Since its founding in 1962, OMEGA has grown from a manufacturer of a single product...a fine gauge thermocouple...into being an established global leader in the scientific and technical marketplace, offering more than 68,000 state-of-the-art instrumentation and control devices. And although OMEGA's staff, facilities, and client services are the finest anywhere, OMEGA's legendary handbooks and encyclopedias have become its hallmark--engineers throughout the world daily rely on these reference tools of unprecedented value not only for OMEGA product data, but for the vital technical information necessary to effectively employ today's sophisticated instruments and process control devices.
 But we're not resting on our laurels. We realize that your need for basic and relevant scientific data and information continues to grow, and that you require all the information you can get to keep up with rapidly advancing and ever-more-complex instrumentation and control technology. That's why we've launched OMEGA's Transactions in Measurement & Control, the first issue of which you now hold in your hands. Conceived as a practical thesis, a technical reference series for everyday users of instrumentation and controls, rather than a series of erudite essays, each issue of Transactions will be jam-packed with information on a different measurement and control technology topic. This issue, for instance, delves deeply into the issue of non-contact temperature measurement, providing a historical and theoretical context, engineering and design principles, plus selection and application guidelines for devices ranging from low-cost infrared thermocouples to sophisticated linescanners. Neither advertisements or promotionals will be present in the Transactions series.
  Future issues of Transactions, to be published on a quarterly basis, will systematically cover other aspects of temperature, humidity, pressure, strain, flow, level, pH, and conductivity instrumentation as well as other measurement, data acquisition, and control topics.
 We hope Transactions finds a permanent home on your reference shelf, and that it proves itself of great value now and in the future.

P.S. If you wish to submit an article of relevance for future issues of Transactions, please submit to my attention via mail (P.O. Box 4047, Stamford, CT 06907), FAX (203-359-7700), or e-mail (info@omega.com).

 OMEGA's Transactions in Measurement & Control series, as well as our legendary set of handbooks and encyclopedias, are designed to provide at-your-fingertips access to the technical information you need to help meet your measurement and control requirements. But when your needs exceed the printed word--when technical assistance is required to select among alternative products, or when no "off-the-shelf" product seems to fill the bill--we hope you'll turn to OMEGA. There is no advertising or promotional materials in the Transactions series. There will be none.
 Our people, our facilities, and our commitment to customer service set the standard for control and instrumentation. A sampler of our comprehensive resources and capabilities:

 • OMEGA's commitment to leading-edge research and development and state-of-the-art manufacturing keeps us firmly at the forefront of technology. OMEGA's Development and Engineering Center, located on our Stamford, Conn., campus, is home to OMEGA's design and engineering laboratories. All product designs are tested and perfected here prior to marketing. This facility houses OMEGA's metrology lab and other quality control facilities. The testing that takes place here assures that you receive the best products for your applications.
 • On the manufacturing side, our Bridgeport, N.J., vertically integrated manufacturing facility near Philadelphia houses advanced thermocouple wire production equipment along with a host of other computerized CNC milling machines, injection molding equipment, screw machines, braiders, extruders, punch presses and much, much more.
 • If our broad range of standard products don't quite match your needs, OMEGA is proud to offer the most sophisticated and extensive custom engineering capabilities in the process measurement and control industry. Whether you need a simple modification of a standard product or complete customized system, OMEGA can accommodate your special request. Free CAD drawings also are supplied with customized product orders or a new design built to your specifications at no obligation.
 • We believe in active versus reactive customer service. To complement our current business and manufacturing operations, OMEGA continues to strive toward new levels of quality by pursuing ISO 9000 quality standards. This systematic approach to quality strengthens OMEGA's competitive edge. Our calibration services and quality control test center are trustworthy resources that help satisfy our customers' needs for accuracy on an initial and ongoing basis.
 • The company's technical center welcomes many corporate groups of engineers and scientists who turn to OMEGA for training. Our 140-seat auditorium, equipped with the latest in multimedia presentation technologies, provides an ideal learning environment for training tailored to your company's needs--from basic refreshers to in-depth courses.
 In short, it is our commitment to quality instrumentation and exceptional customer service that remains the cornerstone of our success. OMEGA's priority is clear: we exist to facilitate solutions to your needs.