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| ISCO's Tom Coats checks a Pit Bull 14 while preparing the machine for the next rental. |
Certified McElroy Rentals began in 2011. The program, a partnership between McElroy and participating distributors, supplies customers with the most reliable fusion machine rentals on the market. McElroy’s distributors use a comprehensive checklist created by McElroy to check machines after each and every rental. McElroy’s participating distributors pledge to provide greater continuous care of McElroy rental machines creating this premier rental option.
When a fusion machine in the program needs a repair, only Genuine McElroy Parts are installed, and are installed only by factory-trained mechanics.
To see how far the program has come in the last two years, we visited some Certified McElroy Rental locations to understand the impact of the program on their rental fleets.
At ISCO Industries’ Pryor, Okla., location, mechanic Tom Coats spends the majority of his day checking in machines.
“On a given day, we may have four 412 machines, a couple of Rolling 28s, a Pit Bull 26 and a Sidewinder,” said Coats.
One thing is for sure, it is rare for a fusion machine to be returned in the same condition as when it left. The majority of the reason for that is the tough conditions and jobsites where these rental machines are deployed.
“For the most part, 98 percent come back in good shape,” Coats said. Just like anything mechanical in nature, some parts require oil and the machine needs to be cleaned.
On this day, Coats has just finished his first check-in of the day.
“This Pit Bull 14 came in yesterday late, and I’m here first thing this morning checking it in,” said Coats. Walking through the check-in process, it becomes clear that even a small fusion machine like the 14 requires a great deal of attention.
Coats works through the heater cords, checking for any strain or scuffs in the cords. He moves to the heater, checking that the heater cycles on and off, that the heater comes up to temperature and a variety of other elements. From there, he moves to the facer to check that the electrical cord is in good shape, along with the blades and that the facer operates as described by McElroy.
For the carriage, Coats looks over the paint and ensures that all the safety stickers are in place. He checks that the clamp knobs, eye bolts and thrust bearings are working properly, and that they are properly lubricated. His eyes move from the jaws of the machine to the carriage guide rods, he checks that all nuts and bolts are in place and tightened. He pays close attention to the jaws, checking that they move and operate smoothly, and that the inserts and jaws are clean and work. The process requires some effort, but he’s more than happy to give a customer a great product.
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| Jake Goodson of Rainmaker Sales works through a Rolling 412's Certified McElroy Rental checklist. |
“I think of it as if I was going to take something home, I want it to work,” said Coats. “When I put the sticker on it and my initials on it, I want it to work because it reflects on me.”
Meanwhile, 140 miles away, Jake Goodson and Jerod Johnson are putting the finishing touches on a Rolling 412 check-in at Rainmaker Sales in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
“I think customers want something that will work in the field, something that is dependable, something that they can trust,” said Goodson, sales and rental manager at Rainmaker Sales. “They know when they get out there to do their job that the machine will fire up and work.”
Goodson says that before becoming a Certified McElroy Rental location, internal checklists for rental machines were not on the same level as the certified checklists.
“I think the Certified McElroy Rental checklists are a huge benefit to us,” said Goodson. “It provides us reminders to not overlook certain parts of the equipment. For us, we know that we’re covering the machine from head-to-toe and top-to-bottom. We identify problems that helps to save us time in the future, and saves our customers from downtime and a loss in productivity in the field.”
Like Coats at the ISCO Industries location, Goodson agrees that it is extremely rare that a fusion machine comes back in the same condition that it left.
“Often, problems are as small as a missing pin or breaking the clamp knobs,” Goodson said. “Part of this is just the environment that the customers are working in.”
Goodson advises potential rental customers that there are a variety of ways to find your local Certified McElroy Rental location. He finds that a majority of his rentals come from the online Certified McElroy Rental Locator, which can be found online at www.certifiedmcelroy.com.
Sincerely,
Tyler Henning
P.S. – Do you have an interesting job site that you would like to share? McElroy is always looking for fusion job sites where HDPE is being used and fused to solve an infrastructure problem. Contact Tyler Henning, public relations specialist at (918) 831-9286 or by email at thenning@mcelroy.com.
McElroy recently created the Super 28 and Super 250 TracStar® options for customers that require a diesel-powered option on 2-inch IPS through 8-inch DIPS jobsites. The new machines pair a 28 or 250 jaw carriage with the same chassis used on the popular TracStar® 412 and 618 fusion machines. The diesel-fueled carriage is optimal for some jobsites, as opposed to the standard gasoline option of the original TracStar® 28 and TracStar® 250.The new Super 28 and Super 250 can be ordered as Combination Units (CU). Combination Units offer a sidewall fusion capability that allows fusion of branch saddles with a maximum base diameter of 9.63 inches onto any size main.
The Super 28 and Super 250 come standard with the diesel-powered 28 carriage, TracStar 412/618 chassis, facer, heater, insulated heater stand and lifting assembly.
- Self-contained, self-propelled, all-terrain
- Carriage can be easily removed for close-quarter and in-ditch use
- On-board generator for powering heater and facer
- DataLogger® compatible
For more information on the Super 28, click here.
For more information on the Super 250, click here.
McElroy University is excited to announce the addition of three new instructional videos in Spanish. For more on the latest videos from McElroy University, visit www.mcelroy.com/university. More videos will be coming each month. At the website, you can sign-up for notifications regarding new videos, courses and the latest news from McElroy University.
