A Brief History of the Alnor Brand of Products
Alnor Instrument Co. (originally called Illinois Testing Laboratories) started in 1919 in Chicago, Illinois as a repair and service center for precision instrumentation. The Alnor Pyrometer was the first instrument to be marketed. In 1920, manufacturing and sales rights were purchased for the Crit Point Instrument; in 1930, the Price Instrument and Pyrometer Company was acquired; in 1934, the manufacturing rights and patent for a line of instruments for detection of contraband material was purchased. These instruments, such as the Electronic Eye and Metal Detector, were used across the country in penal institutions.
The Alnor Velometer®, still a widely used instrument, was first manufactured in 1936, and was joined by the Velometer Jr. in 1938. The Dewpointer®, also still in use today, was launched in the early 1940's.
The next three decades were spent perfecting high quality manufacturing processes. In 1970, Alnor began manufacturing electronic products and the company moved to suburban Niles, Illinois.
In the early 1980's, Alnor expanded its product line with the introduction of the CompuFlow® series, still a standard in the industry. The microprocessor-based instruments measure both air flow and temperature. This enables air balancing engineers to perform their jobs with one hand-held Alnor instrument. As with many Alnor products, the CompuFlow is popular with industrial hygienists and laboratory personnel, as well as with HVAC contractors. Industrial hygienists find the long reach of the air velocity probe to be greatly beneficial when making lab hood measurements.
Making contractors' and hygienists' jobs easier and more productive is the philosophy behind all of Alnor's new product development. The first Alnor micromanometer derived from this: the AXD 550 Micromanometer measures and records differential pressure and air velocity in HVAC and industrial applications, eliminating the need to use several instruments.
The Standard Balometer®, an air flow capture hood, was developed in 1984, the same year Alnor relocated to Skokie, Illinois. It uses the popular Velometer swinging vane instrument as its heart. The Electronic Balometer, which uses a thermo-anemometer sensor, started shipping in 1990. The Alnor Balometer is the world leader in capture hood technology.
In 1987, Alnor began manufacturing the AirGard® series of lab hood alarms and monitors. Today, Alnor lab hood monitors are installed on over 30% of new hoods. Alnor is also the leader in retro-fit monitors on existing hoods.
In 1998, Alnor introduced the LoFlo Balometer®, a new standard for low volume measurement, and a new family of CompuFlow instruments with datalogging capability. A new water pressure meter, the HM 650 Hydronic Manometer, started shipping in 1999. New instruments for IAQ applications introduced in 2000, including two carbon dioxide instruments and two thermo-hygrometers, further increased the number of diagnostic tools available.
Alnor's reputation within the industrial hygiene, HVAC contractor, and test and balance market is unsurpassed. Additionally, facility maintenance personnel and building engineers rely on Alnor brand instruments to help them more efficiently address IAQ issues in their buildings.
The long Alnor tradition of providing reliable, durable instrumentation continues at the manufacturing, engineering, sales, and service facilities of TSI Incorporated in Shoreview, Minnesota and DICKEY-john in Auburn, Illinois.
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