McElroy has unleashed the Talon™ 2000, designed to revolutionise the way large-diameter thermoplastic pipelines are built.
The Talon 2000, McElroy’s biggest and boldest fusion machine to date, has the unique ability to lift 2,000mm pipe from the ground with its powerful jaws as the machine adjusts its height and orientation to correctly align and fuse pipe.
Fusion machines this size typically require a crane or a forklift to move them to the jobsite, but McElroy made the Talon 2000 a track-mounted, self-propelled vehicle that straddles the pipeline as a wireless remote control operator moves it from fusion to fusion.
"We built the Talon 2000 to take on the challenges of fusing large-diameter pipe which is very difficult to move without extra equipment and manpower," said McElroy president Chip McElroy.
"With the demand for increased pipeline capacity for growing populations in developing countries and the ongoing need to replace and expand the many aging infrastructures across the globe, it’s very exciting to offer the machine that can best handle the job."
Speed is also on its side with a quick-action facer that removes up to 1in of pipe per side in less than eight minutes. An electric-powered indexer safely and accurately positions the top-loading heater and facer into the fusion machine.
The carriage converts to one fixed jaw and three movable jaws for easy tie-in capability. Its skid-steer and track-mounted features allow it to position itself in tight spaces and move across rugged or uneven terrain.
The Talon 2000 has built-in data logging capability to record fusion joint data that syncs with McElroy’s DataLogger® Vault™ for storage and analysis in the cloud. A data-enabled SIM card allows remote access and real-time troubleshooting with a McElroy technical service specialist.
The Talon 2000 is self-contained which eliminates the need for a separate generator or hydraulic power unit (HPU). It is powered by an ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) engine that provides electric and hydraulic power.