Champion CR Series Compressed Air Pressure Regulator – 24 to 1,200 SCFM (1/4" to 2" NPT)

The Champion CR Series is a balanced-valve compressed air pressure regulator built to hold a steady downstream set point while the supply pressure upstream of it rises, falls and cycles. Seven sizes cover 24 to 1,200 SCFM on ports from 1/4" through 2" NPT, all rated to 300 psig inlet. The CR Series shares the Champion FRL modular face, so it bolts straight to a matching filter and lubricator without pipe nipples between the units.

Select your body and port size from the dropdown above.

Why Regulate at the Machine

Most plant air systems run at 100 to 125 psig because the compressor has to overcome distribution losses, but very few machines actually need that much. Feeding a tool or actuator more pressure than it needs buys you nothing and costs you three things: wasted air (consumption rises roughly with the square root of absolute pressure), accelerated seal and diaphragm wear, and inconsistent process results as supply pressure swings through the compressor's load and unload cycle. A regulator at the machine converts a fluctuating high inlet pressure into a constant reduced pressure, which is why point-of-use regulation is one of the standard first moves in any compressed-air energy audit.

Model Selection Chart

Flow capacity is rated at 100 psig inlet and 90 psig outlet.

Key Features

• Balanced valve design: The supply pressure acts on both sides of the valve, so changes in inlet pressure have very little effect on the downstream set point. This is what separates a real industrial regulator from a cheap unbalanced one that drifts every time the compressor unloads.
• Automatic self-relieving diaphragm, standard: If downstream pressure creeps above the set point, for example when a heated dead-ended line expands its trapped air, the regulator vents the excess to atmosphere instead of holding it. No separate relief valve needed.
• 300 psig maximum inlet: The highest inlet rating in the Champion FRL line, comfortably above any standard shop or plant air header.
• Modular face: Connects directly to matching Champion FRL Series filters and lubricators using modular sleeves.
• Seven sizes: From a 24 SCFM 1/4" unit for a single instrument up to 1,200 SCFM on 2" for a whole machine cell or sub-header.
• Panel or inline mounting: Modular sleeves with a wall-mount T-bracket are available.

Shared Technical Specifications

Gauges Are Ordered Separately

Champion CR Series regulators do not ship with a pressure gauge. The correct gauge for the 16, 26, 30 and 40 Series bodies is CGRP-95-229, a 1/4" NPT gauge, and it is listed under Champion FRL Series modular accessories. Add one to your order unless you are feeding a panel that already has its own downstream gauge or transducer.

Ideal Applications

Machine-inlet pressure control on CNC equipment, packaging and bottling lines, automated assembly cells, air motors and rotary actuators, clamping and fixturing circuits, blow-off and part-ejection stations, spray and paint-prep benches, laboratory and test rigs, and sub-header regulation where one department runs at a lower pressure than the rest of the plant. The 40 Series 1-1/2" and 2" units are large enough to regulate a whole machine cell or a branch line rather than a single drop.

Building a Complete FRL Station

A full Champion air-preparation station is built in the direction of flow: filter, then regulator, then lubricator. Always filter upstream of the regulator, because grit and liquid water on the valve seat is the most common cause of a regulator that will not hold its set point. Pair this regulator with a Champion FRL Series filter and a Champion CL Series lubricator in the matching body series. Where a filter and regulator alone will do, the Champion CCB6 integral filter regulator puts both in a single body and saves a station.

Why Buy from Air Compressor Store

Air Compressor Store is an authorized Champion Pneumatic distributor. Every CR Series regulator ships with the full factory warranty, lifetime application support, and access to our compressed-air engineers for sizing and system design.

Also Available by Quote

Champion prices two models in this family on a consult-factory basis, so they are not listed for direct purchase: CR16-03-000 (3/8", 81 SCFM) and CR26-04-000 (1/2", 185 SCFM). Call us for current pricing and lead time on either.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I size a regulator?

Size to the flow the machine actually draws at its operating pressure, not to the pipe size it happens to be plumbed in. An undersized regulator will droop badly the moment a cylinder strokes or a blow-off fires, because the flow spike outruns the valve. When a load sits between two sizes, go up: an oversized regulator costs nothing in energy, while an undersized one costs you process consistency.

What does a balanced valve actually do for me?

It keeps your set point steady when the supply pressure moves. Your compressor is probably cycling between roughly 100 and 125 psig all day. With an unbalanced regulator, that 25 psi swing on the inlet shows up as a visible wobble on the outlet, which means your torque, your clamp force and your spray pattern all drift through the cycle. A balanced valve cancels most of that.

Does the regulator come with a gauge?

No. Order gauge CGRP-95-229 (1/4" NPT) separately from our Champion FRL Series modular accessories listing.

What is a self-relieving diaphragm and do I want one?

It lets the regulator bleed off downstream pressure that has crept above the set point, rather than trapping it. You want it in almost every case, and it is standard on every CR Series unit. The one situation where it matters to know about is a dead-ended line you deliberately want to hold pressure in with the supply shut off, since a self-relieving regulator will slowly vent it.

Can I mount this to a panel or a wall?

Yes. Modular sleeves with a wall-mount T-bracket are available under our Champion FRL Series modular accessories listing.