INFUSION22 breaks new ground with Tritan™ 560 & Polygon™ LT

Once again, McElroy is defining the future of fusion.

In the field, time is everything. Time spent loading pipe into and out of the fusion machine. Time spent cooling fused joints. Time spent moving the machine from one fusion site to another.

What if a fusion machine existed that could reduce all three?

Like we’ve done for more than 60 years, McElroy took that question – and designed an answer.

Meet the Tritan 560.

Meet the pipe where it lays

The Tritan 560 combines features of three of McElroy’s most innovative machines: the rugged portability and technology of the TracStar® iSeries, pipe loading capabilities of the Talon™ 2000, and the ability to meet the pipe where it lays, found in our Acrobat™ QuikFit® carriages. It can travel to and along the pipe where it lays, reducing or eliminating the need to pull pipe through the carriage in the field. With a full 360-degree rotation and a boom that can raise, extend, and curl the carriage to approach and load pipe, the Tritan boosts jobsite efficiency and improves workplace safety by eliminating the need to top-load pipe into the fusion machine.

Position, load, and fuse pipe from 12-inch (305mm) to 22-inch (560mm) with ease

The Tritan 560 aids in pipe positioning, allowing for more flexibility and increased performance and productivity. With the same rugged, dual rubber tracks found on McElroy TracStar® machines, the Tritan offers all-terrain mobility for easily traveling across a variety of terrains and can be driven directly to and from the pipe itself.

All of the Tritan’s machine functions are powered by the DataLogger®, allowing a single operator to position the machine, load the pipe, perform the fusion, and unload the pipe – all with the same user-friendly design as existing DataLogger processes.

DataLogger integration allows users to take full advantage of McElroy’s Vault™, a powerful cloud-based tool, to collect, store, analyze, and share joint reports and project information. Its easy-to-use interface also allows for recording of each fusion’s GPS location, machine, and operator information, along with joint data.

The Tritan 560 offers a bottom-loading carriage that eliminates the need to lift pipe into the machine for standard fusions. Operators can load pipe quickly and safely in a number of configurations. The arms are able to raise, extend and curl the carriage giving operators the ability to precisely adjust the carriage without having to move the vehicle itself.

No wireless signals allowed? No problem. The Tritan lets operators connect the DataLogger via a tether when necessary, allowing for operation in environments where wireless signals are restricted or unavailable.

In addition, the Tritan carriage is fully removable and able to operate in a 2+2 or 3+1 configuration, in both a top loading or bottom loading setup.  In confined spaces or in-ditch applications, the carriage can be loaded directly onto the pipe from above, minimizing the amount of excavation required under the pipe. 

Shipping for the Tritan 560 will begin in Q2 2023.


Small but mighty

Polygon™ LT

You may have heard of the Polygon, McElroy’s DataLogger® compatible manual butt fusion machine. The Polygon allows operators the flexibility to complete butt and miter fusions from zero- to 45-degree angles and has the additional capability to perform socket fusions. This three-in-one machine’s simple design and light weight make it the ideal prefabrication tool on polypropylene pipe jobsites.

But some smaller polypropylene fusions require faster open and close times than their larger counterparts, while also fusing under low force fusion control.

To tackle that challenge, McElroy engineers decided to think… small.

Or, at least, smaller.

Meet the Polygon LT, the newest addition to McElroy’s polypropylene lineup.

With a similar design platform as the Polygon™, the Polygon LT includes shortened parts to make it as compact as possible with the ability to butt fuse pipe ranging from 20mm to 110mm. Like the traditional Polygon, the Polygon LT is fully DataLogger compatible, allowing operators to log each joint and share data through the Vault.

The Polygon LT is capable of fusion pressures up to 250 PSI on all pipe sizes within its operating range. A new drive screw allows for multiple inches of travel time per drive wheel rotation, providing the ability to meet faster open and close times as needed. This drive mechanism also includes a new internal spring and shaft brake, giving operators precise control of low fusion pressures, with the ability to lock in place.

A smaller facer and heater allows for facing the smallest pipe sizes, and a new mounting system for the jaws allows operators to change to thin jaws for special fittings.

See how the Polygon LT compares to its larger cousin in the chart below.

The Polygon LT will be available in the first quarter of 2023.


Fuse – and heat – with confidence

New Acrobat™ QuikFit® insert heater

As Acrobat QuikFit usage continues to increase, McElroy has expanded its QuikFit offerings to meet operator needs.

Recently, McElroy has received requests for a solution to butt fuse specialized pipe, including insulated pipe or dual containment pipe (which is pipe inside another pipe, with a barrier between the two). In that case, the fusion needs to span a larger distance than what an operator would traditionally find with a single pipe.

To fuse in situations where McElroy’s traditional QuikFit equipment is too large, our new QuikFit insert heater works within the QuikFit carriage and 630mm jaws to fuse 250mm to 500mm pipe.

Because it’s an insert heater, this new heater works solely on the 630mm jaws and will be available in December 2022.


Powered up

EP2800Q Series 2 HPU

Recently, McElroy personnel were notified that a major component of the current EP2800Q HPU – the HPU for McElroy’s QuikFit line – has been obsoleted, effectively immediately.

To solve that challenge, team McElroy updated the current EP1500Q with new functionality to increase its capabilities.

This new EP2800Q Series 2 HPU adds a pump on the hydraulic side to achieve the 2800 PSI pressures that are needed, along with power management on the electrical side. It is this power management function that allows certain functions to be turned on or off depending on what is being used. This keeps the unit from pulling too much power in the field.

The EP2800Q Series 2 HPU will be available beginning in December 2022.