What is sizing plate for pipeline?
Today’s gauge plates are made from aluminum to avoid causing damage to the pipe walls. The plate is sized proportionately to the minimum internal diameter of the pipeline, then added the appropriate style of pig, such as Steel Mandrel or MULTI-CAST™ depending on the application.
What does pig mean in pipelines?
Pipeline Inspection Gauge
Early pigs were made from materials such as straw, barbed wire and leather and made a squealing sound while traveling through the pipes – for this reason, they were eventually called “pigs”. The name eventually became an acronym for “Pipeline Inspection Gauge” or “Pipeline Intervention Gauge”.
What is a gauge plate?
The term Gauge Plate refers to flats, precision ground to tolerance. Width: +0.2 / -0.00 mm. Thickness: +0.05 / -0.00 mm. Length: +5.0 / -0.00 mm. Gauge plates most commonly use tool steel grade AISI O1 (equivalent to Bohler K460 and Uddeholm Arne).
How do you get a pig unstuck from a pipeline?
Remove pressure from the line and vent or drain toward the launcher. Removing pressure allows the pig to relax to its original shape and may cause it to back up in the pipeline. Allow pressure to dissipate. After 15-30 minutes, re-pressure the line in an attempt to drive the pig through the restriction.
What is Gauge PIG?
TDW Gauging Pigs are designed to indicate obstructions in a pipeline. The slotted aluminum gauge plates will deform and stay deformed if they encounter an obstruction in the line. Since they are made of aluminum they will not damage the internal surface of the pipe.
What is a foam pig?
Foam pigs and are used in swabbing, de-watering and pipeline cleaning within all industries that make use of pipelines for manufacturing or delivering products. Also known as poly pigs or foamies, foam pigs are manufactured using flexible, open-cell polyurethane foam.
Why do pigs get stuck in the pipeline?
Excessive wear of the pig seals can happen due to abrasive system, high differential pressure, rough internal pipeline surface, low viscous fluid in the pipeline, low diameter of the pipeline or low pig velocity.
How fast does a pipeline pig travel?
In order to maintain a safe and reliable inspection, the speed of the PIG needs to stay low, and, according to [3], this speed is usually in the range of 1 to 5 m/s inside liquid pipelines and 2 to 7 m/s inside gas pipelines.
When to use a pig as a gauging plate?
Used in conjunction with pigs, they are used to prove pipe roundness and indicate obstructions or internal damage of a pipeline. Our specialists can help with the selection of both the pig and the gauging plate that best suits the specifics or your system.
How is a gauge plate used in a pipeline?
A gauge plate is a metallic ring that is custom-built to link with a pig device. After passing the gauge plate through a length of a pipeline, it is recovered and examined. Evidence of wear on the plate surface is indicative of obstruction along the lumen of the pipeline.
What kind of pigs are used in pipelines?
Conventional pipeline pigs are composed of foam or plastic polymers shaped to resemble bullets. These pig types assembled with a gauging plate and driven through a pipe conduit to either clean its inner walls or confirm the uniformity of its diameter.
What is the purpose of gauging a pipeline?
Gauging pipelines refers to the process by which defects in the structure of a newly constructed pipeline are recognized. Gauging is done during pipeline commissioning to ensure that a uniform diameter is maintained along the length of each pipeline. This assessment process is achieved using a pipeline pig device which is fitted with a gauge plate.