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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - AUGUST 2014
B
EHIND EVERY REMOTELY
powered product on the market
is a battery that runs it: Cadex Elec-
tronics is a pioneer in that pursuit of
power.
Cadex Electronics was founded
in 1980 in Vancouver by Isidor Buch-
mann, who saw that there was a gap
in the market where nickel-cadmium
batteries were falling short. In the in-
dustrial world, these batteries did not
provide sufficient runtimes and if left
unattended, the “memory” phenom-
enon shortened the lifespan, which
meant companies’ productivity suf-
fered. Buchmann had been studying
the behavior of rechargeable batteries
in practical, everyday applications,
and over the years has now educated
many on the technology behind batter-
ies. His book “Batteries in a Portable
World” is now in its third edition.
During what were the early years
of Cadex, Buchmann developed a bat-
tery analyzer to exercise and rejuve-
nate batteries. In the beginning, Buch-
mann ran the company from his home
(
at the time called Buchmann Enter-
prises). “When I started the company,
I recognized that the full potential
of nickel-cadmium batteries was not
achieved and developed a battery ana-
lyzer to exercise and rejuvenate them,”
he recalls.
The early battery analyzer was
based on “Recondition,” a proprietary
program that restores nickel-cadmium
batteries affected by memory. The orig-
inal analyzer, the Cadex 450, worked
in conjunction with the original char-
ger and serviced batteries for GE two-
way radios. The company only sold a
few units. But once Cadex got into end
of train units and modular analyzers,
sales got better.
REJUVENATING AN INDUSTRY
“
I discovered an effective recon-
dition cycle by coincidence and that’s
where things got started. As an entre-
preneur you never give up and work
at what you love. Our first customers
were large transport companies: CP
and CN, and these customers helped
us launch our sales,” Buchmann says.
ISIDOR BUCHMANN - FOUNDER
“
I discovered an effective recondition cycle by coincidence and that’s where things got started”.
CADEX ELECTRONICS
