Press Releases

Despatch Introduces New Oven Designed Specifically for Catheter Manufacturers

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, August 11, 2020 – ITW EAE has developed a new Despatch oven specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of catheter manufacturers. The Despatch PRC2- 63 is a one-size-fits-all solution that features vertical airflow to keep cross wind from blowing the catheter tubes around, a tall configuration with a small footprint to save floor space while allowing room to hang catheters up to 80 inches long inside the chamber, and a stainless-steel interior for easy cleaning. A truck and dolly system with a rack for hanging catheters is available as an option. A second truck allows for preloading one truck while the other is in the oven to improve productivity.

With an aging population and increasing healthcare needs, the demand for catheters of all kinds is increasing. Manufacturers use ovens for curing and drying of coatings and linings that protect against urinary tract infection or increase lubricity to ease the discomfort of insertion. Catheters also require thermal curing for adhesive bonding of ports and attachments. Annealing is needed to provide variations in flexibility and hardness of the catheter tube to suit specific applications.

“The existing oven offerings available to catheter manufacturers simply were not meeting the needs of this market,” stated Dhruv Duggal, Despatch Product Manager. “After getting input from several large manufacturers, we developed an oven that is ideally suited to the needs of this rapidly growing market”

Despatch Ovens to Play Key Role in Additive Manufacturing Systems Used to Make Metal Parts

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, July 28, 2020 – A manufacturer of additive manufacturing systems for metal parts is partnering with Despatch to provide the thermal processing step the system requires. The system can produce metal parts from prototype scale to manufacturing scale. The initial multi-unit order based on the Despatch LAC lab oven will be used for crosslinking a metal powder mixture inside a build box prior to depowdering and sintering of the 3D printed metal parts.

The ovens will have a Class A design per NFPA 86 to process the solvents that are released during the crosslinking process and be CE certified. The units are private labeled for this customer and the electrical circuit is optimized to support their process without excess amperage requirements.

“Additive manufacturing is a rapidly growing industry and we are uniquely positioned to play a part in this groundbreaking technology,” stated Jeff Bell, Despatch Business Manager. “We expect to see increasing demand for these units.”

Despatch Builds Conveyor Ovens for Manufacturer of COVID 19 Diagnostic Testing System

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, June 5, 2020 – ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tool building Despatch Conveyor Ovens for a major medical technology manufacturer who is producing essential COVID 19 diagnostic testing systems. The Despatch ovens with stainless steel interior and exterior features special perforated plenums above the belt to create a laminar flow that will keep the small lightweight parts from being disturbed. Fresh-air ports were added to support positive chamber pressure needed to achieve the required temperature uniformity of +/-5°C.

“With a large installed base of units in the medical device market, Despatch ovens are known for delivering the invariable, uniform temperature needed for critical applications,” states Rolf Kragseth, Despatch Applications Engineer. “We are honored to be able to play a small part in the response to the COVID 19 pandemic with these products.”

Despatch Conveyor Ovens are designed for process versatility and reliability. They achieve superior air temperature uniformity on all interior parts due to high-volume, vertical down airflow. The continuous belt design is ideal for large quantities of similar work pieces being processed. Options include Class A models specifically designed for flammable solvents and a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtered model for applications that require Class 1000 cleanliness. These ovens provide extremely consistent and repeatable process results at temperatures up to 260°C (500°F).

Battery Manufacturer Automates Production with Despatch PCC2-15 Conveyor Ovens

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, May 21, 2020 – A manufacture of batteries is purchasing two Despatch Conveyor ovens for its automated production line. The ovens are needed to bond materials in the battery assembly inside a mold. The molds are inserted and removed from the conveyor oven with automated pick and place robots. Tight temperature control with very little variance is critical to the process to ensure proper bonding.

The size and performance of the Despatch PCC2-15 conveyor oven provided an ideal solution with only minor modifications needed. The conveyor belt was designed to accommodate up to 15 parts across the width and a load of up to 60 pounds per linear foot. Attachment links were added to interface with the customer’s fixtures. A Watlow EZ Zone controller with PID and custom sensors were added to allow communication with the automation system.

“This was a big win for ITW EAE and resulted from the excellent reputation of the Despatch brand and the relationships developed by our sales representatives,” states Mark Clementz, Despatch Sales Manager. “The company has plans to order as many as 40 more of these ovens to meet growing demand.”

