X-RAY specialist Bede remains on course for its first profitable year, after staying in the black for six months.

First quarter results showed the Durham-based company, which makes high-end testing equipment, made £12,000 profit on sales of £3.7m in the three months ending on March 31. Last year, the period saw it notch up £400,000 of sales and losses of £1.2m.

Neil Loxley, chief executive, said: "The group developed largely as anticipated during the first quarter of 2005, with increased margins and profitable trading. It is continuing to develop long-term opportunities in the semiconductor metrology market."

The growth in revenues was driven by orders from what Bede described as two leading technology companies, in Europe and the US. Sales garnered a gross margin of 53 per cent, compared to nine per cent last year.

The results mean Bede, which employs about 100 staff on the Belmont Industrial Estate, has traded profitably for two consecutive quarters.

However, orders were low, at £1.4m, about half that achieved in quarter one last year.

Dr Loxley said: "The company remains confident that this is largely attributable to delays in order closures."

Its combined sales and order book for the period hit £5.7m, up by £2m on the same period last year.

Last month, Dr Loxley revealed plans to double turnover this year to £14m and expects to make about £500,000 profit.

Bede uses x-ray technology to test valuable semi-conductor wafers. Its market has grown as manufacturers use smaller components and need more accurate ways to test them. About 90 per cent of its products are exported.