3 benefits of piggable bends

30 November 2020

Pigging systems are becoming increasingly important in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

That is why it is important to pay attention to the parts that are needed to install a complete pigging system in addition to the complete pigging system. In this article the 3 advantages of piggable bends.

1. Calibrated bends

To create a bend, the pipe is transformed by hydroforming. An important property of hydroforming is that this method cannot damage the surface of the bend. After bending, the bend is calibrated on another machine, after which the ovality measured in the centre of the radius is no more than 1.5% of the diameter. For a DN80 (85 x 2) bend, this means a maximum deviation of ± 1.2 mm.

Pigging Bend 90° 70,0 BC+ 316

103010653011P

Pigging Bend 90° 104,0 BC+ 316

103011003011P

Pigging Bend 45° 85,0 BC+ 316

103060803011P

2. Large radius

To guarantee an optimal result, most systems recommend using at least 1.5D bends in the piping system. The larger the radius of the bend, the less resistance the pig will encounter in the pipe system.

3. Long welding ends

Due to the long weld ends, the bend is perfect for orbital welding. An important advantage is that the quality with an orbital welding system compared to manual welding is very high. The smooth weld which can be achieved with an orbital welding machine ensures a good flow of the pig. In addition, the advantage of orbital welding is that there is minimal or no high low in the pipework. Thus, the pig cannot be damaged during the process.
The choice of the right bend has a major influence on the final pigging result. When using the correct calibrated bends, bend radius and thickness of the weld, the pig can pass through the pipework without resistance and the pig and the pigging system are less likely to be damaged.

European manufacture

Montakon applies strict standards in the production of piggable bends. The bends are made in Europe and comply with DIN 11867. Montakon has these bends specially produced from tube 0.4μm and on the weld seam 0.8μm. This tube is EHEDG certified. The bends are available from stock in 90° and 45° in sizes DN 65, 80 and 100. Other sizes can be produced on request.