Tecnomasio
Encyclopedia
Tecnomasio was an Italian scientific and precision instrument company founded in the 1860s. By the beginning of the 20th century the company has begun to produce electrical equipment. After financial problems in the early 1900s the company was acquired by Brown Boveri becoming Tecnomasio Italiano Brown Boveri commonly known as TIBB; instrument production halted and the company became an industrial electrical equipment producer, one of the major companies in Italy.
The company became part of the ABB group as ABB Tecnomasio in 1988 after the merger of its parent. The plant in Vado Ligure
became part of Adtranz
and later part of Bombardier's transportation group.
founded a company in Milan. Porro left the company in 1864 to be replaced by photographer Alessandro Duroni forming the company "Duroni, Longoni, Dell'Acqua". Alessandro gave up his stake in 1866 and Dell'Acqua in 1868 making Longoni the sole owner. In 1870 Bartolomeo Cabella joined the company. Longoni died in 1871, and Cabella became the director of the company.
Initially the company produced scientific apparatus, including microscopes, heliostat
s, cathetometer
s, theodolite
s and arc lamps. Cabella took over the company in 1878 and the name became Ing. B. Cabella e C..
Under Cabella's management the company attempted to expand its product range from precision instrument to one including industrial electromechanical devices such as alternators and dynamos; the company was converted to a limited company in 1898 as Società Anonima Tecnomasio Italiano ing. B. Cabella e C. By 1903 the company was in a financial crisis, Cabella was dismissed from the company, and Brown Boveri of Switzerland took a 50% stake in the company, forming Tecnomasio Italiano Brown Boveri (TIBB). The company ended its production of instruments and became a manufacturer of industrial equipment.
The milanese electromechanical company Gadda e C. was also acquired by Brown and Boveri in 1908 and the Westinghouse factory in Vado Ligure
was acquired in 1921. During the next two decades the factories in Milan played a major role in supplying electrical generators and transformers for Italian hydroelectric plant. The company also became involved in railway electrification, electrifying the line from Bolzano to Brenner
founding the company Sae.
During World War II
the factories were badly damaged by bombing, afterwards production of locomotives and large scale electrical generators began again, along with the start of production of white goods.
In 1988 the company became part of the ABB Group after the merger of its parent Brown Boveri with ASEA
, later it would become part of Adtranz
, and after Adtranz
became fully owned by DaimlerChrysler
the name of Italian sub division became Daimler Chrysler Rail System (Italia) SpA.
As of 2010 the Vado Ligure plant is part of Bombardier Transportation Italy S.p.A. and manufactures locomotives.
between 1908 and 1920. After the state railways decided on 3kV DC electrification prototypes of class FS Class E625 were produced in Vado Ligure.
Post WWII the FS Class E424
(1940s) and then FS Class E636
(1950s) followed by the FS Class E646
during the 1960s all of which were successful designs.
During the 1960s and 1970s the FS Class E444
and FS Class E656
were produced, by the 1980s electronic chopper control began to be used, first in the FS Class E632
. By the 1990s the company had taken part in the consortium producing the ETR 500
high speed trains.
From the nineties, locomotive production switched to ABB-developed inverter
-controlled AC induction motor
technology, first introduced in the multivoltage electric locomotives of the FS Class E412
, already delivered as part of the Adtranz group. The FS Class E464
, a single-cabin electric locomotive which would become one of the most numerous italian locomotives ever with 638 units ordered, production continuing under Bombardiers ownership.
The company became part of the ABB group as ABB Tecnomasio in 1988 after the merger of its parent. The plant in Vado Ligure
Vado Ligure
Vado Ligure, in antiquity Vado Sabatia, is a town and comune in the province of Savona, Liguria, in northern Italy.- Economy :Vado has a large industrial and commercial port....
became part of Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
and later part of Bombardier's transportation group.
History
The origins of the company Tecnomasio go back as far as 1863 when mechanical and civil engineer Luigi Longoni, instrument maker Carlo Dell'Acqua, and optical scientist Ignazio PorroIgnazio Porro
Ignazio Porro was an Italian inventor of optical instruments.Porro's name is most closely associated with the prism system which he invented around 1850 and which is used in the construction of Porro prism binoculars....
founded a company in Milan. Porro left the company in 1864 to be replaced by photographer Alessandro Duroni forming the company "Duroni, Longoni, Dell'Acqua". Alessandro gave up his stake in 1866 and Dell'Acqua in 1868 making Longoni the sole owner. In 1870 Bartolomeo Cabella joined the company. Longoni died in 1871, and Cabella became the director of the company.
Initially the company produced scientific apparatus, including microscopes, heliostat
Heliostat
A heliostat is a device that includes a mirror, usually a plane mirror, which turns so as to keep reflecting sunlight toward a predetermined target, compensating for the sun's apparent motions in the sky. The target may be a physical object, distant from the heliostat, or a direction in space...
s, cathetometer
Cathetometer
A cathetometer is an instrument for measuring vertical distances in cases where a scale cannot be placed very close to the points whose distance apart is desired....
s, theodolite
Theodolite
A theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are mainly used for surveying applications, and have been adapted for specialized purposes in fields like metrology and rocket launch technology...
s and arc lamps. Cabella took over the company in 1878 and the name became Ing. B. Cabella e C..
