What Is Marker Balls?

Description

The Marker Balls is a long-term passive positioning device designed for underground communication and pipeline facilities. It features a weather-resistant high-density polyethylene (HDPE) shell, and its fully sealed structure withstands moisture, corrosion, and long-term soil pressure.

Internally, it incorporates a resonant coil or multi-axis coil, which, under excitation by a standard electronic detector, generates a stable, uniform spherical radio frequency field, enabling rapid and accurate positioning of buried fiber optic cables, microduct, and critical nodes. Typical detection depths are approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet), with a recommended burial depth of 12–24 inches (30–60 cm) for optimal detection and installation. The Marker Balls is small, easy to install, and requires no power supply or maintenance, making it a highly reliable solution for improving the visibility of underground assets, reducing the risk of accidental excavation, and increasing the efficiency of subsequent inspections.

Product Categories

Product Structure

1.Outer shell (HDPE)
Features: Weather-resistant, chemical-resistant, impact-resistant, and lightweight, making it easy to excavate, bury, and use for long-term underground applications. Function: Serves as an outer protective layer, resisting soil pressure, moisture, and mechanical damage, and provides visual differentiation through its color (usually orange/identification color).

2.Inner frame outer shell (HDPE)

Features:  Also made of HDPE or similar engineering plastic, but designed with an internal support ring/frame, possibly with locating grooves or supports to secure the internal coils/components. Function: To firmly support the internal sensitive components (coils, PCBs, floating core, etc.) in the correct position, preventing movement/collision during installation or backfilling, and working with the outer casing to achieve self-orientation or self-stabilization.

3.Skeleton coil (copper-clad aluminum)

Features: Typically consists of low-frequency inductive/reflective coils, made of copper-clad aluminum to balance conductivity, cost, and weight. Function: Acts as a passive RF/inductive element, generating/reflecting specific low-frequency electromagnetic fields. (Used for detector positioning)

4.Circuit board (specified frequency)

Features: Passive or low-power radio frequency/identification circuits (e.g., operating at industry standard frequencies such as 101.4 kHz, 77 kHz, etc.). Passive markers typically utilize resonant circuits or RF reflective structures; active/semi-active models with identification capabilities include RFID/filters, etc. Function: Determines the operating frequency, response characteristics, and matching with the detector (thus affecting the detectable depth and positioning accuracy) of the marker ball; in products with identification capabilities, it can also store a unique ID.

5.Antifreeze (ethylene glycol and water)

Features: A mixture of ethylene glycol and water is commonly used as the filling/buoyancy medium. A typical formula (common in the industry) is approximately ethylene glycol:water = 35:65 (the ratio may vary slightly depending on whether it's by volume or weight). This liquid must be non-toxic, have low volatility, a low freezing point, and be compatible with plastics. Function 1: As a self-orienting/self-balancing medium – the internal core (containing the coil or coil support) is suspended in the liquid, ensuring that the core automatically orients itself horizontally when placed in the groove to achieve the optimal detection field. Function 2: Prevents freezing (ensuring self-stability/no cracking in low-temperature environments) and absorbs a certain amount of impact energy to reduce mechanical stress.

PIG2-Marker Balls Product Structure

Product Advantages

1.No harmful fluid inside.

2.Detection range up to <1.5m.

3.High location precision marker ball.

4.For manholes or direct buried installation.

5.Self orientation RF reflector ensures best detection range and accuracy.

6.The induction coil is suspended on the built-in antifreeze and can be kept horizontally upward。

7.Service life: 50 years.

8.Suitable for various industries (Telecom, Non-Potable Water, Cable TV, Gas, Sanitary, Europower, Water, Electricity)

Installation And Deployment

Whether gas, electricity, telecommunications, district heating or water, a network typically includes notable points, which also represent points of weaknesses:

• Buried “dead ends” e.g. water connection points or micro ducts to be connected later

• Fiber Optic Splice Closure or buried branch

• Repairs or splices

• Crossover Network

• Change of direction or depth and degree of change

These points are usually difficult if not impossible to spot from above ground by the field teams unless they were recently excavated. The positioning of passive markers in key locations allows stakeholders to identify these locations quickly and positively, differentiating them from the rest of the network.

Reference Standard

EN61300-2-38:2006-Visual inspection
ISO4397:1993(2000)-Dimension check
IEC 60068-2-1 -40℃ Dry Cold Test
IEC 60068-2-1 +70℃ Dry Heat Test
Inhouse Method-Frequenzy check
IEC 60512-6-4 Vibration test
IEC 60068-2-30 -Damp heat, cycle
Inhouse Method-Drop-Down-Test
Inhouse Method-Vacuum air tightness test

History and Development
The product originated in the 1980s and was initially applied to underground facilities in the United States. Developed by 3M Company, this intelligent identification system is specifically designed for public utility management, used for locating and marking underground pipelines. Based on APWA standards, the system consists of electronic markers and locators, using passive RFID chips to store facility information, enabling dynamic pipeline management without excavation, and supporting the detection of both metallic and non-metallic pipelines.

Underground pipelines are the lifeline of a city, guaranteeing the efficient and high-quality operation of modern cities. The 3M Electronic Marking System (EMS) can identify dense urban underground pipelines and important facilities, allowing for accurate, safe, and rapid location. This significantly improves management levels and work efficiency, while also avoiding potential dangers during use and maintenance. When used in conjunction with GPS (Global Positioning System), the system further assists engineers in locating target locations.

In recent years, 3M has further innovated by developing information markers (ID Markers) with information storage capabilities and corresponding locating equipment, further increasing the convenience and reliability of EMS. This helps operators gain a clearer understanding of underground pipelines, enabling dynamic management and tracking. Due to APWA's significant influence on public facilities and occupational safety in the United States and worldwide, EMS has been widely accepted and applied globally. In China, the system has been successfully applied in various industries, including telecommunications, power, oil, gas, and water supply, improving work efficiency and the safety of underground pipelines, and receiving widespread recognition and praise from the industry.

Installation Instructions

1. Select the placement location of the marker on the design drawings.

2. Write the required information into the electronic information marker.

3. On-site construction and installation.

4. Backfill and complete the work.

5. Attach the label from the marker to the completion drawing.

6. On-site acceptance.

7. Management of the marker information database.

FCST - Better FTTx, Better Life.

At FCST, we manufacture top-quality microduct connector, microduct closure, telecom manhole chambers, Warning Nets and Locators and fiber splice boxes since 2003. Our products boast superior resistance to failure, corrosion, and deposits, and are designed for high performance in extreme temperatures. We prioritize sustainability with mechanical couplers and long-lasting durability.

FCST, aspires to a more connected world, believing everyone deserves access to high-speed broadband. We're dedicated to expanding globally, evolving our products, and tackling modern challenges with innovative solutions. As technology advances and connects billions more devices, FCST helps developing regions leapfrog outdated technologies with sustainable solutions, evolving from a small company to a global leader in future fiber cable needs.