New Acrobat™ Quikfit® package is tailored to pre-fab fusion

McElroy’s Acrobat™ QuikFit® machines provide a compact, lightweight solution for fusing in tight spaces or overhead conditions. It’s also a perfect tool for contractors who need to pre-fabricate piping systems or reducers in HVAC or plumbing systems.

Based around distributor requests, McElroy has designed a new insert package and a new set of insert heaters tailored to assist with pre-fab fusion. These heaters allow users to fuse a wider range of reducers and pipe sizes using a single carriage with the applicable inserts and insert heater.

Q. What’s the difference between the conventional Quikfit heaters and the new insert package heaters?

A: The heaters themselves are largely the same. Both feature the same heating element, the same heating plates, and the same overall design.

There are, however, some key differences between the two.

  • Weight: The conventional Quikfit, including its heater, was designed to be lightweight and versatile for tight spaces or unusual angles. To minimize the weight, separate heaters were designed for each of the three Quikfit carriages. Because the conventional heaters are made specifically for their corresponding carriage size, the conventional heater is not able to do step-down reductions for pipe that falls outside a single carriage’s size range. For example, a contractor who wanted to fuse a 500mm pipe to a 355mm reducer would not be able to do that using the conventional Quikfit package. But, with the insert package that same contractor could use the 450-500mm heater to fuse the 500mm side of the reducer, then the 355-400 heater to fuse the 355 side – all on the same carriage with the appropriately sized inserts installed.

    The insert package heaters are designed to make a range of step-down fusions possible. Each of these insert heaters is designed to be used with the Quikfit 630 carriage – the largest Quikfit in McElroy’s lineup. To reach the guide rods on the QuikFit 630 carriage, the heaters were designed with guide rod arms that are further spaced from the heater body to accommodate this distance. Because of this added bulk, the new Quikfit insert package is heavier than its conventional counterpart.
  • Locking mechanism: The conventional heater also includes a locking mechanism on the guide rod that settles the heater onto the Quikfit carriage. This brace is designed to securely lock the heater in place during vertical or overhead fusions.

    The new Quikfit insert package was designed with reductions and pre-fabrication in mind, and most of that work takes place on the ground or in a warehouse. For that reason, the locking brace was removed.
  • What’s included: The conventional Quikfit complete package includes jaws for three size ranges (355 – 400mm; 450 – 500mm; and 560 – 630mm), the heaters for these sizes, facer blade holders, cylinder assemblies, clamp assemblies, carriage skid, facer motor, facer stand, heater/facer rolling cart, and HPU.

    Rather than including separate jaws, the insert package includes only an Acrobat 630 set of jaws and a complete set of inserts to handle the following additional pipe sizes – 560mm, 500mm, 450mm, 400mm, 355mm, 315mm, and 250mm. It also comes with four heaters that cover a range of sizes – 250 – 315mm; 355 – 400mm; 450 – 500mm; and 560 – 630mm. These inserts and heaters not only cover the entire range of sizes for the conventional QuikFit, but also expand it further to be able to work with even smaller sizes.
  • Insert blade holders have been modified to work as a “universal” blade holder that can face the entire size range of pipe fusible by the insert package. Conventional QuikFit blade holders are specific in size to their carriage.

Don’t worry; the conventional Quikfit package isn’t changing. The Quikfit excels at close tie-ins and awkward angles that might be impossible to fuse otherwise, and its design is tailored to those kinds of applications.

By offering an alternative and allowing a wider range of fusion sizes, however, the new Quikfit insert package also provides pre-fabrication and reduction capability while boasting the same level of reliability as its counterpart.