Manufacturer profile
About Alnor
Reviewed 2026-07-26
Alnor is TSI Incorporated's active ventilation-test instrument brand for airflow, velocity, pressure, and volume measurement. Its portfolio includes Balometer capture hoods, low-flow capture hoods, micromanometers, rotating-vane anemometers, and Velometer thermal anemometers. These instruments support HVAC testing, adjusting and balancing, commissioning, cleanroom work, building science, and field troubleshooting, while TSI provides current product, manual, calibration, and service support.
History
TSI's official centennial account traces Alnor to John A. Obermaier, who formed Illinois Testing Laboratories in 1914 and created the Alnor trade name in 1919 by combining the names of his sons Alfred and Norman. After Obermaier's death in 1958, his sons continued the business, and the Alnor Instrument Company name gradually replaced Illinois Testing Laboratories in the mid- to late 1960s. The Balometer capture hood, introduced in the mid-1980s, became a defining product for direct airflow measurement at HVAC diffusers and grilles.
TSI acquired Alnor Instrument Company on May 1, 1995 and has continued releasing instruments under the Alnor name. Current TSI pages list Alnor Balometer capture hoods, micromanometers, rotating vanes, and thermal anemometers, and TSI's document library still serves manuals for legacy instruments such as the Model 9870 and Velometer Jr. Because Alnor now functions as a brand inside TSI rather than an independently headquartered company, this draft records TSI as parent and omits a standalone current headquarters.
Equipment specialties
- HVAC airflow measurement
- capture hoods and Balometer instruments
- micromanometers and differential pressure measurement
- rotating-vane anemometers
- thermal anemometers and Velometer instruments
Sources
- TSI Celebrates 100 Years of Alnor Ventilation Test Instruments — TSI Incorporated (accessed 2026-07-26)
- TSI History — TSI Incorporated (accessed 2026-07-26)
- Alnor Ventilation Test Instruments — TSI Incorporated (accessed 2026-07-26)
- Balometer Air Balancing Instrument Owner's Manual — TSI Incorporated (accessed 2026-07-26)