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SAINTE-HÉLÈNE-DU-LAC, France

Acerde, an innovative company specializing in the development of rotating anodes for X-ray tubes used in the medical imaging industry, today announced (i) the signature of a development contract with a major China-based player in medical imaging, (ii) its achievement of a number of industrial development milestones and (iii) the preparation of the company’s next generation of highly innovative rotating anodes (which are now composite-based rather than graphite-based).

“We are very excited about this agreement with a China-based medical imaging giant that underpins our recent developments and confirms the quality of our rotating anodes for X-ray tubes. Acerde has achieved a key milestone, and this will bring us greater international recognition and exposure. China is seeking to develop its own technology by leveraging the best-performing, most innovative solutions on the market. This contract definitely reinforces our position in China”, commented Acerde’s President Hervé Poirel.

Tests performed in collaboration with all the major players in the global medical imaging market have proved very successful. Multinationals will now be able to test a larger number of rotating anodes under real-life conditions, given that an anode’s lifespan is about 3 to 4 months. Now that Acerde’s completed production line is capable of producing 150 anodes per month, the company will be able to test its products on a larger scale.

The lengthy, costly marketing phase has nevertheless resulted in the signature of 10-year contracts
After accelerated testing throughout 2013 (a standard accelerated test normally takes 2 months and simulates 18 months of real-life use), major medical imaging companies are now testing Acerde’s anodes in situ. Although the marketing phase has proved to be very long, once the customer is convinced, he signs up for ten years.

Global rotating anode market
The global rotating anode market for X-ray tubes generates 300,000 parts per year (around €250 million), which are manufactured mostly for export (USA, China, Japan, Germany, Italy). The first manufacturing unit has been set up for annual production of 1,000 to 1,500 anodes. Acerde has signed several cooperation agreements with many key participants in the sector and already has numerous pre-production orders, thus giving it a position on various markets in the United States, Germany, Italy, France, China and Japan. In time, Acerde hopes to obtain 10% of this market. Acerde’s customers include some of the major names in medical imaging, as well as equipment manufacturers who make their own X-ray tubes.

www.acerde.com