About BICERA Valve
Established in 1959 from what was previously known as Troy Engine and Machine Company, an engine manufacturer with roots dating back to the 1870s, Penn-Troy Manufacturing knows engines. We’ve been manufacturing crankcase explosion relief valves for marine, power generation, oil and gas compression, mining, and railroad engines for nearly 60 years.
We made the first crankcase explosion relief valve. And we still make the best.
In fact, the BICERA Explosion Relief Valve was the first explosion relief valve designed for diesel engines.
The inspiration came in 1947 when a ship called the Reina del Pacifico was on a test run after being reconditioned from her service in World War II. On that voyage just outside of Belfast, Ireland, there was an explosion in the engine room that took the lives of 28 men.
In response to the tragedy, the British government commissioned the British Internal Combustion Engine Research Association (BICERA) to determine what had occurred and what could be done to prevent future incidents. The association’s engineers and scientists determined that an oil mist had developed from a hotspot inside the crankcase and ignited. Their solution was the BICERA Explosion Relief Valve – a device designed to mount on the crankcase inspection door and open under pressure, quenching any fire with an internal, oil-wetted flame trap.
Penn-Troy purchased the patent rights to the device from BICERA. We completed the valve’s design and development and began manufacturing the BICERA Explosion Relief Valve in 1959. Since then, more than 350,000 BICERA valves in hundreds of designs and sizes have been in use around the globe, protecting property and saving lives.
Today, our new BICERA Sigma Explosion Relief Valve is revolutionizing the industry, providing a better, smaller, lighter, explosion relief valve that uses less material and offers the ease of “drop-in” replacement for all of your existing valves.
A Culture of Longevity. A Commitment to Customer Relationships.
Every company has its own culture, and with Penn-Troy’s extensive history, our culture is one of longevity. In fact, we still occupy the same building in Troy, Pennsylvania where we began more than a half century ago.
Many of our employees have been with us for decades. And each member of our team takes great pride in what we do – together and individually. Engineers, machinists, assembly technicians, welders, painters, shipping and business office staff and the sales team: We’re all here to serve you.
What does this mean for you? It means that we treat every order we receive – and we do mean every order, no matter how big or how small – with the intention that we want to serve you for years to come. We understand that to keep you coming back to us, we need to get it right. That’s why we continue to design and engineer the best crankcase explosion relief valves, tools and parts on the market and why we stand behind every product we make, long after the sale. As a family-owned and operated company, that’s how we’ve operated for nearly 60 years. And that’s also why we’re well-known for living up to our tagline: Manufacturing Trust.
An Ongoing Quest for Continuous Quality Improvement and New Ideas.
At Penn-Troy and BICERA Valve, we have an uncompromising commitment to quality that has driven us to continuously improve our processes and products. We’re ISO 9001:2015 certified, ensuring that every part of our production is in accordance with strict quality standards. And we provide ongoing training for all of our employees.
We’re constantly rethinking and reimagining as we design, engineer, and manufacture new products that perform better, last longer and serve new markets.
Last, but not least, we spend a great deal of time in the field with you, our customers, listening and learning about your specific needs and what works best for you.
Let us show you how our products will make a difference for your operation. Contact us today to get the conversation going.
Beyond BICERA Valve
In 1984, Penn-Troy expanded our operation beyond BICERA Valve when we purchased a specialty line of waterworks valves and gates from Mueller Company and began manufacturing, redesigning and engineering products for the water distribution and treatment industries. For more about Penn-Troy’s Troy Valve line of waterworks products, please visit our
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