Since our founding in 1969, Ralston Instruments has been driven by the same spark of innovation that started it all. From one breakthrough idea to a broad portfolio of testing solutions, we’ve earned the trust of industries around the globe by transforming real-world challenges into practical solutions that deliver confidence on every job. Here’s how it all began.
While working as a manufacturer’s rep in the late 1960s, young Doug Ralston sold a pressure switch for a particularly difficult application in a steel mill that was subject to a lot of hydraulic shock and pressure spikes. It was completely mechanical, so they couldn’t tell if it was working or not without pulling it from service, and that meant shutting down the line, calling in both a union electrician and a union pipefitter to disconnect it, and sending it to a shop somewhere where it could be pressure tested. Hours of downtime for a simple test left him shaking his head, and somewhere in that frustration an idea began to take root.
Working from the basement of his home in Cleveland Hts., Ohio, Doug designed the world’s first handheld pneumatic calibration pump, a portable way to generate pressure on-site. The industry quickly took notice, and Ralston Instruments was born.
What began as a single breakthrough has grown into a wide range of solutions designed to simplify and improve critical pressure testing tasks. From field calibration and hydrostatic testing to pressure safety valve verification and more, we’ve continued to develop practical answers to real problems, shaped by the everyday experiences of the people who rely on them.
As calibration moved into the digital age, we added tools that combine solid accuracy with smart software, so teams can work faster and capture more reliable data - right where the job happens.
Through it all, we’ve remained a family-owned company with a deep commitment to quality. Our products are engineered, manufactured, and assembled in the USA by a team that understands how critical precision is in the industries we serve. Whether you’re in a control room, a processing plant, or 200 feet off the ground, Ralston Instruments deliver confidence you can trust, wherever the job takes you.
Our story began by meeting a need with a smart, effective solution. Decades later, that same spirit still drives everything we do. As demands grow and the world changes, we’re here to meet the moment, with tools that work as hard as the people who use them.