BASF stands for *Badische Anilin- & Sodafabrik* ("Baden Aniline and Soda Factory").
The company was founded in 1865 in Mannheim, with construction of its main plants beginning in Ludwigshafen. It was originally a chemical enterprise focused primarily on the production of dyes and the chemicals required for them.
For decades, BASF developed its own magnetic coatings, manufactured magnetic tape, and operated its own facilities for cassette production and assembly.
In 1934, BASF developed its first industrial magnetic tape; the company supplied AEG with the first 50,000 meters of magnetic audio tape, and in 1935, AEG unveiled the Magnetophon at the Berlin Radio Exhibition.
BASF traces the origins of its magnetic tape to the production of finely dispersed carbonyl iron, which had been manufactured in Ludwigshafen since 1924 for use in telephony equipment. Expertise in working with dispersions stemmed from dye production, while new plastics made it possible to create a flexible base for the magnetic layer.
1966 saw the opening of a new specialized magnetic tape plant in Willstätt. Built specifically for magnetic products, the facility manufactured audio and video cassettes, electronic data storage media, and other products.
By 1967, BASF already operated four major magnetic tape production plants:
- Ludwigshafen and Willstätt, Germany;
- Gien, France;
- a plant near Boston, Massachusetts.
An article titled "Inside BASF" in the English magazine *Tape Recorder* (October 1967) states that the film was stretched to approximately three times its original length at high temperatures. This process ensured the necessary mechanical stability of the base material.
In 1973, *Audio* magazine described the cassette assembly area at the Willstätt plant: automated equipment assembled the top and bottom halves of the housing together with the pre-wound tape packs. The housings were fastened with screws at the time, unlike the sonic welding used at some other facilities.
In the late 1960s, BASF obtained a license from DuPont for the technology to produce CrO₂-based magnetic material.
As a result, BASF became one of the first major manufacturers of commercial chromium dioxide tape.
Around December 1978, BASF introduced a labeling system using a ten-digit production code printed on the cassette:
the first 3 digits — the day of the year
the 4th digit — the last digit of the year
the 5th and 6th digits — the production site code
the subsequent digits — internal information.
A statement by BASF cited in the European music industry publication *Music & Media* on November 1, 1986, noted: "In the previous year, BASF produced 45 million audio cassettes at its Gien and Obenheim plants. Additionally, these French plants manufactured 14 million blank video cassettes."
BASF was ranked as the third-largest audio cassette manufacturer, following Agfa and Sony.
In 1992, BASF experienced a major production incident involving magnetic tape: issues with the solvent recovery system at the Willstätt plant resulted in the manufacture of a large volume of defective products. According to digital archaeology research, the plant was producing around 20 million cassettes annually at the time, and BASF was forced to replace more than 4 million tapes manufactured prior to 1991.
In 1990, BASF acquired Agfa Magnetics and retained both production centers: Willstätt (formerly BASF) and Munich (formerly Agfa).
Following a reorganization in 1996, the magnetic media division was spun off into an independent company, BASF Magnetics.
In the late 1990s, BASF decided to exit the magnetic media business; on January 1, 1997, it sold its global magnetic tape operations to the South Korean KOHAP Group, and the company was renamed EMTEC Magnetics.
In 2000, the EMTEC brand entered the global market.