GOING DIGITAL: McElroy’s DataLogger® 7 offers insight, oversight, and peace of mind

For decades, fused high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has grown in popularity as a piping material for utility applications thanks to its longevity, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. From water to natural gas to cable housing, HDPE offers not only a high-quality piping solution, but also the highest level of quality assurance and oversight thanks to the data logging equipment that can be used alongside it.

SETTING THE STANDARD

McElroy is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of pipe fusion equipment and accessories. Its ruggedized fusion tablet, the DataLogger® 7, captures and records all pertinent data related to each fusion joint, including pressures, the fusion standard being used, the joint’s GPS coordinates, and more. Whether you’re performing butt, sidewall, mitered, or dual-containment fusion, the combination of the DataLogger software and ruggedized tablet is an invaluable tool for quality assurance and record-keeping. 

The DataLogger functions alongside the Vault™, McElroy’s powerful cloud-based storage platform. When connected to the internet, the DataLogger allows users to upload their fusion data into the Vault for credentialed review and oversight from anywhere in the world. For engineers, managers, and inspectors, that means access to the data from each joint, with each machine, on each project.

STREAMLINING FUSION – AND FUSION TRAINING

The DataLogger 7 gives technicians an added level of control over their fusion operations, particularly when fusing with the TracStar® iSeries or the Tritan™ 560. On those machines, the DataLogger 7 offers Enhanced Guided Workflow, which walks operators through many parts of the fusion process. Once the fusion begins, a FusionGuide™ live graph visualizes the process, recording times and pressures for opening, closing, and cooling joints.

Seasoned operators aren’t the only ones to benefit from Enhanced Guided Workflow, either. For newer technicians or those unfamiliar with a particular machine, Enhanced Guided Workflow can be a way to quickly become comfortable with the fusion process.

“The Enhanced Guided Workflow with the DataLogger 7 is impressive,” said Fusion Technologies, Inc. (FTI) founder Les Klaudt. “If you have somebody go into the field on an occasional basis, that guided workflow is fantastic as a reminder of how the process needs to work, and it has been a huge help for us in our training and for those of us who aren’t as frequent (fusion operators) as we once were.”

IN THE FIELD

The DataLogger 7’s reputation and reliability have cemented it as a staple for fusion projects worldwide.

When Australia-based GEM Industrial became involved in a project to expand the water infrastructure for the City of Gold Coast, owner Darren Chandler knew that the DataLogger was a must-have on the site.

“(With the DataLogger) the guys in the field can compare the joint to the log and know they got it right,” he said. “It’s definitely a good practice.”

Chandler’s experience was not an isolated one. In Key Largo, Florida, a DataLogger 7 provided an extra layer of quality control for a fusion crew installing a 13,000-foot, 12-inch HDPE water line.

“Every day, we uploaded our fusion data (using the DataLogger 7) and sent it along to our project manager, so she gets a record of that day’s joints and can check them over,” said Murphy Pipeline Construction Manager Paul DeRushe.  

Further north, in Detroit, Michigan, crews from D&D Water and Sewer, Inc. used the DataLogger 7 while installing about 10,000 feet of HDPE water main. With a TracStar® 618, a PolyHorse® pipe handling system, and the DataLogger 7, a single technician was able to perform each weld from start to finish – and still complete the job ahead of schedule.

CONTINUED SUPPORT

McElroy is constantly updating DataLogger 7 functionality based on customer feedback and recommendations. That includes recent additions like:

• Exception reporting, which gives inspectors and operators instant notifications if a joint is not performed to standard;
• Remote diagnostic capabilities, which allow McElroy technicians to instantly access a machine’s CAN traffic from anywhere in the world;
• Trainer Mode, allowing new technicians to familiarize themselves with the fusion process without the need for a machine;
• Operator Profiles, which bridge data from the Vault, the DataLogger, and McElroy University; and
• McElroy’s Equipment Inspection App, designed to let machine owners easily manage and maintain their fleets.

The DataLogger is one of the tools that sets McElroy apart by providing users with marked advantages for success. Long before your pipeline goes into service, the DataLogger provides peace of mind by ensuring that each joint was correctly fused.

To learn more about the DataLogger and McElroy’s industry-defining fusion equipment, visit www.mcelroy.com.