On-Site Oxygen for Lampworking, Flameworking, and Production Glass
Oxygen Generator for Glassblowing
On-site oxygen for the torches and burners that work glass. Feed every station a steady oxygen-fuel flame hot enough for soft glass and borosilicate, retire the concentrator bank and the delivered-oxygen tanks, and make oxygen at 93%, 95%, or 99% purity from compressed air.
Oxygen purity tiers (95% and 99% ±1%)
Continuous purity verification
Typical payback vs delivered oxygen
Generator service life
Why On-Site Oxygen for Glassblowing
Oxygen is what makes the flame hot enough to work glass
The flame does the work, and oxygen is what heats it. A fuel-air flame does not reach the temperature needed to melt and move most working glass. Adding pure oxygen to the fuel removes the inert nitrogen that a fuel-air flame has to heat along with everything else, and the flame runs far hotter and more concentrated. An on-site oxygen generator for glassblowing feeds that oxygen to every torch and burner in the shop, so a lampworking bench, a hand torch, or a production burner all get a steady, repeatable flame instead of one that drifts as a cylinder empties.
Soft glass and borosilicate ask different things of the flame. Soft glass, the soda-lime glass used for beads and much color work, softens at a lower temperature and is forgiving on flame chemistry. Borosilicate, the hard glass used for scientific, pipe, and sculptural work, has a higher working point and needs the hotter oxygen-fuel flame to move at a workable pace. The more borosilicate and the larger the pieces, the more oxygen the flame draws, which is exactly where a delivered-oxygen habit or a rack of concentrators starts to hold a shop back.
On-site PSA is the same oxygen line, sized for a shop instead of a bench. Many glass artists already make their own oxygen with one or more concentrators. A PSA oxygen generator is that idea built for a whole studio: one system that supplies every station at once, at 93%, 95%, or 99% purity, from compressed air and a power connection. It is the same standard oxygen equipment Gas Generation Solutions supplies for ozone, wastewater, and aquaculture, matched here to the summed oxygen demand of the torches on the floor.
On-site oxygen, full lineup
PSA oxygen generators from compact skid sizes through several thousand SCFH. The standard 93% to 95% line and the 99% high-purity line cover glass studios, ozone feed, wastewater aeration, and industrial oxygen.
All oxygen generators →How PSA produces oxygen from air
Pressure swing adsorption uses a zeolite molecular sieve that selectively adsorbs nitrogen, leaving an oxygen-enriched stream. The same technology that delivers nitrogen at 99.9995% delivers oxygen at 93%, 95%, or 99% from ambient air, with no consumables in the gas path.
Learn more about PSA →Glassworking applications
Bench torches, production burners, and teaching studios
One PSA oxygen system can feed every torch in the shop, from a single soft-glass bench to a room of production borosilicate stations. What changes across these applications is how much oxygen the flames draw, and the generator is sized to the summed peak.
Lampworking and beadmaking
Soft-glass lampworking
Beadmakers and soft-glass artists run a bench torch on an oxygen-fuel flame to melt and shape soda-lime glass. On-site oxygen gives a single bench, or a wall of them, a steady flame that does not fall off as a cylinder drains, and it ends the trips to swap or refill oxygen tanks.
Borosilicate flameworking
Borosilicate pipe and sculpture
Borosilicate has a higher working point than soft glass, so flameworking it draws more oxygen, especially on large tubing and thick sculptural pieces. A generator sized to the shop keeps the hottest torches supplied at full flame without the oxygen cost climbing with every hour of run time.
Scientific glassblowing
Laboratory glassware
Scientific glassblowers fabricate and repair borosilicate labware on oxygen-fuel bench and hand torches, where a clean, repeatable flame matters for consistent joints and seals. Quartz work runs a hydrogen-oxygen flame for its far higher softening point, and on-site oxygen supplies the oxidizer for both.
Production and manufacturing
Production glass shops
A shop running multiple stations for hours a day turns oxygen into a real line item. On-site generation replaces standing delivery contracts and concentrator banks with one system sized to run every station at once, so throughput is limited by the artists, not by the oxygen supply.
Teaching studios
Schools and shared benches
Teaching studios and community glass programs light many benches at once during a class, and the oxygen demand spikes for those hours. A single generator sized to a full classroom keeps every student bench at flame without a rack of cylinders to manage and store.
Hot shop torchwork
Spot heating and glory-hole burners
Furnace glassblowers use hand torches for spot heating and joins, and oxygen-fuel burners run hotter than fuel-air on the equipment that reheats work. Where a hot shop already draws oxygen for torchwork, on-site supply covers it from the same system that feeds the flameworking benches.
How It Works
From compressed air to a flame at every bench
Scope. This page covers the oxygen side of the flame. The generator supplies oxygen to the torches and burners; the fuel gas, propane or natural gas, and the torches themselves are the shop's. We size the oxygen system to the summed peak demand of the stations that run at once. Air-fuel work that does not use oxygen is a separate setup and does not need a generator.
