What Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments does

Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments (TDHI), now operating as Benchmark Measurement Solutions following its 2016 acquisition by Benchmark International, designs and manufactures UV and visible fluorescence analyzers, ultrasonic monitors, and imaging-based particle analyzers used to detect and quantify hydrocarbons, algae, and dispersed particles in industrial water streams. Its proprietary E09 electronics platform delivers 100–1,000x higher sensitivity than pure absorption methods and supports detection from low ppb to roughly 30,000 ppm across crude oils, refined fuels, light hydrocarbons (BTEX, gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, transformer oils, styrene, phenol), and lubricating/hydraulic fluids. The core monitor family — TD-120, TD-4100XD, TD-4100XD General Purpose, TD-4100XDC, TD-4100XDC General Purpose, and the TD-2500 ultrasonic monitor — is complemented by benchtop analyzers (TD-550, TD-560), the CF-200 Algae Monitor for Chlorophyll A detection, particle analyzers (MEx1A, LP100A, IF100A) distributed in partnership with Process Imaging, LTD, and an accessory ecosystem (TD Sample Thief, Clean-In-Place System, CheckPOINT solid standards, EZ Access Flow Cell, Cuvette Caddy). The portfolio carries regulatory certifications including USCG/IMO 107(49) for 15 ppm bilge alarm compliance, ATEX Zone I/II and Class I Div 1/2 for hazardous areas, and TUV on TD-120, supporting use in maritime, offshore oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, desalination, pulp and paper, and municipal/industrial wastewater applications.

The company makes money primarily through capital equipment sales of online monitors and benchtop analyzers, recurring accessory and consumable revenue (calibration standards, flow cells, cleaning chemicals, cuvette accessories), and professional services including field installation, calibration, maintenance, and project-level consultancy delivered through the Process Imaging partnership. Pricing is opaque and quote-based with no public list pricing; distribution combines an internal direct sales, field service, and customer service organization with an international dealer network spanning 50+ countries and regional support centers in North America, Asia, Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East. Marketing is technical-content-led via oilinwatermonitors.com, multilingual digital presence (English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Simplified Chinese), a dealer portal, and presence at industry events such as OTC and SPE workshops. Named enterprise and government logos span Shell, Chevron, POGC, FPL, USCG, DNV, NAG Marine, SiteLab, EPE, and a range of municipal, refinery, power, manufacturing, and agricultural customers, indicating a diversified but enterprise-tilted customer base across multiple regulated industrial verticals.

The firm remains a privately held U.S. subsidiary of Benchmark International, operating from California with 11–50 employees, and has accumulated more than 20 years of UV fluorescence domain experience. Its strategic trajectory post-acquisition has emphasized product line expansion (TD-550/TD-560 in 2018, TD Sample Thief and CF-200 in 2020), category extension via the Process Imaging partnership into particle analysis, and brand consolidation under the Benchmark Measurement Solutions identity since 2024. No equity funding rounds, public revenue figures, or executive roster are publicly disclosed in the source material.

Name

Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments

Legal name

Benchmark Measurement Solutions

Website

https://oilinwatermonitors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments (now Benchmark Measurement Solutions) designs UV fluorescence, ultrasonic, and imaging-based analyzers that detect hydrocarbons, algae, and particles in industrial water, serving oil and gas, maritime, power, desalination, petrochemical, and wastewater operators across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water Quality Monitoring Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring (Surface Water, Stormwater, Drinking Water) (EUAHACAC), Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Oil in water monitoring
• Hydrocarbon analyzers
• Fluorescence measurement instruments
• Water quality analyzers
• Industrial process analyzers

