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Bendix Corporation

From Alfawiki
Bendix Corporation
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryEngineering and manufacturing
Founded1924
FounderVincent Bendix
Headquarters
Avon, Ohio
,
United States
Area served
Trucking and automotive sectors
ProductsAutomotive braking systems, vacuum tubes, aircraft braking mechanisms, aeronautical hydraulic components, avionics, fuel management systems, radios, televisions, computing devices
OwnerKnorr-Bremse
ParentKnorr-Bremse

Bendix Corporation is a U.S.-based engineering and manufacturing firm established in 1924, operating as a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse since 2002.

Over the years, Bendix has manufactured a diverse range of products including automotive braking systems, vacuum tubes, aircraft braking mechanisms, aeronautical hydraulic components, avionics, fuel management systems, radios, televisions, and computing devices. In the mid-1900s, home washing machines bearing the Bendix name were produced under license by an affiliated company. As of 2025, the company’s primary focus lies within the trucking and automotive sectors.

Early history

The company’s founder and inventor, Vincent Bendix, secured a patent in 1914 for the Bendix drive, a starter motor device still widely utilized in modern vehicles. That same year, he launched the business in Chicago through a partnership agreement with Eclipse Machine Company based in Elmira, New York.

Automotive

In 1924, General Motors purchased a 24% ownership stake in Bendix to maintain access to its aviation-related technological advancements. Bendix controlled essential patents for automotive parts such as brakes, carburetors, and starter motors. During the late 1920s, it acquired Bragg-Kliesrath brakes. Ernest R. Breech assumed the presidency in 1942, introducing General Motors’ management strategies before his subsequent move to Ford Motor Company. By 1940, Bendix’s sales had reached $40 million. GM divested its share in 1948 to concentrate on its core automotive business.

Originally established in South Bend, Indiana, Bendix supplied hydraulic brake systems and vacuum boosters like the TreadleVac to leading automobile manufacturers including GM. In 1924, Vincent Bendix obtained licensing rights for Henri Perrot’s drum brake patents.

The company unveiled the Electrojector in 1956—a multi-point electronic fuel injection system—which was incorporated into select 1958 Chrysler vehicles.

Throughout the 1960s, Bendix made significant advancements in automotive braking technology by developing fixed-caliper disc brakes and the "Duo-Servo" drum brake system that became widely adopted within the industry. Additionally, Bendix produced durable bicycle hubs and coaster brakes.

From the 1950s onward, Bendix Pacific designed and manufactured military-grade hydraulic components and avionics. Its facility in Sylmar, California was responsible for creating telemetry systems used in the RIM-8 Talos missile as well as monitoring equipment for crewed space missions. The company also developed radar detectors and anti-lock braking systems for military aircraft based on proven technologies.

Bendix Scintilla specialized in producing MIL SPEC electrical connectors designed for use in extreme conditions.

In 1971, Bendix introduced the first fully computerized ABS on Chrysler’s Imperial model. Following acquisition by Honeywell, Bendix continued producing automotive and industrial brakes. In 2014, Honeywell transferred ownership of the U.S. Bendix automotive brake brand to MAT Holdings.

Certain Bendix automotive and industrial brake products sold up to 1987 contained asbestos materials. Honeywell is currently involved in ongoing legal claims concerning asbestos-related liabilities linked to these products.

Mass spectrometer

During the 1950s, a joint effort between Fred McLafferty and executives at Bendix Aviation resulted in combining gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, leading to the creation of Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry instruments. Beginning in the 1960s, Bendix manufactured scientific equipment such as the MA-2 Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer.

Radiological Dosimetry

During the Cold War era, Bendix produced Radiological Dosimeters aimed at Civil Defense applications, including a Family Radiation measurement kit designed for household use. Their notable products encompassed dosimeters such as the CDV-138, CDV-730, CDV-736-Ratemeter, CDV-740, CDV-742—commonly utilized by Civil Defense agencies—and the CDV-746. These instruments measured ionizing radiation levels in Roentgens per hour and catered to both governmental and civilian sectors.

'Dashaveyor' Automated Guideway Transit

In the late 1960s, Bendix obtained the rights to the Dashaveyor system, initially created for mining transportation, to develop an automated guideway transit (AGT) solution. Marketed under the name Bendix-Dashaveyor, it featured a larger passenger compartment mounted on rubber tires. Although showcased at Transpo '72, only one operational installation materialized: the 5 km Toronto Zoo Domain Ride (1976–1994). Due to minimal market demand and operational difficulties, Bendix discontinued promotion of the system by 1975.

Avionics, military and government

Founded in 1929 by Vincent Bendix, the company expanded into aeronautics and adopted the name "Bendix Aviation" to reflect its diversified product portfolio. It functioned as a holding company for subsidiaries including Delco Aviation Corporation and Stromberg Carburetor Company. Bendix supplied aircraft manufacturers with hydraulic systems for braking and flap control and introduced the innovative Bendix-Stromberg pressure carburetor. Additionally, it manufactured a wide array of electrical and electronic instrumentation for aircraft.

