I4602

The I4602 is an inductive high-frequency power generator, made by IEMI in Bucharest and designed at the ICE research institute [1]. The ICE laboratory’s table gives its code as J 4602 [1].

ICE’s laboratory for electronic instruments for measuring electrical quantities designed all the institute’s generations of oscilloscopes, voltmeters, multimeters, signal generators, frequency meters, logic analysers, RLC bridges and stabilised AC power supplies; they went into production at IEMI or in ICE’s own microproduction workshop, and equipped industrial laboratories and production lines as well as teaching and research laboratories [1]. In the 1970s and 1980s about half of the components of measuring instruments were imported; after 1980 about three quarters were Romanian [1].

It is a 5 kW inductive generator for surface hardening and heating of metal parts [2]. IEMI’s production table lists 3 units made in 1971–1972 [2].

Annex III.2.13 lists its uses as surface hardening of small steel parts, through-heating of bars and tubes, partial heating of large parts, welding, forging and brazing, and laboratory work such as melting in vacuum or inert gas, glass-to-metal seals and sustaining a high-frequency plasma; the part is placed inside a water-cooled coil of copper tube (the inductor) and heated by the induced currents. It delivered 5 kW at 1.9 MHz continuously, with an electronic timer stopping the oscillation after 0–275 s, and drew 14 kW from the three-phase mains (2 kW idle) [3].