Despatch PCC1-40 Conveyor Oven Redesigned to Provide Greater Flexibility and Reduced Lead Time

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, January 30, 2020 – ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tool Works announces they have redesigned the HEPA filtered Despatch PCC1-40 Conveyor Oven. The new design provides flexibility in a standard package that will reduce the time to ship to just 8 weeks. The newly designed PCC1-40 model comes standard with a HEPA filter for Class 1000 cleanliness but can also be ordered without. It has a stainless-steel interior and exterior with all interior seams continuously back welded to prevent migration of insulation particles from entering the oven work space and allow for easy washing of the chamber.

The Despatch PCC1-40 is designed with built-in flexibility. The conveyor opening has an adjustable slide gate that can be easily lowered to prevent heat loss and raised for larger parts. The entrance and exit length of the conveyor can be adjusted by shifting the conveyor. This shift does not change the overall length of the conveyor. The PCC1-40 can be ordered in an end-to-end configuration to provide an additional heating zone.

“Customer needs vary widely, and they often don’t have time to wait for a custom build,” states Jeff Bell, Despatch Product Manager. “We design our standard product offerings to meet the needs of the majority of our customers which drastically reduces lead time and ensures the highest quality.”

The PCC1-40 has a four cubic foot chamber (18" x 42" x 9") and a maximum operating temperature of 500°F. A stainless-steel perforated supply plenum provides an even distribution of vertical down airflow for superior temperature uniformity on all interior parts.

Despatch Conveyor Oven Proves to be Best Solution for Automation Needs of Medical Device Manufacturer

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, March 15, 2019 – A medical device manufacturer required an oven to preheat an aluminum mold for a silicone part that was to be filled and cured in the next manufacturing step. The company develops innovative products that improve patient outcomes by enabling minimally invasive surgery.

The oven was to be installed in an automated manufacturing cell and needed electrical interlocks and communication that were not included in the standard oven electrical package. Since the oven was to be placed in an automated cell, footprint and access to the oven would be limited.

Despatch visited the customer to work out a solution and was able to meet the customer’s requirements with minor modifications to the PCC1-40 conveyor oven.

The customer is now able to access the electrical panels and the oven interior for maintenance without compromise. The Despatch applications team also visited the site and exchanged 2D drawings and 3D models to ensure proper fit.

To meet the customer’s automation needs, Despatch engineers incorporated an AC belt drive and a temperature controller with a machine interface to allow the automation system to index belt motion and control temperature in the oven without human interaction. Multiple status relays were incorporated into the controls including oven power, conveyor running and an eye on the conveyor discharge, to provide feedback to the customer’s PLC. All these features along with the inherent high level of temperature control in the Despatch oven work together to assure flawless operation.

Lider Control y Automatización Expands Representation of Despatch to Central and South America and Caribbean

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, February 7, 2019 – ITW EAE has designated Lider Control y Automatización to be the sales representative for Despatch industrial ovens in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. This is an expansion of service for Lider who was already servicing all of Mexico.

“Lider has represented Despatch very well in Mexico,” said Mark Clementz, Sales Channel Manager for Despatch Products. “We have great confidence in the team that Lider has put together and look forward to increasing our presence in the expanded areas.”

Lider Control y Automatizacion (Lider) is an automation systems integrator company specializing in thermodynamic technology for electronics, transportation, healthcare, materials, and energy industries. As an ITW EAE Despatch CSR (Certified Service Representative) Lider supports and services ovens from design and sale to supervision, installation, functional test, set up recipes, calibration, start-up, and training.

“This is a great opportunity for us to represent a strong brand in a much larger territory,” said Ernesto Lopez, President of Lider Control y Automatización. “We have had great success selling Despatch in Mexico and expect that our customers in this expanded territory will respond well to the exceptional temperature uniformity and proven reliability of Despatch ovens.”

Lider’s main office is located at Bosque de Mimosas 8-B, Bosques del Valle 2a. Secc. Coacalco, Estado de Mexico. C.P. 55717. México. To reach the main office, call +5255 5885 0866 or email e.lopez@lidercontrol.com.mx

Textile Manufacturer Places Order for Eight Despatch TAD3-10 Walk-in Ovens for Preheating Tools

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, September 13, 2018 – A major textile manufacturer placed a $446,000 order for eight Despatch TAD3-10 walk-in ovens. The sale was made by Despatch representative FLW Southeast. These ovens will be used to preheat spinnerets, so polymers will not stick as they are extruded through the tool. The heavy metal spinnerets weigh about 40 pounds and are heated to 600°F before use. Drawers were added to the ovens to allow tools to be easily removed when needed and placed back in the oven when they cool. The drawers used an existing design that features a heat shield to allow them to be opened with the oven at full temperature for a continuous process flow.

