I4603

The I4603 is a capacitive 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 4603 [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 1.5 kW generator [2]. IEMI’s production table lists 105 units made in 1973–1978 [2].

Annex III.2.13 says it was used to preheat plastics in granules or powder: the material is placed between the plates of a capacitor and heated by its dielectric losses at high voltage and frequency, at a rate set by its permittivity and loss factor. It delivered 1.5 kW at 15–25 MHz, for up to 600 g of material in pellets up to 30 mm high, with a synchronous-motor timer, and drew 5 kW from the 380 V three-phase mains (0.7 kW idle) [3].