Process and hygienic pigging are very different to pigging in the oil and gas industry. With significantly smaller pipeline diameters, a wider variety of products, and a completely different purpose, there’s much to know about pigging in the process industries.
Process pigging, also known as liquid product recovery technology (or in the case of HPS, Advanced Liquid Product Recovery Technology), is used in many manufacturing sectors,. These include food, drink, chemicals, chocolate and confectionery, household and homecare products, lubricants and greases, personal care and cosmetics, and more.
These sectors use HPS Advanced Liquid Product Recovery Technology to recover residual liquid products from pipelines that would otherwise go to waste.
There are many benefits of pigging, including increased yields, reduced waste, and cut costs.
And there are some things that you should know before you start your pigging journey and after your system has been commissioned.
So here are our top 5 tips for process pigging.
NO.1 – BE PREPARED
If you were a Scout, then you’ll know this saying well.
It’s ideal that you pin down what your aims and objectives are. That way, you’re able to measure what a company is offering you by what you want to achieve. Companies choose to pig for various reasons. It could be that they want to increase their yields, reduce their effluent, or cut their carbon emissions. What are your reasons for pigging?
When inquiring about a pigging system, you’ll likely be asked a few basic questions. These will likely be along the lines of:
- What product or products will you be pigging?
- What is the internal diameter of the pipelines you intend to pig?
- How long is the pipeline that you want to pig?
- What material is your pipeline made of?
Knowing the answer to these questions helps the HPS engineers calculate costs, payback, ROI, and a timescale.
HPS pigging technology works with a wide variety of products, ranging from the simple to the complex. We’ve even pigged nuclear waste!
After your pigging system is commissioned, you should still make sure to be prepared. The HPS Client Care Team will provide you with a spares list and a recommended amount that you should hold in inventory.
Having the right spares on hand means that you’ll be able to resolve any problems quickly and easily. This will prevent extensive periods of production downtime and allow you to keep your operations running smoothly.
NO.2 – GET THE BEST
You’ll want to make sure that you’re getting the best quality for the best price. Some pigging companies require specialist pipework and bends, others, like HPS, are able to integrate pigging systems into existing lines.
There are a few things to consider when you’re deciding which pigging provider is the best for you. These will be things like:
- What’s the lead time? Does it fit with your project timeline?
- Will you have to make any drastic changes to your factory layout or infrastructure?
- What’s the after-sales client service like? Are you given a point of contact for any questions you have or any spares orders you need to make?
- Does the pig itself provide a good product recovery rate?
At HPS we encourage you to contact us as early as possible to ensure that we can get you your pigging system within your timeframe. It also allows you to make any necessary preparations, such as presenting a CAPEX proposal, hiring contractors for the installation, and having all employees ready to be trained.
We also provide you with your own after-sales contact, who you can get in touch with at any time to ask questions or order any spare parts. They can also arrange for your system to be serviced and your staff to be trained and retrained in the future.
HPS hygienic pigs are renowned for their high product recovery rate. Made from durable material with a flexible magnet core to enable reliable detection and communication, the pig typically recovers up to 99.5% of the product from full pipelines. The unique cylindrical shape of the pig, with no fins, wipers, or discs means companies increase their yields and profits every time they pig.
NO.3 – DATA COLLECTION
You want to make sure that you’re going to get a good return on investment when you buy a pigging system. Companies buy pigging technology for many reasons. Some want to increase their yields, others want to reduce the amount of waste and effluent they produce, and others want to cut their carbon footprint.
If you want to increase your yields, calculate how much product you are currently losing every time you do a batch changeover or cleaning procedure. Then, convert the product loss into sellable units. Times the sellable price by the number of units, and you’ll know how much money you’re losing with every changeover or flush.
To calculate your waste and effluent, calculate how much product is left in the line at the end of the run. Then, calculate how much water, chemical solution, or other flush medium is used to remove the product from the line. Add the product and cleaning medium together to find the total amount of waste.
You can further this by calculating how much money is spent on labour during production downtime, cleaning medium purchases, effluent storage, transport, treatment, and disposal.
For companies who want to reduce their carbon footprint, you can use an online carbon calculator or a third-party company, such as Carbon-Zero, to work out your current footprint. HPS pigging technology has been proven to reduce carbon emissions by up to 99.3% per changeover. You can find out more by reading the full report.
After your system is installed, keep on measuring how much product you’re losing, waste you’re creating, or carbon you’re producing to see how HPS Advanced Liquid Product Recovery Technology is benefitting you.
NO.4 – TRAINING
When every system is commissioned, the relevant team is given the training necessary to allow them to operate and maintain the pigging system correctly.
Ensuring that operators are trained in using the pigging system is important. Having up-to-date, correct training prevents accidents, incorrect operation, and production downtime and delays. We recommend that you run training sessions at least every three years with a member of the HPS team.
There are four different levels of pigging system training available through HPS:
- Operational training.
- Service training for maintenance staff and engineers.
- Training for new employees.
- Refresher training for existing employees.
We’re happy to deliver training at a time most suitable for you. This could be at the same time as commissioning, or a short while after. For refresher training, just let us know when’s best!
NO.5 – DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS
Jerry Weissman wrote in his book Presentation Skills That Will Take You To the Top, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question”.
And he’s right. At HPS we love questions. And we love answering them too. So, ask away.
Most people have never heard of hygienic pigging before they come to us. And fewer have experience with pigging systems. We’re happy to share our knowledge and ensure that you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Each process and application are different, which means that every pigging system we design is different. Everybody is going to have different questions about what pigging means for them, their team, and the business.
We also have a list of Frequently Asked Questions that you can check out, but if you have a question that isn’t on there or if one comes to mind whilst you’re talking to us, just let us know! You can ask us questions whether you’ve bought a system, are interested in buying a system, or just want to know more.
FIND OUT MORE
HPS Product Recovery Solutions is the world’s leading supplier of Advanced Liquid Product Recovery (Pigging) Technology. With high product recovery rates, consistent high performance, and the most effective pig on the market, we’re happy to help any company that processes liquids improve their operations.
You can find out more about HPS Advanced Liquid Product Recovery (Pigging) Technology by visiting our blog, reading a case study, or watching a video.