ALCEN is a supplier and/or partner of large international fundamental or applied research programmes. The Group develops and supplies mechanical components and complex multi-technology systems integrated into particle accelerators, high power lasers, experimental nuclear reactors and telescopes.

Power lasers
by subsidiaries:
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Bringing together the expertise and means of four ALCEN subsidiaries, ALSYMEX offers its clients solutions and services with high added value:
- Feasibility studies
- Engineering: machining, welding, vacuum
- Detailed design: mechanical engineering, thermo-mechanics, seismicity, vacuum, optics
- Production of high-precision mechanical and optomechanical assemblies: boilerwork, joint welding, machining
- Incorporation of complex systems in ISO 5 to ISO 8 class clean environments
- Non-destructive testing
- On-site installation
- Maintenance of mechanical, optomechanical, vacuum and high voltage systems for large scientific instruments and nuclear-capable sites
- Large programme management
ALSYMEX operates in the fields of defence, energy, aeronautics and large research infrastructures.
Parc Saint-Exupéry
10 rue de Bacaris – BP 30059
33703 Mérignac cedex
France- Website
- Contact
- Location on map
- +33 (0)5 56 13 84 44
ALSYMEX on ALCEN's website
Defense & Security Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Nuclear
Aeronautics & Space Mechanical components
Aeronautics & Space Engineering & Maintenance
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With over 20 years of existence and experience, ITHPP has become the French leader in high-pulsed power and high-power microwave technologies.
Driven by customer specifications, ITHPP designs and manufactures highly adapted and innovative systems linking the technologies to scientific research, civil and military applications.
High Pulsed Power technologies allow the amplification of electrical power delivery over a shorter burst duration. Since energy is the product of power over time, by maintaining a constant flow of energy and reducing the duration of the pulse it is possible to achieve powers in excess of a hundred Gigawatts.
High Powered Microwaves are very highly charged electromagnetic pulsations capable of disturbing and even destroying electronic components used in increasingly complex systems. The interest in these high powered microwaves are due to the vast array of usages, varying from more classic usages (Radar types) to more advanced technologies, such as those used in Electronic Warfare.
ITHPP on ALCEN's website
Defense & Security Airborne drone & vehicle stop
Defense & Security Simulation
Medical & Healthcare Sterilisation
Power lasers
ALSYMEX and ITHPP are involved in the Megajoule Laser (LMJ) programme. They offer innovative solutions and services that meet strict requirements.
As such, ITHPP is in charge of providing the switching functions of Megajoule laser energy benches.
ALSYMEX, through its involvement in many subassemblies of laser chains, is one of CEA's main partners:
- design, production, clean room assembly and on-site integration of amplifying sections, laser transport lines and certain subassemblies of the frequency conversion system,
- manufacturing of adaptive mirrors and protective panels of the experimental sphere, etc.
ALSYMEX also maintains in operational condition various equipment parts of the laser chains and of the experimental hall, and carries out anti-reflection treatments for all LMJ optics (SOL GEL).
This unique expertise, developed within the context of this key project of the French nuclear simulation programme, is also used to respond to the other demands of large high-power laser projects. ALSYMEX is therefore involved in the European ELI project, in particular in the Romanian pillar, being responsible for:
- design, manufacture and on site installation of a interaction chamber between high energy electrons and photons to generate gamma rays;
- design, manufacture and on site installation of key components of 10 PW laser beam transport systems.

Particle accelerators
by subsidiaries:
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Bringing together the expertise and means of four ALCEN subsidiaries, ALSYMEX offers its clients solutions and services with high added value:
- Feasibility studies
- Engineering: machining, welding, vacuum
- Detailed design: mechanical engineering, thermo-mechanics, seismicity, vacuum, optics
- Production of high-precision mechanical and optomechanical assemblies: boilerwork, joint welding, machining
- Incorporation of complex systems in ISO 5 to ISO 8 class clean environments
- Non-destructive testing
- On-site installation
- Maintenance of mechanical, optomechanical, vacuum and high voltage systems for large scientific instruments and nuclear-capable sites
- Large programme management
ALSYMEX operates in the fields of defence, energy, aeronautics and large research infrastructures.
Parc Saint-Exupéry
10 rue de Bacaris – BP 30059
33703 Mérignac cedex
France- Website
- Contact
- Location on map
- +33 (0)5 56 13 84 44
ALSYMEX on ALCEN's website
Defense & Security Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Nuclear
Aeronautics & Space Mechanical components
Aeronautics & Space Engineering & Maintenance
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For more than 30 years, IRELEC designs and manufactures high technology equipment for demanding applications, such as large research infrastructures (particle accelerators, power laser …) and medical research centres.