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Oil in Water Monitors: Sale of continuous online monitors, benchtop analyzers, and portable analyzers for measuring hydrocarbons, algae, and particles in water across various industries.
2. Particle Analyzer Systems: Sale of particle analyzers (MEx1A, LP100A, IF100A) and consultancy services for exploration geochemistry, oil and gas fluid behavior, water injection, wastewater treatment and produced water injection projects.
3. Professional Services: Field service, engineering, design, consultation, and implementation services. Service personnel deployed from regional support centers globally.
4. Accessories and Consumables: Sale of accessories including sample thieves, calibration standards (CheckPOINT), flow cells, clean-in-place systems, and cuvettes.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments designs and manufactures UV and visible fluorescence-based analyzers and monitors used to measure hydrocarbons (including crude oil and condensate) in water, alongside algae monitors and process imaging instruments for particle measurement. The company also offers a small portfolio of accessories and process imaging consultancy services, deployed primarily in oil & gas, power generation, desalination, maritime, paper & pulp, and wastewater applications.

Product overview

Benchmark Measurement Solutions (formerly Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments) offers a comprehensive portfolio of oil in water monitors and analyzers based on UV/visible fluorescence, ultrasonic, and imaging technologies. The product line includes: online continuous monitors (TD-120, TD-4100XD, TD-4100XDC and their General Purpose variants) for real-time hydrocarbon detection in industrial processes; benchtop analyzers (TD-550, TD-560) for grab sample analysis with dual-channel capability for heavy and light hydrocarbons; the TD-2500 ultrasonic monitor for high-concentration oil slug detection; the CF-200 algae monitor for Chlorophyll A detection protecting desalination membranes; and particle analyzers (MEx1A, LP100A, IF100A) from Process Imaging partnership for imaging-based particle analysis. Supporting accessories include the TD Sample Thief automated sampler, Clean-In-Place System, CheckPOINT calibration standards, EZ Access Flow Cell, and Cuvette Caddy. The company also provides Process Imaging Consultancy Services for specialized water treatment projects. The TD-3100 and TD-500D have been discontinued and replaced by newer models.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TD-2500 Ultrasonic Oil in Water Monitor Online ultrasonic oil-in-water monitor designed for continuous measurement of oil in process and bilge water streams, including a marked variant for marine bilge water applications.
• CF-200 Algae Monitor In-vivo fluorescence-based online algae monitor providing continuous measurement of chlorophyll and blue-green algae concentrations for source water surveillance and early-warning applications.
• TD-560 Oil in Water Analyzer UV fluorescence-based oil-in-water analyzer designed for continuous online measurement of hydrocarbons in industrial process applications without solvent extraction.
• TD-550 Oil in Water Analyzer UV fluorescence-based oil-in-water analyzer built for continuous online measurement of hydrocarbons in industrial and power generation processes, including condensate applications.
• TD-120 Oil in Water Monitor UV fluorescence-based online oil-in-water monitor for applications such as power plant condensate and industrial process water, with low detection limits and continuous trend reporting.
• TD-4100XD Oil in Water Monitor UV fluorescence-based online oil-in-water monitor designed for produced water and related harsh process streams in oil & gas applications.
• TD-4100XD General Purpose Oil in Water Monitor General-purpose variant of the TD-4100XD UV fluorescence-based oil-in-water monitor configured for industrial applications beyond produced water.
• TD-4100XDC Oil in Water Monitor UV fluorescence-based online oil-in-water monitor engineered specifically for continuous measurement of oil in condensate streams, including power plant applications.
• TD-4100XDC General Purpose Oil in Water Monitor General-purpose variant of the TD-4100XDC UV fluorescence-based oil-in-water monitor targeted at industrial applications outside condensate service.
• MEx1A Particle Analyzer Imaging-based online particle analyzer for continuous measurement of particles in process streams, offered with quote-based pricing.
• LP100A Benchtop Particle Analyzer Benchtop imaging-based particle analyzer for lab and offline particle measurement, offered with quote-based pricing.
• IF100A Benchtop Particle Analyzer Benchtop imaging-based particle analyzer positioned as a complementary lab/offline particle measurement instrument to the LP100A, offered with quote-based pricing.
