#282 Bently Nevada’s Non-Contacting Eddy Current Sensors

Located in Minden, Nevada since 1961, Bently Nevada was the first to manufacture a commercially successful eddy current proximity probe which measured vibration in high-speed turbomachinery by allowing for continuous direct observation of the rotating shaft.

Eddy currents are employed in various types of machinery, such as gas turbines, centrifugal compressors, expander compressors, gas or process air compressors. 

In 1967, the launch of the Standardized 5000 series monitors became a watershed moment, both for Bently Nevada and the mechanical engineering industry.   

The innovative work pioneered by Donald E. Bently and his Bently Nevada Engineering Team on the non-contacting eddy current sensors helped create a global standard for those designing and operating rotating machinery over the full range of operating speeds.  It led to the development of shutdown protection for equipment and vibration data acquisition through diagnostic processing systems and related services and ultimately created the foundation for a new discipline within mechanical engineering of the diagnostics of machinery malfunctions.

Landmark Location

Minden, Nevada, USA

Landmark recognition date

June 20, 2024

Download Brochure