Changhao is one of the most experienced manufacturers of pipe cleaner launchers and pipe cleaner receivers in the world. We are able to manufacture state-of-the-art skid-mounted pipe-cleaning systems, including unique lifting systems, handling systems and carts, skid-mounted mobile pipe-cleaner transmitter and pipe-cleaner receiver systems, and environmentally friendly skid-mounted pipe-cleaning systems.

Changhao's transmitters and receivers can be used in virtually all types of gas and liquid applications. Our pipe cleaner transmitters and receivers can be designed to accommodate specialized pipe cleaner equipment.

What is a Pig launcher/receiver?

Pigging in pipeline maintenance is the practice of using pipeline inspection instruments or "pingers" to perform various operations on a pipeline without stopping the flow of product in the pipeline. Pigs get their name from the squealing sound they make as they move through the pipeline. These operations include but are not limited to, pipe cleaning and inspection. This is accomplished by inserting the Pig into the Pig Launcher (the funnel-shaped Y-shaped portion of the pipe). The launcher is then closed and the pressure of the product in the pipe is used to push it down the pipe until it reaches the receiving trap - the "pipe cleaner".

If the pipeline is equipped with a butterfly valve, the pipeline cannot be cleared. Ball valves are not a problem because the inner diameter of the ball can be specified to be the same as the inner diameter of the pipe.

For many years, pipe clearing has been used to clean larger-diameter pipelines in the oil industry. Today, however, many continuous and intermittent process plants are increasingly using smaller-diameter pipe-clearing systems as plant operators seek to improve efficiency.

Purge tubes can be used in virtually any part of the transfer process, such as blending, storage, or filling systems. Clear tube systems have been installed in industries that handle a wide range of products such as lubricants, paints, chemicals, cosmetics and foodstuffs.

Pig for lube oil or paint mixing: they are used to clean the pipes to avoid cross-contamination and to empty the pipes into the product tank (or sometimes to send the components back to their tanks). Usually, pipe cleaning is done at the beginning and end of each batch, but sometimes in the middle of the batch, for example when producing premixes that will be used as intermediate ingredients.

Pipe cleaners are also used in oil and gas pipelines: they are used to clean the pipes, but there are also "smart cleaners" to measure the pipe thickness along the pipeline, for example. They usually do not interrupt production, although some products may be lost when the pigs are removed. They can also be used to separate different products in multi-product pipelines.

Why use a Pig launcher/receiver?

One of the main advantages of a pipe-clearing system is the potential to save products. At the end of each product transfer, the contents of the entire line can be cleared with a pipe cleaner, either forward to the receiver point or backward to the source tank. No extensive line flushing is required.

Without the need for line flushing, the pipe cleaner provides the added advantage of a faster and more reliable product changeover. A sampling of products at the receiving point becomes faster because the interfaces between products are clear and the old method of periodically checking the product before it meets specifications is greatly reduced.