• Process Imaging Consultancy Services Consulting-led service where process imaging experts work alongside customers to evaluate applications and advise on deployment of imaging-based measurement solutions.
• TD Sample Thief Accessory that extracts a slipstream of sample from a process line for use with TD-series oil-in-water analyzers, enabling representative online measurement.
• Clean-In-Place System Stand-alone Clean-In-Place (CIP) accessory system designed for automated cleaning of optical measurement cells used with TD-series analyzers.
• CheckPOINT Solid Standard Solid-state fluorescence reference standard used for field verification of fluorescence-based oil-in-water analyzers.
• EZ Access Flow Cell Flow cell accessory designed to simplify installation and handling of sample streams for fluorescence-based oil-in-water analyzers.
• Cuvette Caddy Cuvette holder and standalone accessory designed for clean-sample measurement use with TD-series fluorescence analyzers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Detection limits as low as 10 ppb (ug/L) for crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and fuel oils in distilled water
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Process Imaging, LTDcoreTechnology or IntegrationBenchmark Measurement Solutions partners with Process Imaging, LTD to offer market-leading particle analyzers including MEx1A, LP100A, and IF100A. The partnership also includes a complete consultancy and project management service for exploration geochemistry, oil and gas fluid behavior, water injection, wastewater treatment and produced water injection projects.
• DNVminorOthersDNV is listed as a client and partner, providing maritime and energy industry certification and testing services for oil in water monitoring applications.
• ShellminorOthersShell is listed as a client using Benchmark's oil in water monitoring technology for produced water management applications.
• ChevronminorOthersChevron is listed as a client using oil in water monitoring applications.
• FPL (Florida Power & Light)minorOthersFPL is listed as a client using cooling water monitoring for power plant operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Endress+Hauser: Global leader in process analytical instrumentation and industrial measurement, offering oil-in-water analyzers and water-quality sensors. Direct competitor across TDHI's core oil & gas, power, and wastewater accounts.
• HORIBA: Analytical and measurement instrument maker with fluorescence, spectroscopy, and water-quality products. Adjacent competitor in optical/fluorescence-based water monitoring and laboratory analyzers.
• KROHNE: Manufacturer of process instrumentation including oil-in-water analyzers and flow measurement, with strong presence in oil & gas and maritime bilge-water monitoring - directly overlapping TDHI's IMO-certified OCM and produced-water segments.
• SERES (Spectral AG): Specialist in fluorescence-based oil-in-water monitors (e.g., the Opal referenced on TDHI's news page). Closest direct competitor in UVF oil-in-water measurement for offshore and produced-water applications.
• SICK AG: Manufacturer of process instrumentation including oil-in-water and gas analyzers for oil & gas, refining, and emissions monitoring. Overlaps TDHI's hydrocarbon detection and hazardous-area certified product lines.

Broad incumbents

• Hach (Danaher): Dominant water-quality monitoring brand under Danaher, covering laboratory, portable, and online analyzers. Competes with TDHI in municipal, power, and industrial wastewater applications and bundles many parameters TDHI does not offer.
• AMETEK: Diversified electronic instruments and electromechanical devices group with process analytical and water-quality product lines. Competes at industrial sites that already use AMETEK for broader instrumentation.
• Mettler-Toledo Thornton: Manufacturer of process analytical instruments for pure water and ultrapure applications in power, semiconductor, and pharma. Adjacent competitor in power plant cooling-water and steam-cycle accounts.
• Emerson (Rosemount Analytical): Broad industrial process measurement portfolio including liquid analytical and process gas analyzers. Competes with TDHI in refineries, petrochemical plants, and power generation accounts.
• Yokogawa Electric: Process automation and analytical instrumentation supplier to oil & gas, petrochemical, and power customers globally. Competes with TDHI via integrated liquid analyzer solutions in upstream and refining accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TurnerDesignsH1
• Facebookfacebook.com/Turner-Designs-Hydrocarbon-Instruments-100279905456525

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Turner Designs Hydrocarbon Instruments