“This customer was impressed with the capability of the Despatch TAD3-10 to uniformly heat their tools,” said Denise Olson, FLW Southeast. “They also appreciated the application specific drawer design that will meet their needs most effectively.”

Despatch TAD walk-in ovens feature horizontal recirculating airflow to ensure uniform temperatures throughout the oven. A high-volume fan circulates air through perforated, aluminized steel walls to create a constant horizontal airflow across all sections of the oven. Multiple temperature operations are controlled by up to eight programs, with eight ramp and soak segments in each program.

The TAD is equipped with the Protocol 3™ microprocessor-based temperature and hi-limit controller with large LCD display and real time clock for auto start capability. Data-logging functionality enables reporting and analyzing, and data files can be exported via the controller’s USB port

Despatch is a brand of ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tools Works, Inc. They are a global leader in high performance industrial ovens and other thermal products used for a host of critical applications, focusing on the electronics, healthcare, materials, transportation and industrial markets. Despatch also serves as a key provider of integrated technology for the emerging solar and carbon fiber markets. For more information about Despatch visit www.despatch.com.

US Manufacturer of Electronic Components Places Large Order for Despatch PND Inert Atmosphere Ovens

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, July 12, 2018 – A major US manufacturer of electronic components has placed an order worth over three million dollars for Despatch PND inert atmosphere ovens. The sale was made by Despatch representative FLW Southeast. The manufacturer, who cannot be disclosed, has experienced explosive growth. The PND oven is already being used at the company and has been proven effective for critical thermal processing needed to cure electronic components. They had a high level of confidence in the PND’s process repeatability and Despatch’s ability to meet a very aggressive ramp to manufacturing schedule.

“This is a very large order for us with an excellent potential for additional orders,” said Michael Calbert, FLW Southeast. “Despatch provides the design integrity, manufacturing experience and emphasis on quality necessary for dependable operation and excellent process control that this customer requires.”

The PND Oven is designed to accommodate a wide variety of processes where an inert atmosphere is required to prevent product oxidation. Typical applications include curing, bonding and heat treating. The continuously welded interior is ideal for highly corrosive conditions or where interior cleanliness is critical. It has adjustable recirculating air louvers that allow “fine tuning” to assure uniform airflow, even and consistent product heating even with varying load configurations. It also has a heat exchanger for providing rapid cool-down or the ability to operate at low temperatures within a sealed chamber.

Despatch Laboratory Ovens Achieve Compliance with Environmental Regulations of REACH and RoHS

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, March 21, 2018 – ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tool Works, has made a commitment to addressing environmental health and safety and sustainability in all of its manufacturing. The company has just achieved a major milestone by meeting REACH and RoHS compliance for its Despatch lab ovens (LAC, LBB models). REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) is a European Union regulation that limits the production and use of chemical substances with potential impacts on human health and the environment. RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) is another European Union regulation that restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products. The intent of these regulations is to reduce or eliminate hazards to the environment and human health.

“Despatch wants to insure we’re being a good steward of the environment,” said Jeff Bell, Director of Product Management at Despatch. “We also need to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our global customers by relieving them of the burden of navigating REACH and RoHS compliance.”

To meet these regulations, ITW EAE needed to analyze every component used to build a Despatch lab oven. They worked with a third-party provider with a database of 75 million components and 31,000 suppliers to complete the data collection and verification that is needed. Any parts that were not in compliance were then replaced to meet compliance. The effort will be continuously monitored and updated to maintain compliance.

Despatch Announces Reduced Lead Times for PBC Burn-in Ovens

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, March 20, 2018 – ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tool Works announces that it is reducing lead time on Despatch PBC Burn-in Ovens to six weeks. This was accomplished by optimizing its manufacturing processes to allow for in-lining of production equipment and assembly stations that improve flow and minimize production time. The PBC was also redesigned to simplify the manufacturing process while improving product performance.

“Customers have increasingly confirmed that lead time is a significant factor when deciding what oven to purchase,” states Jeff Bell, Despatch Product Manager. “Despatch has already reduced lead times on many of our most popular ovens and we continue to work to achieve shorter leads times on all products.”

