McElroy, a-world leading designer and manufacturer of plastic pipe fusion equipment, announced its digital innovations at INFUSION24, the company’s annual industry conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“For years, McElroy has prioritized advancing its digital offerings to complement its industry-leading equipment. The company’s digital team was created to support integration of technology into McElroy equipment – including how it’s supported in the field – and to increase the value of jobsite data captured through the DataLogger and managed within the Vault™,” said McElroy Digital Strategies Director Chris Zenthoefer.

At INFUSION24, Zenthoefer announced the implementation of Operator Profiles, which bridges data from the Vault, the DataLogger, and McElroy University.

First released in 1996, McElroy’s DataLogger is a ruggedized fusion tablet that allows operators to capture pertinent information about their fusion operations, including fusion standards being used, temperatures, and fuse/cool time. In 2013, McElroy introduced the Vault™ as a way to store and share that information.

“As we collectively grow the plastic pipe fusion industry, it’s become clear that we need to remain committed to making information as easily-accessible as possible,” Zenthoefer said.

Now in its seventh generation, the DataLogger has evolved into an invaluable jobsite tool that has gone beyond tracking and traceability to include a host of capabilities to assist operators during the fusion process and provide actionable data back to inspectors and owners.

HOW IT WORKS

Each Operator Profile will include a unique ID that joins data across the Vault, McElroy University, and the DataLogger. It is also built ready for integrations with other training and credential systems. Individuals who attend McElroy University training – whether in-person or online – will receive a card that is equipped with a non-replicable chip. That card can then be used to easily log on to the DataLogger, much like “tap to pay” cell phone features.

“All they will need to do is tap the back of the DataLogger tablet with their card,” Zenthoefer said. “This ensures that each operator has a single profile where they can access their training, qualifications, joint records, and so on.”

But there’s more. By tapping the operator card to a phone, the user can go directly to that operator’s profile page and see summary statistics of their fusion experience, including machines, pipe sizes, and completed training courses.

“We believe letting operators build their resume of experience creates better career paths for our industry,” Zenthoefer said.

 AN ECOSYSTEM

While Operator Profiles was the largest-scale announcement of INFUSION24, it joins a suite of newly-released functionalities that have been released over the past several years.

“We want each release we do to feel like a natural extension, so you’re not having to learn everything over and over again,” Zenthoefer said. “At the same time, we want improvements coming in a steady rhythm, so there’s not a disorienting amount of new information at any given time.”

“The focus of the DataLogger and Vault was to tell a story,” Zenthoefer said. “At the end of the day, we know a quality fusion process is what leads to a leak-free, 100-year system for resilient infrastructure, and we knew no other piping material or industry could offer that same level of visibility.”

The process has been a careful and curated one. Since the DataLogger 6 was first introduced in 2017, McElroy has released several new functions, such as an interface offering a guided workflow to help operators through the fusion process and pressure graph visualizations.

In 2020, McElroy took the next step toward data integration with the TracStar iSeries. This line of machines is fully integrated with the DataLogger 7, and it serves a dual purpose. Not only does it provide valuable fusion data – it also gives McElroy’s digital team the opportunity to improve its features based on user feedback.

The TracStar iSeries has become McElroy’s most successful equipment line, and with it has come numerous digital advancements. That includes innovations like FusionGuide Technology, which allows users to choose the level of machine automation during the fusion process. As of 2024, more than half of the fusions logged in the Vault have been performed in “Level 3,” or fully automatic fusion.

Over summer 2024, more functions were released, including guided software updates, a Training Mode to help new operators quickly and confidently familiarize themselves with fusion and machine functions, and CAN logs that help streamline the troubleshooting process.

And there’s more in store.

“This has been an intentional journey, and one that we are very proud of,” Zenthoefer said. “What we offer today is exciting, and it’s just the beginning.”