Building off the strong legacy of McElroy’s three existing TracStar® iSeries machines – the TracStar® 630i, 900i, and 1200i – McElroy is thrilled to announce the addition of the TracStar® 412i and TracStar® 618i.
Like their current Series 2 counterparts, the TracStar 412i is designed to fuse pipe sizes from 4in IPS to 12in DIPS (110mm to 340mm), and the TracStar 618i fuses pipe from 6in IPS to 18in OD (180mm to 450mm).
“We are always looking for ways to increase operator productivity,” said Geoff Koch, McElroy’s vice president of product development. “These new machines incorporate the added technology of our existing TracStar iSeries line into the proven success of our TracStar 412 and 618 Series 2 units. These upgrades will translate into countless hours and dollars saved in the field.”
These new machines include a few key differences from their Series 2 counterparts. The TracStar 412i and 618i will incorporate the FusionGuide™ Control system seen on other TracStar iSeries models, providing operators with three levels of control during the fusion process. Each level has varying degrees of assistance, from manual control to fully automatic fusion.
A new indexer keeps the heater and facer attached to the four-jaw carriage, condensing the heater, facer, and jaws into a single unit. Operators will be able to move the indexer side to side along a set of rails, allowing them to position the heater and facer between the carriage’s movable jaws as needed.
The indexer also includes a built-in stripping and release mechanism. Once the heat soak phase of the fusion process has been completed and the operator opens the carriage, the mechanism will automatically strip the heater from the ends of the pipe. As the carriage continues to move, the indexer will then retract the heater out of the fusion zone.
These new machines feature an improved design that represents its inclusion into the TracStar iSeries family. The new look allows for a new, larger-volume hydraulic tank that is secured beneath the machine’s dome. In addition to providing additional cooling, the new design also reduces the risk of accidentally adding the wrong fluid to the hydraulic tank.
Like the larger machines, the Tractor 412 i and 618i will be controlled via the DataLogger®, McElroy’s ruggedized tablet that records fusion parameters and other pertinent data during the fusion process. After the operator prepares the pipe and enters all joint details, the enhanced guided workflow manages machine pressures, carriage, shift sequence, and more to ensure standards compliance and a successful fusion. All required fusion operations, including machine pressures, carriage open/close, and shift sequence will be controlled using the DataLogger.
“As accountability and quality assurance become a top priority, we want to let our operators and contractors seamlessly track their fusion data,” Koch said.
The TracStar 412 i and TracStar 618i are expected to begin shipping in June 2024. For more information, or to place an order, contact McElroy Customer Care at customercare@mcelroy.com or 918-831-9236.