Starting in 1931, Bendix sponsored the Bendix Trophy to encourage advances in commercial aviation. Throughout and following World War II, it ranked seventeenth among U.S. companies in wartime production contracts, producing radar systems and aviation masks that were adapted for diving and hyperbaric environments.

In the 1950s, Bendix operated facilities under contract with the United States Atomic Energy Commission located in Kansas City and Albuquerque, focusing on non-nuclear components related to nuclear weapons.

In 1956, Bendix introduced the G-15 minicomputer through its computer division. Priced below US$50,000, approximately 400 units were sold. The G-15 was designed by Harry Huskey, an esteemed engineer with connections to Alan Turing, establishing Bendix’s foothold in computing before its computer division was acquired by Control Data Corporation in 1963.

The company was renamed Bendix Corporation in 1960 and developed ground-based and airborne telecommunications equipment for NASA throughout the 1960s. Among its achievements was manufacturing the ST-124-M3 inertial platform for the Saturn V Instrument Unit at its Teterboro, New Jersey plant. Bendix also pioneered the first American automobile fuel injection system.

In 1966, NASA selected Bendix Aerospace Systems Division in Ann Arbor to design and provide support for packages within the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) as part of the Apollo Program.

A 1963 Civil Aeronautics Board investigation identified possible manufacturing flaws in Bendix’s automatic piloting system as a likely factor in the crash of American Airlines Flight 1 in 1962; however, Bendix contested these conclusions based on comprehensive quality control records.

Marine

During World War II, Bendix obtained contracts from the United States Navy to manufacture engine order telegraphs, thereby expanding its presence in marine instrumentation.

Washing machines and brand licensing

While Bendix Corporation is commonly linked to washing machines, it never directly manufactured these appliances. Instead, in 1936, Bendix granted a licensing agreement for its name to Bendix Home Appliances, a South Bend-based company founded by Judson Sayre, in which Bendix held a 25% ownership interest.

The following year, Bendix Home Appliances introduced the first automatic washing machine designed for home use, called the Bendix Home Laundry. This front-loading model included a glass porthole door, a rotating drum, and an electrically operated mechanical timer that controlled autofill, wash, rinse, and spin-dry functions. Initial versions had to be securely anchored to the floor due to vibration issues and did not include an internal water heating system.

By the time the United States entered World War II, sales had reached 330,000 units. Production resumed after the war, culminating in a total of 2 million units sold by 1950. Eventually, Bendix Home Appliances was sold to Avco Manufacturing Corporation, which then sold it to Philco in 1956.

Consumer electronics

After World War II, Bendix diversified into the home radio and phonograph market by applying its expertise from aircraft radio technology. By 1948, the company was supplying car radios directly to Ford and other automobile manufacturers. Between 1950 and 1959, Bendix also produced television sets. Although retail radio production expanded during the 1950s, it declined in the following decade as major automakers such as Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler began manufacturing their own radios internally.

Modern developments

Since 2002, Bendix has functioned as a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse, focusing on safety solutions for commercial vehicles. In February 2020, Bendix revealed plans to move its headquarters from Elyria to Avon, Ohio, with a new facility scheduled to open in November 2021.

Mergers

From 1970 through 1990, Bendix experienced numerous mergers and acquisitions involving companies like Raytheon and Allied Signal, which gradually diluted its original corporate identity. Certain product lines, including aircraft flight control systems, continued operating under the Bendix brand for some time.

In 1982, CEO William Agee orchestrated a hostile takeover attempt of conglomerate Martin Marietta, securing a controlling interest. However, Martin Marietta’s management responded with a Pac-Man Defense strategy by divesting non-essential assets and launching their own counter-takeover bid. Industrial heavyweight United Technologies supported Martin Marietta’s defense efforts. Ultimately, Allied Corporation acquired Bendix in 1983 at $85 per share, acting as a white knight. Allied Corporation later rebranded as AlliedSignal, which subsequently purchased Honeywell and adopted its name. Under Honeywell’s ownership, Bendix became a brand managed by the Transportation Systems division responsible for Bendix brake products and the Bendix/King avionics lineup.

In 2002, Knorr-Bremse purchased Honeywell’s commercial vehicle brake division and established Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems as its subsidiary.

In popular culture

During the 1960s and 1970s, Archie Comics featured comic-strip advertisements promoting Bendix bicycle brakes using characters such as Archie Andrews.

Bibliography

  • Grant, James H. (2010). The Gradall: A Story of American Ingenuity. JHG Partners, New Philadelphia, Ohio. ISBN 978-0-692-00667-2.
  • Sloan, Alfred P. (1963). My Years With General Motors. Doubleday, Garden City, NY. ISBN 9780385042352.

External links

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