A contoured plug - the pig - pushes the product out of the pipe.

Every product which can be pumped can also be pigged.

• Open system: As and when required, the pigs are loaded into the system and then taken back out again after a pig clearing procedure. The system works as a one-way-principle.
• Closed system: The pigs stay in the system during their complete working life and do not have to be loaded into the system and then taken back out again.

Thanks to I.S.T.'s comprehensive pigging program, virtually any medium can be efficiently conveyed or recovered through pipelines, from lubricating oils and chemicals to powders, granules, and foodstuffs. The choice of the appropriate pig type depends primarily on the product properties and the system requirements.

I.S.T. DUO Pig
The universal all-rounder for most applications. With a wide selection of elastomers such as AU, FKM, EPDM, or NBR, it is suitable for a variety of liquids, including lubricating oils, chemicals, pastes, and foodstuffs. It is robust, easy to clean, and can usually be flushed out of the pipeline without removal.

I.S.T. DUO Lip Pig
Recommended for applications requiring a particularly tight seal. The flexible sealing lips ensure excellent pigging results and high product yield, even in pipelines with lower surface quality.

I.S.T. DUO Lip Pig with replaceable lips.
The ideal solution for aggressive media. Thanks to interchangeable sealing lips, the materials can be specifically adapted to the chemical requirements. This increases durability and reduces maintenance and spare parts costs.

I.S.T. DUO Jet Pig
Specially developed for granules and powders. Its integrated nozzles ensure the reliable transport of these media and, with regular use, help prevent adhesion and clumping in the pipeline.

In short:

Standard applications and liquids: DUO Pig
Maximum sealing and high product yield: DUO Lip Pig
Aggressive chemicals: DUO Lip Pig with replaceable lips.
Powders and granules: DUO Jet Pig

Should an application have special requirements, I.S.T. can customize the appropriate pig in terms of material, size, and design to suit the specific medium and system conditions.

A good pigging result depends on following parameters:

• Pigging suitability of the pipeline
• Surface quality in the pipeline
• Quality of the pipe bends regarding pigging suitability
• Type of pipe connections
• Quality of the weld seams in the pipeline
• Pig speed
• Viscosity and other product characteristics
• Condition of the pig (pig new or worn?)
• Construction characteristics of the pigging stations

Pigging technology has existed for more than 100 years. The first pigging systems were designed for transfer of crude oils. Simple pig types were used to transfer the product out of the pipeline. For this application also intelligent pigs for pipeline inspection were developed.

The costs for a pigging system depend on its complexity as well as the cleaning degree required.

The price varies from several thousand up to several millions EURO. A pigging system which is exactly designed for the specific customer's requirement leads to enormous cost savings.

ROI period of a pigging system depends on the manufacturing costs as well as on the extent of cost savings. With high quality products and cost-intensive disposal of rinsing media a pigging system profits can be realised within a year or possibly even months.

You can find more information about payback here: Cost Savings