The reputation of its excellence has been affirmed in France as well as worldwide: IRELEC supplies and maintains in operational conditions equipment all over Europe, in Americas and in Asia.
IRELEC commitment to its customers is based on its ability to adapt robust solutions to their specific constraints, thanks to IRELEC expertise in high precision mechanical engineering, robotics, ultra-high vacuum technologies and cryogenics.
IRELEC main product lines:
- Opto-mechanical systems for X-ray beam transport and conditioning
- Robotic systems intended to complex processes, such as biological samples manipulation in cryogenic environment
- Test benches (power electronics characterization, detection of pollution by nanoparticles, control of magnetic structures…)
20 rue du Tour de l'Eau
38400 Saint-Martin-d'Hères
France- Website
- Contact
- Location on map
- +33 (0)4 76 44 12 96
IRELEC on ALCEN's website
Medical & Healthcare Biobank
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PMB specialises in the assembly of dissimilar materials by vacuum brazing. It makes complex mechanical components for global medical equipment industries. These "metal/metal" or "ceramic/metal" assemblies are integrated into X-ray tubes for scanners, or in radiotherapy machines or in medical implants in the form of pressure seals.
It also develops products used in scientific research, defence, space and nuclear.
It has a production site in France and a second in the Maghreb through its subsidiary PMB Tunisia, offering its main clients a reliable supply for optimised cost.
Route des Michels CD56
Lieu dit « La Corneirelle »
13790 Peynier
France- Website
- Contact
- Location on map
- +33 (0)4 42 53 13 13
PMB on ALCEN's website
Aeronautics & Space Mechanical components
Aeronautics & Space Vision & Inspection
Medical & Healthcare Medical machines
Medical & Healthcare Mechanical & electronic components
Particle accelerators
Whether for fundamental research (nuclear and particle physics) or applied research (synchrotrons and neutron sources) or industrial applications (medical and non-destructive testing), ALSYMEX, IRELEC and PMB are involved in design and manufacture for major particle accelerator programmes.
ALSYMEX
ALSYMEX designs and manufactures mechanical components and subassemblies that comply with restrictive specifications in terms of dimensions, precision, pressure and cleanliness.
For example, ALSYMEX is involved in the X-FEL X-ray free-electron laser programme, constructed in Hamburg within the context of a European collaboration. The company was responsible, in collaboration with CEA, for the assembly of the one hundred cryomodules of the accelerator.
The assembly operations were organised around eight special workshops, some in an ISO 4 ultra-clean environment, combining assembly, welding, inspection, vacuum, laser tracker metrology and handling expertise.
IRELEC
For over 25 years, IRELEC has designed and manufactured highly reliable optomechanical components for soft and hard X-ray beamlines of synchrotron light sources around the world (France, Germany, England, Spain, Sweden, USA, China, Australia, etc.): high-stability modular mirror systems, Kirkpatrick-Baez systems, LAUE monochromators, dynamic mirror benders, beam attenuators, micro-ovens for tomography experiments and X-ray diffusion.
IRELEC also designs and manufactures robotised systems for transferring and handling frozen biological samples (macromolecules).
PMB
PMB designs and manufactures a wide range of components and subsystems at the heart of electron or hadron accelerators, whether these are hot or supraconducting:
- Beam Position Monitors (BPM) used to measure and check the exact position of the electron beams. In addition, PMB manufactures SMA type penetrations.
- Electron guns generating the particles that are then accelerated.
- Kicker ceramic vacuum chambers.
- Power couplers for injecting the RF power necessary for operation of the supraconducting cavities while guaranteeing the thermal and atmospheric transitions between these and the outside environment.
- RF windows ensuring separation between the ultra vacuum at the core of the accelerator and the outside environment while guaranteeing propagation of the RF power necessary for operation of the cavities.
- Copper accelerating sections for linear accelerators (frequencies between 3 and 9 GHz).
PMB designs, manufactures and assembles all of the components of the beam lines in particle accelerators. The company also activates the gun and performs the high-frequency conditioning.

Astrophysics
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ADR designs, produces and sells high-precision ball bearings in a wide range of sizes (from a 1 mm bore to a 330 mm outside diameter).
These highly sensitive bearings are found in viewfinders, gyro-stabilized systems, optoelectronic and avionics equipment, infrared pointers, encoders, motors, etc.
ADR, as a subsystems developer, develops and offers integrated technical solutions, adding many functions to the bearings.
ADR also designs and produces actuators specifically adapted to highly complex systems.
