HPS pigging system equipment

Preventative Maintenance for Pigging and Product Recovery Systems.

There are many benefits in choosing product recovery, product transfer or pigging solutions from HPS. High levels of reliability, robustness and ease of maintenance are among them.

All components supplied by HPS are long-lasting and require relatively little maintenance. However, like nearly all industrial processes, a preventative maintenance programme will help ensure problem-free operation of your pigging system.

We recommend that you regularly inspect all parts of your pigging system (we will let you know how frequently this will be when we install your solution). We also strongly recommend you keep a variety of spare parts in stock to ensure quick repairs and minimal downtime.

How Long do Pipeline Pigs Last?

HPS pipeline pigs have a long life-span. However, nothing lasts forever and we suggest you keep some spare pigs in stock. We also strongly advise you schedule periodic inspections of your operating pig(s) to ensure they are in good condition.

As a guideline to the expected working life of our pigs, we offer a guarantee of 30,000m (90,000ft) of useable travel for pigs recovering products at ambient or near ambient temperatures. In most cases our experience shows our pigs can often be used for much longer distances, however this depends on the environment they are operating in.

Pigging Hot Products

HPS pigs can typically withstand working temperatures of up to 200 degrees centigrade without significant degradation. However, hot products may reduce the life of the pig. We recommend you monitor your pig’s condition closely over the first few weeks of operation. Using 3D bends in hot applications can enhance the life of the pig.

Contact HPS or your local representative to find out more about the lifetime of pigs when pigging hot products.

Air or Gas Filters

If you are using an air or gas propellant and with filters, we recommend you regularly check the filter conditions and replace as necessary. Even if they seem fine, we recommend you replace them at least annually.

Sanitary Ball Valve Maintenance

For hygienic systems using our Sanitary Ball Valves with inflatable seal technology, we recommend you replace the seals at least every 6 months. For more stressful environments we will usually recommend a more frequent change period, depending on the application.

Piggable Diverter Valves

For systems using our Solid Seat Ball Valves (piggable diverter valves) with traditional Teflon seal technology, we recommend you replace the seals at least annually.

Regular Inspection and Maintenance is Important!

Regular inspection and preventative maintenance will help prevent downtime and ensure efficient and effective operation of your pipeline pigging solution.

Using worn or damaged pigging equipment can result in less effective product recovery, removal or transfer. It can also lead to potentially more serious problems such as product dilution or contamination. Worn or damaged pigs are more likely to get held up in pipe lines, and waiting until something goes wrong will nearly always cause more stoppage and inconvenience than if it had been replaced in good time.

We strongly recommend you replace pigs, valve seals, filters and other components in line with the guidelines for your individual system, and certainly before they become worn, damaged or no longer function correctly. We also recommend you keep a stock of spare parts, including spare pigs, so they are immediately available should you need them.

For more information on maintenance for your product recovery or pigging system or to order spares, then please get in touch. 

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