Flexible pipeline pigs are cleaning tools built to deflect through bends, valves, and diameter changes without losing their seal, and the SUN Super Flex Pig does it with a one-piece body formed around a hollow core. That hollow core is what does the work. It lets the body compress and recover as the tool passes an obstruction, so the pig keeps multiple sealing surfaces against the pipe wall instead of bypassing. There is no assembly, which cuts handling weight and setup time at the launcher. Operators run these polyurethane pipeline pigs for liquid removal and dewatering, routine maintenance cleaning, and paraffin removal in product and crude oil systems. Three configurations are available, and any of them can be outfitted with brushes, magnets, transmitters, and different cup and disc arrangements. That adaptability is why flexible pipeline pigs are specified for lines that defeat a rigid tool.
The Super Flex Pig is a one-piece body design with a hollow core. This allows the pig to have maximum flexibility for maneuvering through all pipeline bends and valves while maintaining a superior seal. That hollow-core geometry is the defining feature of flexible pipeline pigs: the body deflects under load and springs back, so the seal survives the fitting instead of being sacrificed to it. The Super Flex pig’s one-piece body design also requires no assembly and reduces the load for ease of use, saving you time and money. Fewer parts also means fewer failure points, which is the practical argument for one-piece polyurethane pipeline pigs over tools assembled on a mandrel. The Super Flex Pig provides multiple sealing surfaces and is an excellent choice for the removal of liquids in pipelines. It also performs well for regular maintenance cleaning, paraffin removal, and other debris from product and crude oil systems. Multiple sealing surfaces are what make flexible pigs effective at liquid removal, since every surface that stays in contact is one more barrier the liquid cannot slip past. The 3 types of Super Flex pigs can be configured and customized depending on the job requirements and your pipeline needs. All Super Flex Pigs can be outfitted with brushes, magnets, transmitters, and multiple configurations of cup and disc options. Specify those add-ons against the run: brushes for adhered deposits, magnets for ferrous debris, and transmitters where the tool needs to be tracked or located. Configured that way, flexible pipeline pigs cover cleaning, sealing, and monitoring duties in a single pass. The Super Flex pig is perfect for varying pipeline applications and pigging needs. So super we should have a cape.
Pipeline Operators perform regular pig / scraper tool runs in their pipelines to maintain integrity and throughput efficiency in order to safely transport gas and liquid products.
There are various methods to remove debris or contaminants from pipelines. The most used is pushing through the pipeline a pig/scraper tool with the product flow to push debris to a containment facility at the receive station.
One common component of crude oil is paraffin wax that accumulates in the internal diameter of pipelines. The removal requires the use of pig/scrapper tools in a progressive sequence with or without chemical batches.
One of the most effective methods of removing debris from pipeline segments is the designing of product Bypass Flow in pig/scraper tools to flush or jet debris forward as the tools traverse the pipeline segment. There are operating parameters required to incorporate this strategy.
The process of transporting more than one (1) product through a pipeline is called batching. The most effective way to separate batches is with two (2) high sealing pig/scraper tools, one leading and one behind.
This is the process of filling and displacing products in a pipeline is primarily done with high sealing pig/scraper tool(s).
The process to remove a product from a pipeline is called purging. Depending on the type of product, gas or liquid, a high sealing scraper/pig tool is normally used to push the product out of the pipeline.
There are several types of liquid that can accumulate in pipelines or are pumped in due to a process need, such as hydrotesting, that require removal/de-watering. The use of a high sealing pig / scraper tool is the most effective method to pushout the liquid to a containment facility at the receive station.
The lack of proper pig/scraper tool seal during the filling or removal process of a liquid with the use or presence of air or a gas in a pipeline segment can cause the condition commonly known as Airlock. This is the passing or mixing of air/gas into the liquid to the point that the tool is stopped due to the bypass and/or compression of the air/gas in the liquid batch.
When a pipeline segment is hydrostatically tested, the water is first introduced and afterwards removed from the pipeline with a high sealing pig / scraper tool. After the removing of the water, the humidity level is reduced to the required dew point per the pipeline operator specification. This process may require a combination of pig/scraper foam pigs and hot-dry air or nitrogen.
The initial option in detecting a reduction in size of the internal diameter of a pipeline is with a gauging plate mounted on a pig/scraper tool that will traverse the pipeline segment. The effectiveness of a gauging pig is contingent on the Launch / Receive process and Pipeline Operating Conditions.
The use of internal coating in pipelines is an effective method to reduce corrosion and debris buildup in pipelines. The coating is normally applied to the pipe joints prior to the construction of the pipeline segment, however it can be applied in existing pipelines with a process that uses pig/scraper tool (s) designed for this purpose.
An important process in the building of a pipeline segment is maintaining it clean and free of debris during and after construction. This is critical prior to the execution of a hydrostatic operation. The selection and running of cleaning, filling, de-watering, and drying pig/scraper tools is very important to meet the specifications to prepare a pipeline segment for commissioning and operation.
One of the options used by pipeline operators to measure volume and displace products in a pipeline segment is a pig/scraper tool commonly known as Spheres. These are made in different diameters, inflatable or non-inflatable, durometer hardness, and materials. They require Launch and Receive Systems designed for Spheres and/or conventional pig/scraper tools.
The hollow core. A solid pig body resists deflection, so it either forces its way through a fitting or hangs up on it. A hollow core lets the body compress as it enters a bend or valve and recover on the other side, which is how flexible pipeline pigs hold a seal through geometry that would deform a rigid tool. The one-piece construction matters just as much, because there is no bond line to fail while the body is flexing.
Both are one-piece, but the cores differ and so do the jobs. A solid cast body gives you wear life and firm sealing under higher differential pressure, which suits routine maintenance on predictable geometry. The hollow core gives you deflection. Choose flexible pipeline pigs when line geometry is the constraint, and cast when run life is. On lines with tight bends, valves, and diameter changes, flexible pigs win.
Brushes, magnets, transmitters, and multiple cup and disc configurations, in any of the three body types. Brushes handle adhered deposits that wiping alone leaves behind, magnets collect ferrous debris and mill scale, and transmitters let you track passage or locate a stalled tool. Because the add-ons mount to the same body, polyurethane pipeline pigs in this line can be built to do several jobs in one run rather than requiring separate passes.
Yes, and it is one of their strongest applications. Multiple sealing surfaces mean several independent barriers between the liquid ahead of the pig and the driving medium behind it, which is exactly what dewatering and product displacement require. Flexible pigs also hold that seal through fittings, so the liquid column stays ahead of the tool rather than bypassing it at the first bend. That is the case for choosing polyurethane pipeline pigs with multiple sealing surfaces over a single-cup tool.
It depends on line size, geometry, and what the run has to accomplish. The practical approach is to specify against your tightest fitting, your operating pressure, and the debris you expect, then add brushes, magnets, or a transmitter as the job requires. SUN configures flexible pipeline pigs to the application rather than selling a fixed catalog item, so send your line details and let the specification follow from them.
