GE acquires Commtest

GE has acquired Commtest, a provider and designer of machinery health information systems. GE Energy’s Bently Nevada product line, a global leader in condition monitoring, will incorporate Commtest products into its portfolio. Bently Nevada provides machinery protection and condition monitoring for refineries, petrochemical plants, power plants and wind farms. 

“The acquisition of Commtest allows us to significantly upgrade our portable vibration data collection and analysis capabilities,” explained Art Eunson, general manager for GE’s Bently Nevada product line. “Bently has an extensive portfolio of continuous monitoring solutions, sensors and transducers, software and supporting diagnostic instillation services, but the Commtest acquisition will help us bring our customers a more integrated offering that takes into account the health of the entire plant.”

Commtest is based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and primarily focuses on producing vibration analysis and monitoring equipment. Vibration analysis detects early signs of impending machine failure so managers can proactively direct repairs and make replacements before they encounter expensive failures. The vbSeries are an improvement over traditional, portable walk-around routines. They offer ease-of-use, cost-effectiveness and up-to-the-minute data collection.