Providing engineered products to the natural gas industry
Foam Pigs
Foam pigs are an inexpensive and versatile type of pipeline cleaning device. Sizes range from 2" to 48" and densities of foam ranging from 2 lb., 5 lb., and 8 lb. per cubic foot as standard. With configurations including bare, criss-cross, wirebrush, plastic bristle, and silicon carbide. A pig style can be identified to best suit your application. They are lightweight and easy to work with and able to negotiate even uncommon piping, fittings, and valves. Following are the most common styles of foam pigs with model numbers, descriptions, and best suited applications.
Foam Pig Guide
L=Light(2#) | M=Medium (5#) | H=Heavy (8#)
LB - Light Density Bare Swab - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 2-pound-per-cubic-foot density foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating on rear only. Also available in bullet shape.
Alternate Functions: Daily pigging where pressures are low, but cleaning is needed to reduce rapidity of buildups. Used as a gauging pig when progressive pigging is performed in order to ascertain reduced line diameter. Used as a sealer pig when progressive cleaning and smaller-than-line-size pigs are being run, by preventing too much bypass of the cleaning pig.
LC - Light Density Criss Cross Swab - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 2-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet-shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration.
Alternate Functions: Light wiping and light scraping used when line conditions do not allow for heavier density foam pigs due to low pressures. Good for multi-dimensional pipelines. The light density foam allows for hand launching with pig over sizing.
LS - Light Density Criss Cross Silicon Carbide - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 2-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating.
Alternate Functions: Light scraping in short distances of 2000 feet or less.
LW - Light Density Criss Cross Wirebrush - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 2-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and wirebrush straps.
Alternate Functions: Light scraping. Used for scraping, plowing and medium hard scale removal (up to 5-½ on Moh's scale of hardness) for most tuberculated scales.
LP - Light Density Criss Cross Plastic Bristle - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 2-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and medium plastic bristle straps.
Alternate Functions: Light scraping. Best use in fiberglass, PVC, or internally coated lines where abrasive cleaning is needed, but wire brush or silicon carbide may damage.
MB - Medium Density Bare Pig - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 5-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating on rear only.
Design Function: Regular drying. For drying pipelines of up to 10 miles with smooth interiors or for the removal of soft buildup in all pipes.
Alternate Functions: Can be used for mild cleaning of lines with low pressures, or for gauging i.d. of scaled line.
MC - Medium Density Criss Cross - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 5-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating on rear only.
Design Function: Regular drying. For drying pipelines of up to 10 miles with smooth interiors or for the removal of soft buildup in all pipes.
MW - Medium Density Criss Cross Wirebrush - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 5-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and wirebrush straps.
Design Function: Medium scraping. Used for scraping, plowing and medium hard scale removal (up to 5-1/2 on Moh's scale of hardness) for most tuberculated scales.
MS - Medium Density Criss Cross Silicon Carbide - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 5-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and carbide sprinkled into coating.
Design Function: Regular scraping where mild abrasion is needed in short distances of 2000 feet or less. Not recommended where normal or tough abrasion is needed.
MP - Medium Density Criss Cross Plastic Bristle - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 5-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and medium plastic bristle straps.
Design Function: Medium scraping. Best use in fiberglass, PVC, or internally coated lines where abrasive cleaning is needed, but wire brush or silicon carbide may damage.
HB - Heavy Density Bare Pig - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 8-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating (on rear only).
Design Function: Heavy drying. Best for use in long lines where heavy drying or wiping is needed. God for any drying needs or product removal such as light oils, hydrocarbon liquid, etc.
HC - Heavy Density Criss Cross - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 8-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration.
Design Function: Heavy wiping, drying, and first stages of progressive cleaning. Long runs should be kept less than 25 miles, although, under ideal conditions, the standard pattern may be run up to 200 miles.
Alternate Functions: Many times used in lieu of carbide or wire brush when there is danger of damaging the interior of the pipe (fiberglass, PVC, epoxy lines, etc.).
HW - Heavy Density Criss Cross Wirebrush - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 8-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and wire brush straps.
Design Function: Heavy scraping. For heaviest scraping, plowing, and medium hard scale removal (up to 5-½ on Moh's scale of hardness).
HS - Heavy Density Criss Cross Silicon Carbide - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 8-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and carbide straps.
Design Function: Heavy scraping. For hard scraping scales (harder than 6 on Moh's scale of hardness).
Alternate Function: Good when used in line conditions that would shorten the life of the criss cross, or when scraping is needed, but wirebrush is too much.
HP - Heavy Density Criss Cross Plastic Bristle - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 8-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and heavy plastic bristle straps.
Design Function: Heavy scraping. Best use in fiberglass, PVC, or internally coated lines where heavy duty abrasive cleaning is needed, but wire brush or silicon carbide may damage.
TW - Total Wirebrush Pig - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 8-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating in double-spiral configuration and wire brush straps.
Design Function: Maximum scraping. For scraping to an absolute bare surface in steel or cast iron pipe prior to either drying to a minus dew point or application of internal coatings. Should be used only in single-dimension lines.
TP - Total Plastic Bristle Pig - Foam Pig Guide
Description: 5-pound-per-cubic-foot density bullet shaped foam cylinder with 90 Shore A durometer urethane coating and plastic bristle straps covering entire pig. (75% more straps than standard plastic bristle pig.)
Design Function: Maximum scraping. Used when very abrasive cleaning is needed, but wire brush may damage pipe (PVC, fiberglass, internally coated) or not allow pig passage.
Foam Pig Comparison Chart
Model - Equivalents
| Number | Description | Girard | Knapp | PPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | - 2-pound density with urethane coating on rear of pig | YBS | 5B | G1 |
| LC | - 2-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating over entire pig | YCC | 5C | G2 |
| LP | - 2-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and plastic bristle straps | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| LS | - 2-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and silicon-carbide grain grit | YCC-SC | 5D | G6 |
| LW | - 2-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and wirebrush straps | N/A | 5E | N/A |
| MB | - 5-pound density with urethane coating on rear of pig | RBS | 5A | RX3 |
| MC | - 5-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating over entire pig | RCC | 1C | RX4 |
| MC-SS | - 5-pound density with single-spiral urethane coating over entire pig | RSS | 1A | RXSS |
| MP | - 5-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and plastic bristle straps | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| MS | - 5-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and silicon-carbide grain grit | RCC-SC | 1D | RX6 |
| MW | - 5-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and wirebrush straps | RCC-WB | 4A | RX5 |
| HB | - 8-pound density with urethane coating on rear of pig | SBD | 2A | C3 |
| HC | - 8-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating over entire pig | SCC | 2B | C4 |
| HP | - 8-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and plastic bristle straps | BCC-PB | N/A | CPB |
| HS | - 8-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and silicon-carbide grain grit | SCC-SC | 2D | C6 |
| HW | - 8-pound density with criss-cross urethane coating and wirebrush straps | SCC-WB | 2C | C5 |
| TW | - 8-pound density totally coated in urethane coating and wirebrush straps | MAXI | 4D | PB |
Note: Other styles and configurations not listed above are available. Please call for quote.