Cómo Fusible de Tubo con el McElroy DynaMc® HP (Bomba de Mano)
(How to Fuse Pipe with the McElroy DynaMc® HP (Hand Pump))
Ver en Español | View in English
Cómo Fusionar Tubería con una McElroy TracStar® 618
(How to Fuse Pipe with a McElroy TracStar® 618)
Ver en Español | View in English
Cómo Registrar Fusiones con el DataLogger® 3 de McElroy
(How to Record Fusions with McElroy’s DataLogger® 3)
Ver en Español | View in English
To download these videos for offline viewing, visit McElroy University.
McElroy will attend the American Gas Association’s Operations Conference and Biennial Exhibition, CityPipe, the American Water Works Association’s ACE13 Conference, and ASCE Pipelines 2013 conferences in the coming weeks. We look forward to meeting you at these and other professional trade shows:
AGA Operations Conference and Biennial Exhibition
Orlando, Florida – May 21-24
Booth 330
McElroy will have a Pit Bull® 26, DataLogger® 4 and 1LC fusion machine on hand at the American Gas Association’s conference at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando. The conference is the natural gas industry’s premier gathering of natural gas utility and transmission companies from across North America. The exhibition will cover more than 75,000 square feet with more than 150 vendors who serve the gas industry.
http://www.aga.org/Events/2013Events/OperationsConference/Pages/Sample.aspx
CityPipe
Moscow, Russia – May 28-31
Stand C132, Hall 5
CityPipe 2013 is an international trade fair for those interested in piping systems for municipal infrastructure. Professionals involved in the construction, diagnostics, repair and operation of municipal infrastructure are expected to descend upon Moscow’s Crocus Expo. McElroy personnel will be on site to answer any questions regarding McElroy’s line of fusion machines.
http://www.citypipe.ru/index.php?lang=en
AWWA ACE13
Denver, Colorado – June 9-13
Booth 14064
Some of McElroy’s newest products will be at ACE 13 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Drop by our booth to see the new TracStar® 500 Series 3, Pit Bull® 26, Guided Side Bend Tester and DataLogger® 4. A full staff will be on hand to perform demonstrations and answer questions about polyethylene pipe’s ability to rejuvenate water infrastructure.
http://www.awwa.org/conferences-education/conferences/ace13-annual-conference.aspx
ASCE Pipelines 2013
Fort Worth, Texas – June 23-26
The American Society of Civil Engineers will be attending their Pipelines 2013 Conference at the Worthing Renaissance Hotel in Fort Worth at the end of June. The event features great workshops, panel discussions and product demonstrations. McElroy will have the Pit Bull® 26, Guided Side Bend Tester and DataLogger® 4 at the event for demonstrations. We hope to see you there!
http://content.asce.org/conferences/pipelines2013
McElroy University Classes Added in Two New Locations
McElroy University has added courses in Huntsville, Alabama and Lawrenceville, Georgia. The eight new course openings occur periodically throughout the year, and feature the popular small, mid-range and large operator qualification courses.
The courses span three to four days each. Each student participates in classroom and hands-on learning, with a testing session at the end of the course.
To check dates, availability of the courses and to learn more, visit www.mcelroy.com/university.
McElroy Announces Winners of May Calendar Contest
On May 2nd and 3rd, McElroy held a calendar contest. If you have a McElroy 2013 calendar, you were prompted to log onto a special mcelroy.com page and enter into a drawing. We are pleased to announce that the winners of a new McElroy-branded hat include Dan Evans of North American Salt, Robert Keys of SECOR, and Josh Kyle of Renewco. Congratulations to our winners, and make sure you stay tuned to your McElroy 2013 Calendar for more chances to win!
This month’s photos are from Morain Sales and Service in Mineral Ridge, Ohio. Morain Sales is a McElroy Distributor, and one of very few distributors that has a chrome-plated Pit Bull® 14 Special Edition. Here’s some pictures of the very special Pit Bull 14.
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If you have photos from a jobsite, we'd love to see them! Yours may be chosen for the next issue of McElroy Connections. Simply email your photos to Tyler Henning, at thenning@mcelroy.com.
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A great general article on McElroy is featured in this month's Energy Digital magazine. #HDPE http://ow.ly/kUgzX May 13th |
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We're excited to be featured in the May issue of Business Review North America. #HDPE http://ow.ly/kUgdi May 10th |
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Did you know that the McElroy Fusion Catalog is always available as an instant PDF download? #HDPE #buttfusion http://ow.ly/kUfKr May 10th |
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If you want to understand the PP-R craze that is sweeping North America, Aquatherm's case studies webpage is a great start! May 7th |
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Here's a look at the new TracStar 500 Series 3 fusion machine, used for fusing thermoplastic pipes from 6” IPS to 20” OD (180mm to 500mm). May 6th |
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If you want to understand the PP-R craze that is sweeping North America, Aquatherm's case studies webpage is a great start! May 3rd |
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Thank goodness for accidental innovations! http://ow.ly/kGQ1m The story of polyethylene and thus #HDPE. May 3rd |
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There's a great feature in Modern Pumping Today's April issue on McElroy equipment and a pipe installation in Washington D.C. Go check it out! May 1st |
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This new video from McElroy University shows how to fuse with a McElroy TracStar® 618. This popular video is now available in Spanish... Apr 25th |
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Learn how to record fusions with the DataLogger® 3 - in Spanish! http://youtu.be/n-vwj3cYtzU Apr 25th |
Alliance for PE Pipe WaterWorld Water Tech Online North American Society of Trenchless Technology Plastics Pipe Institute
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