Utility Pigging
Utility pigging is used for routine maintenance on the interiors of piping systems. Depending on its specific cleaning, dewatering or sealing task, a utility pig may feature sensors, brushes or other attachments to ensure optimal performance. Utility pigs remove debris, water and various contaminants by traveling through piping systems.
Some common kinds of utility pigging include, but aren’t limited to:
- Batch pigging
- Foam pigging
- Gel pigging
- Ice pigging
- Mandrel pigging
- Sealing pigging
- Solid cast pigging
- Spherical pigging
Inspection Pigging
Inspection pigging detects cracks, corrosion and other damage within the interiors of piping systems. It uses “smart” pigs with sensors to gather data and generate extensive reports. They also may measure curvature, diameter, temperature and other characteristics in order to diagnose problems quickly and more accurately.
Some common kinds of inspection pigging include, but aren’t limited to:
- Smart pigging
- Caliper pigging
- Magnetic flux leakage pigging
Utility Pigging vs Inspection Pigging
While utility pigging is a regular maintenance practice, inspection pigging comes in to identify specific problems that weren’t fixed through utility pigging. Utility pigs are more utilitarian, with fewer bells and whistles compared to inspection pigs. Fewer attachments on a pig may lead to a smaller chance of it getting stuck within a piping system when faced with a sharp angle or various changes in diameter. Inspection pigging also tends to be more expensive compared to utility pigging, but it’s essential to perform inspection pigging in order to avoid costly repairs or shutdowns further down the line.