Despatch burn-in ovens are engineered specifically for applications such as high dissipation forward bias, high-temperature reverse bias, dynamic and static burn-in of IC, RAM, ROM, microprocessors and other semiconductor devices. High volume recirculating fans maintain consistent, uniform temperatures required by MIL STD 883D while removing heat generated by the load. The PBC burn-in oven allows for traditional horizontal loading with side-to-side horizontal airflow providing exceptional temperature uniform across the load.

Despatch Introduces New Cabinet Oven Design to Meet Demands from Customers for a Smaller Footprint

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, December 6, 2017 – Despatch has redesigned its RAD2-19 and RFD2-19 Cabinet Ovens to accommodate customer demands for a smaller footprint. The original design of these cabinet oven had the controls on the side of the oven. The new design has the controls on the bottom of the oven which significantly reduces the amount of floor space that the oven requires. The new design is has a width that is 20 inches less wide than the previous model.

“Having the controls up at eye level was a convenience in the old design but customers ensured us that saving space was more important to them,” said Jeff Bell, Director of Product Management at Despatch. “We tilted the Protocol 3 controller up towards the operator for easier access. And for customers who have more frequent interaction with the controls, we offer software which allows the oven to be controlled from a laptop computer.”

Despatch RAD2-19 cabinet oven has a 19.5 cubic foot chamber and a maximum temperature of 650°F. It features horizontal recirculating airflow to ensure exceptional temperature uniformity throughout the oven. The result is proven reliability in demanding production and laboratory applications, such as curing, drying, stress relieving, aging, and other process-critical applications. The RFD2-19 is a Class A model designed to meet NFPA 86 requirements for applications that include flammable solvents or large amounts of moisture removal.

Despatch Expands Top Loading Test Oven Line to Meet Requirements of the Oil and Gas Drilling Market

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, June 1, 2017 – Despatch, is expanding its line of PTC top-loading ovens to include a new 48 cubic foot model. These ovens are specifically designed and used for burn-in, qualification testing and calibration of down-hole drilling instruments. With recent advances in technology and a wider range of processes, a larger oven is required which will accommodate larger tools and instrumentation.

While the PTC oven is designed to stand up to harsh oilfield conditions, it is also used for other applications that require a long narrow chamber. Customers have used the PTC oven for curing wire coatings in a continuous process configuration. Marinite end-caps can be machined to insert instruments, testing leads or tooling and can also be removed to allow two ovens to be used end-to-end for longer loads.

“After receiving an increase in requests for PTC top-loading ovens with a larger chamber, it became clear that industry requirements were changing,” said Tom Weller, Applications Engineer at Despatch. “We decided to make a standard 24 cubic foot model that can ship with a shorter lead time.”

The new 48 cubic foot PTC chamber is 24 inches high by 24 inches wide with a twelve-foot length. The oven can reach temperatures up to 500℉ (260℃) and features horizontal airflow with adjustable louvers to ensure uniform airflow across the entire length of the chamber. The top-loading oven allows heavy equipment to be loaded into the test chamber by crane and silicone door seals and positive-latching clamps hold the door securely in place.

Despatch DriTech™ Dryer Granted Patent No. US9589817B2 from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, May 25, 2017 – Despatch, a leading technology and equipment provider for the solar industry, is pleased to announce the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued Patent No. US9589817B2 protecting the intellectual property of its DriTech™ Dryer. The dryer already has a large installation base with a proven performance track record.

“The DriTech™ Dryer introduces a unique hybrid heating technology that addresses industry challenges associated with faster belt speeds, increased paste VOC concentration and thinner wafers,” said Daniel Ruf, Engineering Manager at Despatch. “Customers are seeing improved cell performance and efficiency with this revolutionary technology.”

The DriTech™ dryer is designed to decouple the VOC removal and binder burn-off for a more efficient drying process. Dryers typically use either convective or IR drying, and rely strictly on a belt speed and temperature relationship. DriTech’s unique hybrid heating with Smart Tube™ technology provides multiple heat delivery mediums to efficiently and effectively remove solvent (VOC) from the paste while safely retaining the binder. A centrally located point-of-generation thermal oxidizer provides maintenance-free VOC abatement ensuring that the chamber remains free of contaminates. Air dilution, up to five times the dilution of conventional dryers, reduces the solvent concentration within the chamber and eliminates dead spots. Airflow is precisely managed to reduce cold air entrainment at the entrance and exit. A rapid peak temperature and internal management of the insulation surface temperature minimizes condensation.

