In April 1979, Sertco Industries, Inc. was incorporated for the purpose of general manufacturing and assembly as well as sales of machined parts. Operations began using the latest
CNC machinery available at the time. As of 2015, the company employs 65 people and manufactures for multiple industries including aerospace and compressors.
Aerospace Division
Sertco was among the first
aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and ast ...
machine shops to use one-hundred 100 percent CNC machines, when manual
milling machines were predominantly used.still the norm Customers Sertco worked with included Cessna, McDonnell Douglas,
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and ...
, the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
and others.
The aerospace industry requires very specific weights and strengths in parts and components, and are made from aluminum billet, stainless steel or other high stress alloys.
High Performance Division
In May 1984, Sertco developed an improved
motorcycle engine
A motorcycle engine is an engine that powers a motorcycle. Motorcycle engines are typically two-stroke or four-stroke internal combustion engines, but other engine types, such as Wankels and electric motors, have been used.
Although some moped ...
cylinder for race applications that increased the reliability and maximum displacement available to racers.
Following the 'big block,' Sertco developed a shock absorbing rear
sprocket
A sprocket, sprocket-wheel or chainwheel is a profiled wheel with teeth that mesh with a chain, track or other perforated or indented material. The name 'sprocket' applies generally to any wheel upon which radial projections engage a chain pas ...
that drastically reduced
transmission
Transmission may refer to:
Medicine, science and technology
* Power transmission
** Electric power transmission
** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power
*** Automatic transmission
*** Manual transmission
** ...
breakage. The 'torsion sprocket received the "Murdoch Award" in 1993 as the year's most significant new product in the sport of motorcycle racing.
Energy Division
The methods developed to support the aerospace and high performance industries led to the formation of the energy division in late 1997 which became Sertco's main focus.
The application of the technology from the aerospace and high performance divisions were deployed in the development of a reciprocating natural
gas compressor
A compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. An air compressor is a specific type of gas compressor.
Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can tran ...
. This represents a significant cost savings to small and medium size
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...
producers. One compressor design is based on the rotating assembly from the
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ou ...
350 (5.7L) automobile motor packaged in a split case horizontally opposed cylinder arrangement.
To date, over 1,000 units have been produced logging millions of hours of continuous service. Sertco utilizes several distributors and currently has units operating worldwide. Besides hundreds of units operating in the United States, many more are operating in Mexico,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...
,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, Russia and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
. Other emerging markets such as Australia are also being studied and investigated for their potential opportunities.
Facility Expansions
In November 2005 and July 2010, Sertco expanded its operations adding a total of 60,000 square feet of additional fabrication and assembly area that include 4 separate manufacturing facilities. The additional space and staff have allowed the company to quadruple production rates from pre-expansion levels. Independent areas include a 9 machine CNC shop, weld and engine building, a 6 line (32 station) production building, as well as, a blast and paint booth and test loop area. A new load dock and automated paint and blast booths are in the works.
References
{{reflist
External links
Sertco's Official Website
Natural gas companies of the United States