HISTORY OF "ARSENAL"
AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF
ITS ACTIVITY
"ARSENAL" Ltd. is a modern infrastructural plant
specialized in machine-building and the production of small arms and
artillery systems, ammunition, powders, primers, pyrotechnic products,
hard- alloy tools etc. Its history dates back to the beginning of 1878
when, by Decree of prince Dondukov in Rousse was established a special
factory for the needs of the newly created Bulgarian army - Artillery
Arsenal of Rousse.
Till 1884 Russian officers act as managers
of this Artillery Arsenal. On 28.02.1884 Prof. general Simeon Nikolov
Vankov was appointed as the first Bulgarian director of the factory.
At the beginning of 1891, by Decree
No 10 of prince Ferdinand the factory was transferred in Sofia and so
was established the Sofia Artillery Arsenal with General Stefan Belov
as chief.
In 1924 by the Decree of tzar Boris
the III and by law adopted by the XXI Regular National Assembly, due to
strategic reasons the factory was moved to Kazanlak under the name of
State Military Factory. The law established its basic function -"to
produce and repair all military equipment necessary for the army, the
police, the border troops and all state security organs, as well as the
testing of new models". Besides the rifles, pistols, cartridges manufactured
at the Sofia Artillery Arsenal, for the first time in Kazanlak were produced
primers, gas masks (1927-29), double-base and single-base artillery powders
(1936-42), brake recoil fluids for the canons and the production of artillery
projectiles was modernized.
In the course of the years the factory
was enlarging, renovating and developing to become a considerable part
of the national economy.
After the World War II started the production
of new articles of primary importance for the country - three-furrow ploughs,
disk harrows, batteries, diesel engines, electric motors, as well as the
repair of optical systems and the production of the first lathes and vertical
milling machines.
Since 01.04.1947 by the Decree of the
Council of Ministers the State Military Factory became a self-supported
economic unit.
By Decree of the Council of Ministers
of 30.12.1948 the Military plants in the country merged into a special
State holding "Metalchim" and the State Military Factory-Kazanlak
passed from the Defence Ministry to Ministry of Industry and crafts under
the name of "Factory-10".
During the years 1956-58 "Factory-10"
started the production of a recoilless canon B-10, as well as of assault
rifle. Its first specimen
was manufactured in 1958 and the jubilee-one million-in 1982.
In the sixties the factory started the
production of machine-tools: Drilling Machines BK-20 and BK-32 and Milling
Machines FU-250 and FU-320. Later on were created the conditions for designing
and serial manufacturing of other machine-tools with high technical and
economic parameters-a large range of milling machines, special purpose
machines, units etc.
On 01.12.1960 started the production
of hard-alloy inserts. By Decree of the Council of Ministers from 10.08.1964
the factory was renamed to United Industrial Plant "Friedrich Engels"
and became a powerful centre of the national machine building and the
military industry. In this connection the factory adopted a new structure
divided into seven independent factories.
In 1996 on the area of IPP "F.
Engels" was performed the assembly of cars "Bulgar Renault-8"
and started the production of anti-tank recoilless systems RPG-7 and SPG-9.
In 1967 started the Development Centre
, which in 1984 grew into an Institute for Machine-tools.
In the course of the following period
were introduced new production facilities as follows:
Factory for springs;
Factory for special purpose machinery;
Factory for optional equipment (non-standard);
Production of powders, primers and pyrotechnic products;
Workshop for CNC machines;
Computing center etc.
From 1977 till 1989 the factory was
known in Bulgaria and abroad as "F.Engels" Machine Building
Plant. The machinery fleet is continually improved and modernized thus
enlarging the possibilities for a wider scale of production. Simultaneously
grew the number and the qualification of the specialists. All that was
a premise for perfecting the licenced production, design and serial production
of new products:
1971-72 - 9x18 mm pistol cartridges;
1971-73 - 7,62 mm machine
gun ;
1972-74 - 9 mm "Makarov" pistol;
1976-78 - 7,62 mm tank machine
gun ;
1983 - 23 mm anti-aircraft system ZU-23-2;
1984-86 - 5,45 mm assault
rifle ;
1985-87 - 5,45x39,5mm cartridges;
1986-87 - 122 mm howitzer etc.
In 1989-90 started the production of
new machining centres under the licence of the Japanese company "Yamazaki".
A new Factory for the production of hard-alloy mixtures and inserts and
a monolith module system "VARILOCK" was established and equipped
under the licence of the Swedish company "SANDVIK KOROMANT"
A Factory for syntethic diamond was
opened in collaboration with specialists of the Institute for Ultrahard
Materials-Kiev.
Our company has demonstrated a rapid
adapting to the new market conditions and orientation to the NATO structures
and the EU, adopting the armament systems according to NATO standards.
Since December 5 the factory has become a limited liability company "Arsenal"
Ltd. with the following object:
Casting, forging, hot and cold stamping, mechanical
treatment;
Production and trading of technological and optional
equipment, ultra hard materials and tools, small arms and artillery
systems, accessories and ammunition, primers, powders, charges, pyrotechnic
products;