Despatch Split-Zone™ Oxidation Oven Granted Patent No. 9,598,795 from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, March 30, 2017 – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issue Patent No. 9,598,795 protecting Despatch Split-Zone™ Oxidation technology. This patent applies to the split zone control which provides two discrete thermal profiles for the upper and lower half of the chamber. Separate plug fans and controls allow you to increase the temperature in the upper half of the oven by as much as 10 ℃.

“Despatch invented center-to ends carbon fiber oxidation technology which has now become the industry standard,” said John Stafford, Carbon Fiber Business Development Manager at Despatch. “This next-generation Split Zone technology will allow customers to aggressively push the oxidation rate, reduce oxidation cycle time, and lower the cost of high quality oxidized fiber.”

Because each oven is now split into two zones, the number of ovens required to properly oxidize the fiber can potentially be reduced. This results in a needle-moving reduction of greater than 50% in annual cost of operation.

Customer Tests Confirm Reduced Cycle Times Using the Patent Pending Despatch Split-Zone™ Oxidation Oven

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, February 14, 2017 – A second customer evaluation of the Despatch Split-Zone™ Oxidation Oven was recently completed. The results confirm that the new oxidation technology provides a significant reduction in cycle time.

The customer, a large North American based carbon fiber producer, reported that they could have up to 20% higher speed and throughput using this system. Half of the increase is directly related to longer heated length and the rest attributed to the split zone and temperature uniformity compared to their existing production line.

An earlier customer test conducted using premium grade precursor achieved the target density in just two zones with a dwell time of 44 minutes, a reduction in cycle time of nearly 35%. A white paper is available on the Despatch website with complete details on this customer evaluation.

“The Split-Zone Oxidation Oven introduces revolutionary technology that allows customers to push the temperature in the oven beyond what was ever possible before,” said John Stafford, Carbon Fiber Business Development Manager at Despatch. “As customers become more confident in the technology we expect that cycle times will be reduced even more than these initial tests.”

Patent protection is pending for the Despatch Split-Zone™ Oxidation technology. This patent applies to the split zone control which provides two discrete thermal profiles for the upper and lower half of the chamber. Separate plug fans and controls allow you to increase the temperature in the upper half of the oven by as much as 10⁰C. An additional patent is pending for the orifice-plate nozzle structures which eliminate the side-to-side and directional variance inherent in conventional nozzle designs.

Despatch Expands Global Reach by Adding Representation in Turkey and Nordic and Baltic Countries

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, August 12, 2016 – Despatch Industries is expanding its reach globally with the addition of two new representatives. ZW Nordic ab will now represent Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Ortak Elektronik San. ve Tic. A.S. will represent the country of Turkey. Having representation in these countries will provide enhanced customer service with local expertise and personal assistance with customer’s thermal processing needs.

“Our global customers appreciate working with a trusted representative who speaks the language and is knowledgeable about our products,” said Mark Clementz, Despatch Sales Director. “Ortak Elektroniks and ZW Nordic will facilitate sales by providing local equipment install and start up services.”

ZW Nordic ab is a well-established Swedish agency company based in Stockholm. They represent world leading Manufacturers of equipment and machinery for effective process and production. They have experience with customers who are active in the pharmaceutical, food, chemistry, paint, ceramics and raw material industries.

“Despatch fits very well with our product offering,” said Urban Wretlinge, President of ZW Nordic. “They provide equipment that our customers need and that meets their expectation for excellence.”

Ortak Elektronik has extensive experience in the electronics market and offers a range of electronic assembly and semiconductor equipment. They assist customers with maintenance of equipment, keeping downtime to a minimum and making sure it is kept in optimum condition for maximum productivity.

“Our customers have come to rely on us for high quality products and have been asking us to provide thermal processing equipment,” said Hakan Ortak, General Manager, Ortak Elektronik. “Despatch ovens are known to have the highest quality and performance standards in the market and we are proud to offer this line as a solution to our customers needs.”

Despatch is a member of ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tools Works, Inc. (NYSE: ITW). They are a global leader in high performance industrial ovens and other thermal products used for a host of critical applications, focusing on the electronics, healthcare, materials, transportation and industrial markets. A global sales and service network allows the company to provide local sales and product support to customers worldwide.