gas at 0.6 – 1.5 MPa to trigger an exothermic oxidation reaction, increasing cut speed and enabling thick-plate capability. A single ZW-3/15 serves 1 – 2 machine heads; LW-10/15 handles a cutting centre with 5 – 8 simultaneous heads.
Pure oxygen aeration in high-BOD industrial effluent treatment can replace air blowers, reducing basin volume requirements and improving treatment efficiency. ZW-20/10 (20 m³/min, 10 bar) is the standard specification for municipal and industrial wastewater oxygenation rings.
Where a PSA nitrogen generator feeds multiple end users across a large facility, boosting the distribution header to 10 – 16 bar allows smaller-diameter piping over long runs and maintains terminal pressure at distant draw-off points.
By-product hydrogen from chlor-alkali plants, refineries and coke ovens is purified and compressed into cylinders at 150 bar for distribution. The ZW H₂ oil-free series maintains gas purity throughout — no oil contamination of downstream processes or fuel cell components.
Adding oxygen to blast furnace tuyere air increases productivity and reduces coke consumption. This operates at relatively low pressure — 0.2 – 0.8 MPa — but at very high flow rates. Large DW and 4MW low-pressure units handle the multi-hundred m³/min demands of an integrated blast furnace complex.
Chemical plants, pipeline operators and tank farm facilities use high-pressure nitrogen for purging oxygen from process vessels, pipelines and storage tanks before start-up or maintenance. Compact ZW nitrogen filling compressors provide a self-sufficient on-site high-pressure nitrogen supply independent of cylinder deliveries.
Across every sector listed above, from medical PSA boosting to steel mill pipeline supply, one technical requirement is consistent: the compression must not introduce oil into the gas stream. Our full product range is built on a single oil-free reciprocating platform that meets this requirement across pressures from 2 bar to 165 bar.
GB 16912, EN 13445 and major industrial gas company equipment guidelines all mandate oil-free design throughout the gas-contact compression path. Mineral oil in contact with high-pressure oxygen can ignite spontaneously through adiabatic compression — this is a safety requirement, not a preference.
PTFE dry-running piston rings eliminate oil from the compression zone entirely. Output oxygen meets ISO 8573-1 Class 1 oil requirements without any downstream oil coalescer. Hydrogen and nitrogen purity is preserved for fuel cell, calibration gas and high-purity industrial applications.
Average operating speed 260 – 350 RPM — significantly lower than oil-injected screw compressors at 3,000+ RPM. Reduced mechanical wear extends time between major overhauls. The inspection interval is predictable and driven by running hours rather than oil degradation cycles.
All cylinder filling and medium-pressure models run on standard 380V/50Hz industrial power. No HV transformer procurement, no high-voltage switchgear commissioning. Large-capacity units (DW / 4MW) use 6kV or 10kV supply when plant infrastructure already provides this.
The same ZW oil-free reciprocating platform serves applications from 2 bar PSA distribution output through to 165 bar cylinder filling, and from single-machine 30 kW units through to 4-column 4MW machines at 1,200 kW. Shared platform means shared maintenance knowledge, spare parts commonality and engineering consistency across a multi-machine site.
Every unit is designed to API 618 and applicable Chinese national standards. Factory performance-tested at rated conditions before shipment. Witnessed factory acceptance testing (FAT) available. Complete EPC documentation packages supplied for engineering contractor procurement.
Tell us your sector, gas type, required outlet pressure and flow rate. We will confirm the correct product range and model, and return dimensional drawings and indicative pricing within one business day.