Patent ID: 7717056

Claim:
A pig device for use in the application of a coating material to a tube, comprising: a main body portion; a coating applicator disposed at a first end of the main body portion, said first end being the end of said pig that is first inserted into a tube to be coated, said coating applicator having a substantially dome shaped exterior and having a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending, curved ribs located on said dome shaped exterior and curved ribs extending from a base portion of said exterior to a tip portion of said exterior, said ribs enabling the passage of a coating beyond the coating applicator; an end flange disposed at a second end of the main body portion, wherein said end flange forms a continuous, solid edge extending without interruption around a periphery of said second end of said main body portion, said solid edge being capable of forcing a coating material into erosion elements and pits in an inner surface of said tube while wiping away excess coating material to result in a thin, single layer coating formed on said inner surface of the tube, said thin, single layer coating is sufficiently thin so as to not significantly inhibit heat transfer capabilities of the tube.