ADR on ALCEN's website
Defense & Security Mechanical & electronic components
Energy Oil & Gas
Aeronautics & Space Mechanical components
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Bringing together the expertise and means of four ALCEN subsidiaries, ALSYMEX offers its clients solutions and services with high added value:
- Feasibility studies
- Engineering: machining, welding, vacuum
- Detailed design: mechanical engineering, thermo-mechanics, seismicity, vacuum, optics
- Production of high-precision mechanical and optomechanical assemblies: boilerwork, joint welding, machining
- Incorporation of complex systems in ISO 5 to ISO 8 class clean environments
- Non-destructive testing
- On-site installation
- Maintenance of mechanical, optomechanical, vacuum and high voltage systems for large scientific instruments and nuclear-capable sites
- Large programme management
ALSYMEX operates in the fields of defence, energy, aeronautics and large research infrastructures.
Parc Saint-Exupéry
10 rue de Bacaris – BP 30059
33703 Mérignac cedex
France- Website
- Contact
- Location on map
- +33 (0)5 56 13 84 44
ALSYMEX on ALCEN's website
Defense & Security Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Nuclear
Aeronautics & Space Mechanical components
Aeronautics & Space Engineering & Maintenance
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A subsidiary of the ALCEN Group, EPSILON specialises in high-tech Civil and Military systems architectures, especially in thermal engineering.
It is one of the few private companies supported and classed as a Contractual Research Structure by the French Ministry for Research and Industry. It works with key European players in Space, Aeronautics and On-board Systems:
- analysis of phenomena in thermal engineering, electrothermal engineering, thermal fluid engineering, thermal mechanical engineering in the fields of Architecture, Modelling, Simulation and Testing for both systems and equipment or components;
- expertise in the field of system integration and system simulation, predictive reliability, characterisation of materials, processes or thermal products;
- development of thermal and multi-physical simulation tools and platforms.
3 rue Tarfaya
Bâtiment B612
31400 Toulouse
France- Website
- Contact
- Location on map
- +33 (0)5 61 00 19 19
Astrophysics
ALSYMEX, ADR, CHAMPALLE and EPSILON work in the field of astrophysics.
ALSYMEX in partnership with CHAMPALLE
ALSYMEX offers the scientific community in the field of astrophysics mechanical and optomechanical assemblies integrated into ground or on-board telescopes.
In partnership with CHAMPALLE, ALSYMEX has therefore been heavily involved in the construction of a prototype of a small size telescope (SST) for the future CTA European programme for exploring the universe in gamma rays: production of metallic reflectors and support structures.
ADR
Electro-optical subsystems. ADR supplies integrated bearings for the EUCLID space telescope.
EPSILON
Thermal and multi-physical engineering. EPSILON is in particular involved in the JSWT and M1 Solar Orbiter projects of CNES and ESA.

Experimental nuclear reactors
by subsidiaries:
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Bringing together the expertise and means of four ALCEN subsidiaries, ALSYMEX offers its clients solutions and services with high added value:
- Feasibility studies
- Engineering: machining, welding, vacuum
- Detailed design: mechanical engineering, thermo-mechanics, seismicity, vacuum, optics
- Production of high-precision mechanical and optomechanical assemblies: boilerwork, joint welding, machining
- Incorporation of complex systems in ISO 5 to ISO 8 class clean environments
- Non-destructive testing
- On-site installation
- Maintenance of mechanical, optomechanical, vacuum and high voltage systems for large scientific instruments and nuclear-capable sites
- Large programme management
ALSYMEX operates in the fields of defence, energy, aeronautics and large research infrastructures.
Parc Saint-Exupéry
10 rue de Bacaris – BP 30059
33703 Mérignac cedex
France- Website
- Contact
- Location on map
- +33 (0)5 56 13 84 44
ALSYMEX on ALCEN's website
Defense & Security Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Engineering, Maintenance & Services
Energy Nuclear
Aeronautics & Space Mechanical components
Aeronautics & Space Engineering & Maintenance
Experimental nuclear reactors
ALSYMEX is involved in the Jules Horowitz experimental fission reactor development programme.
ALSYMEX industrialised the manufacture of the reflectors of the Jules Horowitz Reactor and set up a dedicated workshop for mechanical assembly of the reflectors.
ALSYMEX and ATMOSTAT are involved in the main thermo-nuclear fusion programmes, and specifically the ITER project. They offer innovative solutions and services suited to the harsh environment of this test reactor:
- ALSYMEX:
- Preproduction cryogenic pump
- Poloidal field coils assembly and handling tools
- Ion source design revision study
- Design and manufacture of mechanical components for diagnostics
- ATMOSTAT:
- Beryllium first wall panels
- Tungsten divertor subassemblies
- Plasma facing components for RF heating antennae
Further information on expert appraisal and ALCEN references in the field of nuclear fusion are available at www.alcenforfusion.com.