Step 01
PSA generator makes oxygen from compressed air
The on-site generator pulls in compressed air and passes it through a zeolite molecular sieve that adsorbs nitrogen, leaving an oxygen stream at 93%, 95%, or 99% purity. Oxygen collects in a buffer tank, and a built-in oxygen analyzer reads the tank purity continuously so the shop always knows what it is delivering. No deliveries, no oxygen cylinders to swap, no contract minimum.
Step 02
Oxygen is piped to each station
From the buffer tank, oxygen runs through the shop to a regulator at each bench or burner. One system replaces the cylinder or concentrator sitting next to every station, so a bench, a production line, or a full classroom all draw from the same steady source at the same set pressure.
Step 03
Oxygen mixes with fuel at the torch
At the torch, oxygen and fuel meet and burn. Because the oxidizer is nearly pure oxygen instead of air, the flame carries no inert nitrogen to heat, so it runs hotter and more concentrated than a fuel-air flame. The artist sets the flame at the torch valves; the generator's job is to hold oxygen pressure steady while they do.
Step 04
The buffer tank holds flame under peak demand
Oxygen demand peaks when the most stations run at full flame at once. The generator and buffer tank are sized to that peak, so pressure stays put when a class lights every bench or a production floor runs flat out. Size to the busy hour, not the average, and no station starves when the shop is full.
Purity and Technology
Three purity tiers, and for glass the tier matters
Oxygen comes off the PSA line at three working grades: 93%, 95%, and 99%. Unlike a dissolving application, glasswork feels the difference. A higher-purity oxygen stream carries less inert nitrogen into the flame, so the flame runs hotter and more concentrated. Most soft-glass and general bench work is well served by 93% to 95%, while the 99% high-purity line is there for the hottest borosilicate and high-throughput production.
Three working purity tiers
Soft glass and general bench work
A strong oxygen-fuel flame for soda-lime lampworking, beadmaking, and everyday bench work, at the lowest compressed-air consumption per SCF of oxygen. The right tier when the work is mostly soft glass and operating cost matters.
Standard ceiling, hotter flame
The top of the standard line, and the same grade used for ozone, wastewater, and aquaculture. A hotter, more concentrated flame than 93% for shops that mix soft glass with regular borosilicate work.
High-purity line, maximum flame heat
The high-purity line for the hottest flame. Worth the extra air and compressor when the work is heavy borosilicate, large tubing, or steady production where the flame temperature sets the pace of the day.
Why PSA from air, and not a concentrator bank or delivered oxygen
PSA supplies the whole shop from one system
A single PSA generator makes oxygen on-site from ambient air using a zeolite molecular sieve that adsorbs nitrogen. It supplies every station at set pressure at once, so it replaces the rack of concentrators or the standing cylinder order that a growing shop outgrows. The system runs on compressed air and a power connection, with no consumable in the gas path.
Air consumption rises with purity
Producing 95% oxygen from ambient air takes roughly 14 SCFM of compressed air per SCFM of oxygen, and reaching 99% pushes that toward 19, with a larger compressor and sieve bed to match. For glass that tradeoff can be worth it, because the hotter flame earns its keep. We size the air side to the purity tier the work actually needs.
Sizing and ROI
Count the torches, size to the busy hour
A glassblowing oxygen system is sized off how much oxygen the shop draws when the most stations run at once. Every torch has a maximum oxygen consumption on its data sheet, and the generator is matched to the summed peak so the flame holds when the whole floor is working, not just when one bench is lit.
Sizing inputs
Input 01
Stations and how many run at once
The number of benches, hand torches, and burners in the shop, and realistically how many are at full flame at the same time. A teaching studio may light every bench during class; a production shop may run a steady set all day. Peak simultaneity, not the station count, drives the size.
Input 02
Per-torch oxygen draw at max
Each torch model lists a maximum oxygen consumption. A small soft-glass bench torch draws a fraction of what a large surface-mix borosilicate torch pulls at full flame. Summing the maximum draw of the torches that run together sets the oxygen the generator has to deliver.
Input 03
Purity tier and air side
Whether the work needs 93%, 95%, or the 99% high-purity flame sets how much compressed air the generator consumes per SCF of oxygen, and therefore the compressor. Choosing the tier the glass actually calls for keeps the air side, and the running cost, no larger than it needs to be.
Payback drivers
Driver 01
Ends cylinders, deliveries, and concentrator upkeep
Delivered oxygen carries cylinder or tank rental, delivery fees, and contract minimums, and a concentrator bank is a wall of machines to maintain and replace. An on-site generator runs on compressed air, has no consumable in the gas path, and stays in service for 20 years or more, cutting oxygen cost by up to 90% versus delivered gas.
