July 9, 2015 – The new Electronic Marker System (EMS) Rope 7000 series uses proprietary 3M path marking technology to deliver “more accurate and more reliable” tracking of underground plastic pipe and fiber optic conduit, 3M says. Designed as an alternative to the current industry standard solution, the EMS rope series is available for gas, Telco and water utility applications, as of last month.

The 7000 series helps alleviate the detection problems often faced by utilities, according to 3M. The EMS rope, which can be installed alongside underground pipes, continues to transmit a signal, even in the event of a cut or removal of a segment.

Compatible with pipeline installations up to four ft deep, the rope is available with a 200 lb tensile strength (skinny rope) for applications inside conduit, or a more rugged 500 lb tensile strength for direct bury and horizontal directional drilling applications.

The 3M path marking technology, available in both the EMS rope series and the EMS caution tape series, was developed to assist utility customers dealing with unreadable surface markers, bad or poorly marked facilities, unlocatable plastic pipes, and aging technology, 3M said. The location system, which does not require a power source, identifies underground plastic pipes without installing access points.

EMS rope is identified with a 3M Dynatel brand EMS marker/tape Locator Model 7420.