Electromagnetica

Electromagnetica in Bucharest is an enterprise with a long tradition and was the first Romanian producer of telephones and telephone exchanges [1][2]. In 1967 a dedicated design and research institute, IPCT (Institutul de Proiectări și Cercetări pentru Telecomunicații), was created for it, needed for the introduction of computer-processed data transmission over telephone lines [1].

In 1954–1956 Electromagnetica, the former Grigore Preoteasa works, also produced five types of radio receivers, to cover domestic demand until Radio Popular could meet it; in 1956 the production lines were transferred to Radio Popular [4]. The list of Radio Popular receivers includes a model named after the works, the Electromagnetica S 552 A [4]. In the same year Electromagnetica took over Radio Popular’s foundry of metal magnets for loudspeakers, magnetos, telephone capsules and headphones, set up in 1953 at the ICET institute [4].

The company, listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (ELMA), later moved into lighting fixtures, small hydro power plants and electric-vehicle charging stations; in 2024 it was selling off most of its production assets [2].

In 1956 the selenium rectifier cells developed at the ICPE institute went into series production at Electromagnetica [7].

Military communications

From the 1950s to 1990 Electromagnetica headed the list of makers of military signal equipment: its Special Production Factory (Fabrica de Producție Specială), building designs of the army’s research institute ICSITA, was a major and often the only supplier of the Signal Troops Command [5]. It was the only maker of field telephones for the Romanian army, from the licence-built ATI-52 to the F-1600, F-1603 and F-1604 and the digital Delta 01 [5]. Its field exchanges ran from the Soviet-designed K-10 and the manual F-1612, F-1613, F-1640 and F-1641 to the TS-603 for secure links and the automatic digital F-1650, F-1651, F-1652 and SINTAX [5]. It also made telephone multiplex systems (F-3090, F-3030, F-3091, F-3031, F-3020, F-3010-24 SF, F-3011-8), telegraph multiplex systems (F-3140, F-3170, F-3050), the F-2103 digital telegraph exchange, the F-1300, F-1301 and F-1302 electronic telegraph apparatus, the F-1000 and F-1001 alerting systems and the STIG information system of the border troops, and it coordinated the F-2000 mobile signal centre [5]. With the institutes IFTAR and IOR it made laser equipment, such as the TLA-M1 artillery laser rangefinder and the rangefinder of the CICLOP tank fire-control system, and the experimental CL-2 laser communicator was to be made there [5]. According to the book, all the signal equipment it made was accepted for service by the Warsaw Pact armies [5]. The book’s list also names the R-126, R-105 and R-107 radio stations made under licence, the R-104 radio vehicle station of its own design, the TDFO optical-fibre data multiplexer, the R-4010 BCS service channel unit and the R-1010-2 and R-1010-4 radio control units [6]..

In 1989

In 1989 Electromagnetica belonged to the Industrial Central for Automation Equipment (CIEA) of the Ministry of the Electrotechnical Industry. The research centre for telecommunications equipment (CCSIT-ET), part of the automation research institute IPA, was listed at the same address and used Electromagnetica’s telex number [3].