Driver 02
A steady flame means steadier work
Oxygen at set pressure keeps the flame consistent from the first piece to the last, instead of drifting as a cylinder empties or a concentrator warms up. A repeatable flame is fewer ruined pieces and a predictable pace, which matters most on the borosilicate work that takes the longest to build.
Driver 03
Room to grow without a bigger contract
Sized with headroom, one generator lets a shop add benches or run longer hours without renegotiating an oxygen supply or buying more concentrators. Capacity the shop already owns turns growth into a decision about people and space, not about the gas bill.
Worked example
Production borosilicate studio. A shop running several borosilicate stations at once takes the maximum oxygen draw listed for each torch, adds them for the stations that run together, and matches the generator and buffer tank to that combined peak at the chosen purity tier.
Smaller and larger. A single-bench soft-glass studio sizes to a compact skid, while a full teaching classroom or a busy production floor with many stations at flame steps up to a larger system with the compressor matched to its air demand.
Each build is matched to the busy hour so every station holds flame when the shop is full.
Not sure of your oxygen demand?
Give us a call and we can go over your torches, how many run at once, and the glass you work, to help set a baseline before we size the system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oxygen for glassblowing and lampworking
Why do glassblowers need oxygen instead of just air?
A fuel-air flame does not get hot enough to work most glass at a usable pace. Adding pure oxygen removes the inert nitrogen that a fuel-air flame has to heat along with the fuel, so the flame runs far hotter and more concentrated. That oxygen-fuel flame is what melts and moves soda-lime soft glass and, at higher heat, borosilicate. Oxygen is the oxidizer that makes the flame hot enough to work the glass.
What oxygen purity do I need for glasswork? Is 99% better?
It depends on the glass. Oxygen comes off the PSA line at 93%, 95%, or 99%, and unlike a dissolving application, glasswork feels the difference because a higher-purity stream carries less nitrogen into the flame and runs hotter. Most soft-glass and general bench work is well served by 93% to 95%. The 99% high-purity line is worth the extra air and compressor for the hottest borosilicate, large tubing, and steady production where flame temperature sets the pace.
Can an oxygen generator replace my oxygen concentrators?
Yes. A PSA oxygen generator is the same idea as a concentrator built for a whole shop. Instead of a rack of concentrators feeding one or two benches, one system supplies every station at set pressure at once. It removes the machines to maintain and replace, holds a steady flame across the floor, and scales to more stations than a concentrator bank can practically cover.
How much oxygen does a glass studio need?
Size off the busy hour. Every torch lists a maximum oxygen consumption on its data sheet, so add the maximum draw of the torches that run at the same time to get the peak the generator must supply. A single soft-glass bench sizes to a compact skid, while a teaching classroom or a production floor with many stations at flame steps up to a larger system. Sizing to peak simultaneity keeps every station at flame when the shop is full.
Does on-site oxygen work for both soft glass and borosilicate?
Yes. Soft glass, the soda-lime glass used for beads and much color work, softens at a lower temperature and runs well on 93% to 95% oxygen. Borosilicate has a higher working point and draws more oxygen, especially on large tubing and thick pieces, and benefits from the hotter flame of the 95% or 99% line. One generator can supply both; the purity tier and size are matched to the mix of work the shop does.
How does on-site oxygen compare to delivered oxygen cylinders?
Delivered oxygen carries cylinder or tank rental, delivery fees, and contract minimums on top of the gas, plus the interruption of swapping tanks and the flame drifting as one drains. An on-site generator produces oxygen from compressed air with no delivery schedule and no consumable in the gas path, cutting oxygen cost by up to 90% versus delivered gas with a typical payback of 12 to 14 months and a service life of 20 years or more.
What does my shop need to run an oxygen generator?
Compressed air and power. The generator makes oxygen from compressed air, so the shop needs an air compressor sized to the oxygen demand and a reliable power supply. The air compressor is sized job by job and may be a packaged part of the system or matched to existing shop air. Once those are in place, the system produces oxygen on demand and pipes it to every station, with no deliveries to coordinate.
Can one generator feed multiple benches or a teaching studio?
Yes, and that is where on-site generation earns its keep. Oxygen from the buffer tank is piped to a regulator at each bench or burner, so one system feeds a production line or a full classroom at set pressure. Sized to the peak of every station running at once, the generator holds flame across the floor when a class lights every bench, with headroom to add stations later.
Send these numbers and we will size the system
The number of stations and how many run at once, the maximum oxygen draw listed for each torch, whether you work soft glass, borosilicate, or both, the purity tier you want, and your current oxygen source. With those, we can recommend the on-site oxygen generator size and the compressor to hold flame across the shop on your busiest hour.
Request a quote →Gas Generation Solutions supplies the same standard PSA oxygen line that serves ozone, wastewater, aquaculture, and biogas customers, sized here for glass studios from a single bench to a full production floor. The sizing is repeatable and the equipment is USA-built, UL Listed, and CE marked.