Under Cabella's management the company attempted to expand its product range from precision instrument to one including industrial electromechanical devices such as alternators and dynamos; the company was converted to a limited company in 1898 as Società Anonima Tecnomasio Italiano ing. B. Cabella e C. By 1903 the company was in a financial crisis, Cabella was dismissed from the company, and Brown Boveri of Switzerland took a 50% stake in the company, forming Tecnomasio Italiano Brown Boveri (TIBB). The company ended its production of instruments and became a manufacturer of industrial equipment.
The milanese electromechanical company Gadda e C. was also acquired by Brown and Boveri in 1908 and the Westinghouse factory in Vado Ligure
Vado Ligure
Vado Ligure, in antiquity Vado Sabatia, is a town and comune in the province of Savona, Liguria, in northern Italy.- Economy :Vado has a large industrial and commercial port....
was acquired in 1921. During the next two decades the factories in Milan played a major role in supplying electrical generators and transformers for Italian hydroelectric plant. The company also became involved in railway electrification, electrifying the line from Bolzano to Brenner
Brenner
Brenner might refer to:* The Brenner Pass, one of the major passes through the Alps, linking Italy and Austria* Brenner, a municipality in South Tyrol* Brenner Base Tunnel railway tunnel through the base of the Brenner massif.* Brenner...
founding the company Sae.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the factories were badly damaged by bombing, afterwards production of locomotives and large scale electrical generators began again, along with the start of production of white goods.
In 1988 the company became part of the ABB Group after the merger of its parent Brown Boveri with ASEA
ASEA
Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget was a Swedish industry company. It merged with the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie in 1988 to form Asea Brown Boveri...
, later it would become part of Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
, and after Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
became fully owned by DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler
Daimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
the name of Italian sub division became Daimler Chrysler Rail System (Italia) SpA.
As of 2010 the Vado Ligure plant is part of Bombardier Transportation Italy S.p.A. and manufactures locomotives.
Locomotives
In 1911 TIBB supplied the FS Class E320 electric locomotives for the Italian Railways, whilst the Westinghouse plant in Vado Ligure manufacturer the FS Class E550FS Class E550
The FS Class E550 was a class of three-phase electric locomotive used in Italy, introduced in the 20th century, which remained in service until 1965.-History:...
between 1908 and 1920. After the state railways decided on 3kV DC electrification prototypes of class FS Class E625 were produced in Vado Ligure.
Post WWII the FS Class E424
FS Class E424
The FS E424 is a class of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were built in 1943-1951 and have been decommissioned in 2008.-History:A design for a small multi-service Bo-Bo locomotive, with speed up to 90 km/h, had been devised by Giuseppe Bianchi as early as in the 1930s, but the...
(1940s) and then FS Class E636
FS class E636
The FS E636 is a class of Italian articulated electric locomotives. They were introduced in the course of the 1940s until the 1960s, and have been decommissioned in 2006. They have been one of the most numerous Italian locomotive group, and have been widely employed during their long career,...
(1950s) followed by the FS Class E646
FS class E646
The FS E645 and E646 are two classes of similar electric locomotives used on Italian railways. They were introduced during the 1950s and they have been retired in 2009.- History :...
during the 1960s all of which were successful designs.
During the 1960s and 1970s the FS Class E444
FS Class E444
The FS E444 is a class of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were introduced in the course of the 1960 until 1975. Starting from 1995, all E444s were upgraded as E444R.The locomotives are nicknamed Tartaruga .-E444 standard:...
and FS Class E656
FS Class E656
The Class E656 is an Italian articulated rheostatic-type electric locomotive built from 1973 to 1989. An evolution of the E646/5, they are all-purpose locomotives, and have been used on every kind of train, ranging from freight to intercity passenger trasport.The E656 is nicknamed "Caimano" .-...
were produced, by the 1980s electronic chopper control began to be used, first in the FS Class E632
FS Class E632
The FS E632 and E633 are two classes of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were introduced in the course of the 1980s.The locomotives are nicknamed Tigre .-History:...
. By the 1990s the company had taken part in the consortium producing the ETR 500
ETR 500
ETR 500 is a family of Italian high-speed trains introduced in 1993.Designed under the aegis of the Ferrovie dello Stato , it is now operated by Trenitalia on RFI tracks.-History:...
high speed trains.
From the nineties, locomotive production switched to ABB-developed inverter
Inverter (electrical)
An inverter is an electrical device that converts direct current to alternating current ; the converted AC can be at any required voltage and frequency with the use of appropriate transformers, switching, and control circuits....
-controlled AC induction motor
Induction motor
An induction or asynchronous motor is a type of AC motor where power is supplied to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction. These motors are widely used in industrial drives, particularly polyphase induction motors, because they are robust and have no brushes...
technology, first introduced in the multivoltage electric locomotives of the FS Class E412
FS class E412
The E412 class is a batch of multi-role electric locomotives built for the mountain lines, particularly for the northern Italian lines of the Brenner pass. They are known as Brenner or Brennerlok locomotives...
, already delivered as part of the Adtranz group. The FS Class E464
FS Class E464
The E464 is a class of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were introduced in the course of the 1990s for hauling light trains, especially for commuter service. They were acquired by FS Trenitalia to replace the old E424 and E646, dating from the 1940s and 1950s...
, a single-cabin electric locomotive which would become one of the most numerous italian locomotives ever with 638 units ordered, production continuing under Bombardiers ownership.