Description
What Problem Does a 3-Cup Pig Solve?
A crude trunk line is losing flow efficiency. Wax and scale build up on the pipe wall. Operators face two choices: launch a foam pig (cheap but short-lived) or a steel-mandrel pig (durable but expensive). They need a reusable, abrasion-resistant, budget-friendly utility pig.
Q: Why choose a 3-cup solid cast pig over foam or Magnetic steel pig?
A: EMT manufactures the 3‑cup solid cast pig as a single‑piece cast‑polyurethane tool with three flexible cups molded into its body.Foam pigs wear out fast. Mandrel pigs cost 3 to 5 times more. The cast design delivers long service life at a lower unit price, optimized for 1.5D bend lines.
Technical Parameters
EMT casts every 3-cup solid cast pig in a single mold, with no moving parts. Custom durometer and dimensions available on request.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Body Material | One-piece cast polyurethane |
| Cup Configuration | 1 front cup + 2 rear cups (3-cup) |
| Optional Configuration | 4-cup (custom order) |
| Hardness (Standard) | Shore A 83 (also 82A and 87A on request) |
| Hardness Range Available | 60–87 Shore A |
| Tensile Strength | 51.2 MPa |
| Elongation at Break | 1263% |
| Tear Strength | 77 kN/m |
| DIN Abrasion | 21 mm³ |
| Akron Abrasion | 0.0518 cm³ |
| Resilience Rate | 34% |
| Size Range | 2″ – 48″ (DN50 – DN1200) |
| Operating Temperature | -30°C to 100°C |
| Standard Weight | ~10 kg (default size) |
| Construction | Mold-cast, no accessories addable |
| Test Report | TD-20I90117-045N-2 (CX99JL03) |
| Direction | Unidirectional |
Product Advantages
- One-piece cast construction— Mold-poured polyurethane eliminates mechanical joints, reducing the risk of parts loosening during a run
- Triple-cup sealing— One front cup plus two rear cups create a triple barrier seal that drives debris and liquids forward without slippage
- Shore A 83 hardness— Standard durometer balances flexibility for 1.5D bends and wear resistance for long-distance runs
- Reusable across many runs— Cast polyurethane outlasts foam by 3 to 5 times in abrasive service
- Lighter than mechanical pigs— Easier launcher handling and lower shipping cost per unit
- Custom durometer and sizing— Available in 60 to 87 Shore A and 2 to 48 inches
- Ready to launch— No brushes, magnets, or transmitters to lose; one piece, one job
Where Is a 3-Cup Cast Pig Used?
Pipeline operators use this cast pig for routine maintenance and pre-inspection cleaning:
- Onshore crude oil trunk line dewatering and wax removal
- Offshore platform produced-water injection line cleaning
- Multi-product pipeline batching between diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel
- Natural gas gathering system liquid removal after hydrostatic test
- Refinery process unit pre-maintenance line sweeping
- Produced water disposal line scale clearing
- LPG and NGL pipeline product separation
- Pipeline commissioning debris removal before intelligent pig runs
About EMT
EMT is a Shenyang-based manufacturer of oil and gas pipeline cleaning and maintenance equipment, with 30+ years of engineering experience in the energy sector.
Capabilities:
- Single-piece cast polyurethane production line with mold temperature control
- In-house test lab certified to GB/T 531.1, GB/T 528, GB/T 529, GB/T 1689, and GB/T 53516
- Monthly capacity of 2,000+ cast polyurethane pigs across all cup configurations
- Engineering support in 4 languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese
Certifications: ISO 9001 quality system, EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2 material certificates, full batch test reports.
Service: Ships to 30+ countries with standard lead time 3 to 5 weeks for catalog sizes and 6 to 8 weeks for custom orders. Field engineers provide launch and recovery guidance on request.
Exhibitions
EMT regularly exhibits at major oil and gas events worldwide. Visitors can review the cast polyurethane pig range, request samples, and discuss line-specific durometer with the engineering team on-site.
- ADIPEC 2042, Abu Dhabi, UAE (November 2024)
- NACE Corrosion 2025, Houston, TX, USA (March 2025)
- OTC Asia 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (March 2025)
- Hannover Messe 2025, Hannover, Germany (April 2025)
- Oil & Gas Asia 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (September 2025)
Pre-show meeting requests can be sent via the contact page to schedule dedicated engineering time.
Customer Cases
> Anonymized at buyer request. Industries, regions, and applications are public; project details are not.
- Chinese state pipeline operator, Northern China — 150+ cast polyurethane pigs for dewatering and wax removal on a DN600 crude trunk line (60 Shore A custom durometer for low-temperature winter operation, -25°C ambient), delivered 2025.
- Anonymized Middle East NOC, UAE — 80+ cast polyurethane pigs for produced water injection line cleaning (DN200-DN400, Shore A 83 standard, 1.5D bend verification at FAT). The 3-cup design handled monthly batch operations without cup replacement for 12+ months; delivered 2024.
- Southeast Asia refinery operator, Malaysia — 40+ 3-cup pigs for product separation in a multi-product cross-country pipeline (DN300, gasoline to diesel batching, ASME B31.4 compliant testing). Pig inventory reduced by 50% versus previous foam pig consumption; delivered 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 3-cup polyurethane utility pig?
A 3-cup polyurethane utility pig is a solid-cast bodied pipeline pig fitted with three polyurethane cups that seal against the pipe wall. EMT uses it for routine pigging: cleaning, scraping, batching, and product displacement. The cast body gives rigidity, while the three cups provide multiple sealing lines for reliable drive and debris handling.
What is a 3-cup pig used for?
It performs cleaning and scraping of wax, scale, and debris; batching and separating different products in multi-product lines; and displacing liquids during hydrostatic testing or line decommissioning. It is the standard utility pig for general pipeline maintenance.
How does a 3-cup pig seal compared with a 2-cup or foam pig?
Three cups give two or more sealing lines, so the pig keeps driving even if one cup wears or passes a gouge. A 2-cup pig has one spare seal; a foam pig seals by compression only and suits light wiping. For utility cleaning and batching, the 3-cup polyurethane pig is the balanced choice.
Why choose polyurethane cups instead of other materials?
Polyurethane offers high abrasion resistance, recovers its shape after compression, and works across a wide temperature range. EMT selects cup durometer per service: softer cups for older or out-of-round lines, harder cups for aggressive scraping. This extends cup life and protects the pipe wall.
What diameters and configurations does EMT supply?
EMT builds 3-cup utility pigs for line sizes from 2 inch to 48 inch and above, with cups sized to the pipe internal diameter and a 1% to 5% interference fit. Bodies can carry brushes, magnets, or transmitter cavities on request.
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