Maximum Pipeline Cleaning
Performance
Since 1968, Girard Industries has been committed to
helping operators clean a wide variety of pipelines. This strong commitment
guided Girard in developing the industry's first patented rotating
Polly-Pigs. Girard has consistently controlled manufacturing quality and
design integrity to assure maximum pipeline cleaning performance.
Polly-Pigs are bullet shaped with a sealed concave base.
Available for pipe diameters from less than 2" to 144", these pigs are made
of high quality open-cell polyurethane foam. They have a tough polyurethane
elastomer coating and are available in a variety of patterns and abrasives
to suit every need.
Girard has consistently controlled
manufacturing quality and design integrity to assure maximum pipeline
cleaning performance. The many years of experience and proven results have
earned Girard Industries the reputation as the leading manufacturer of
pipeline cleaning products.
Polly-Pig Features
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Made of flexible open cell foam
Enables the pig to negotiate 90° ells, tees, valves, and pipeline diameter
changes.
Twenty-eight different types
For various applications from light cleaning and drying to heavy build-up
removal.
Cleans any size pipe
From small lines less than 2 inches to 144 inches.
Travels in almost any piping system
Polly-Pigs travel in almost any piping system which has adequate flow and
volume to move the pig.
Polly-Pig Series & Models
There are four basic types of Polly-Pigs: drying,
wiping, cleaning, and scraping. Each are available in three grades of
durability: Scarlet, Red, and Yellow series.
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Scarlet Series:
High density (9-10 Ibs/ft3) polyurethane foam. Available in 8
styles from heavy wiping to heavy scraping.
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Red Series:
Medium density (5-8 Ibs/ft3) polyurethane foam. Available in 8
styles from regular wiping to regular scraping.
-
Yellow Series:
Light density (1-2 Ibs/ft3) density polyurethane foam. Available
in 6 styles for various degrees of drying, cleaning, and scraping.
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Special
Applications: Up to 20 Ibs/ft3 density polyurethane
foam. Available in 6 styles for batching, special cleaning, and scraping.
Custom-made Polly-Pigs are also available for special needs. Consult the
factory for details and additional literature.
Wide Range of Applications
- Gathering
- Water
- Waste Water
- Transmission
- Air & Gas
- Fire Protection
- Distribution
- Fuel
- Tailing
- Liquor
|
- Injection
- Slurry
- Cooling
- Packaging
- Fly Ash
- Bottom Ash
- Chill
- Loading & Disposal
- Process
- Product
|
How Girard Polly-Pigs Work
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Open Cell Polyurethane Foam
Construction
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Light, Medium or Heavy
Density Foam
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Tough Polyurethane Coatings
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Steel, Plastic, or Nylon
Brushes
The Girard Polly-Pig is constructed of open
cell polyurethane foam of various densities and is available with various
types of external coatings. Although each pig has a specific application,
some are interchangeable according to the user's preference within certain
parameters.
The Girard Polly-Pig is molded of polyurethane
foam material of light, medium, or heavy density. Its bullet shape is
designed to aid in traversing fittings and valves. Concave ends are
available for bi-directional service. The length of the pig is approximately
twice its diameter to reduce the possibility of the pig tumbling in the
pipeline. The diameter of the Polly-Pig is larger than the inside diameter
of the pipe. This is done to exert a frictional drag between the foam pig
and pipe wall. Pigs can be ordered to any custom size requirements.
Polly-Pigs have a concave base plate with a 90A
durometer polyurethane coating. This provides a maximum rear sealing surface
for the propelling forces of the fluids or gases being used.
Swabs or bare pigs, which have only the bases
coated, are normally used in drying or batching operations. Special
double-nose or double-dished pigs are use in bi-directional service.
The exterior coatings on the foam bodies
consist of criss-cross type spirals of 90A durometer polyurethane. These
spirals add strength and give greater wiping and scraping action as compared
with bare foam. Girard manufactures two types of criss-cross pigs: the
original pattern and the patented "Turning Pattern." Wire brushes, silicon
carbide, or plastic bristles can be embedded in these polyurethane spirals
to add maximum scraping or brushing action.
Laminar flow occurs in the above
manner when pipes are clean. The type of pipe (carbon steel, stainless
steel, cast iron, polyethylene, etc.) or fluid has no effect. Low flow
velocities allow the solids to drop out of the fluid stream and begin to
adhere to the walls of the pipe.
Turbulent flow occurs in dirty
pipes containing uneven deposits. Wavy deposits as small as 1/32" (soft or
hard) can cause flow to be reduced by one third. PVC, fiberglass, metal,
non-ferrous and lined pipes can suffer this problem.
Extremely turbulent flow occurs in
pipelines that contain large buildups such as tuberculation. Cast iron and
steel pipes often develop stalactite/stalagmite types of growths. At this
point the flow changes from laminar to turbulent, reducing flow and
increasing pumping pressures.
The cleaning action of the Girard
Polly-Pig is created by the frictional drag provided by the oversize
diameter. In addition, the pressure created by the fluid on the rear of the
pig compresses the pig longitudinally. This increases the frictional drag on
the walls of the pipe and the pig's scraping action.
Some fluid passes around and
through the foam body creating a high velocity, low volume jetting bypass.
This bypass flushes debris ahead of the pig, suspending some of the debris
in solution and sweeping it out of the line.
For more information, please see
our technical info page, which leads to the papers
"Suggested Pigging Pressures & Flows" and "Girard
Progressive Pigging Method." Also download our
Polly-Pigs Brochure in pdf format
(682 KB).
