Depending upon what type of business you operate, your pipeline could play a significant role in the success of your business. Regardless of whether you are transporting gas, oil, chemicals, or water, your pipeline needs to stay as efficient and clean as possible, and accumulations from sediment, contaminants, and scale can decrease that efficiency, even lead to a stoppage. Plus, this can lead to problems with the air valves and heavy duty valves as well.
What Is Pipeline Pigging?
Regardless of whether you are having an issue with the efficiency of your pipeline or not, it is still important to clean your pipe on a regular basis, and one of the best tools to use is the pipeline pigging. If you are unfamiliar with this device, it is a pig shaped tool that rotates through your pipeline, cleaning and inspecting the interior walls as it runs through the line.
The pipeline pigging is propelled by the flow of material that is sent through the pipeline, meaning that it does not need any special type of propulsion. It goes through the natural process of the pipeline, but is able to do an incredibly efficient job at cleaning the line itself.
It is interesting that this device has been in operation for over 100 years, and has successfully been used across a wide variety of industries to clean pipelines. The cylindrical or spherical shape tool can be made of such materials as rubber, steel, polyurethane, even some are made with ice. They help to clean and remove such things as debris and scale, as well as deposits that accumulate within the pipeline and around the valves.
Why Use the Pipeline Pigging?
The use of the pipeline pigging is important in maintaining the efficiency of your pipeline. Because it uses no form of propulsion other than the natural flow of material through the pipeline, it is a cost-efficient choice, using the natural processes to help to clean the pipeline.
By having a more efficient pipeline, you will reduce costs and increase efficiency. This helps to get maximum efficiency out of the line, saving you money in the long run. It also eliminates corrosion or other issues with the piping itself. Corrosion can lead to a significant amount of money paid to remedy the problem, but the pipeline pigging tool prevents corrosion another damage, even in the valves located within your pipe.
Truth be told, this is a sensational choice in helping to maintain the efficiency of your pipeline. All you are paying is for the pigging device itself. This means you are not having to pay for motors or other equipment that can get damaged as well. Plus, the pigging tool is made to last. As long as you keep it in a location where it is not damaged by collisions, you can be sure it will operate for years to come.
One Word of Warning
There is one issue you may have in using the pigging tool. If there are several bends or turns within your pipeline, then this device is likely not the right choice for you. You may be required to use the spherical option to accommodate bands or turns.
You may also find that some pigging do not work depending upon the types of air and heavy duty valves you may be using. They may not operate as efficiently.