Manufacturer of high-performance industrial ovens and heat treatment systems for Electronics, Healthcare, Materials, Transportation and Industrial
Despatch Industries
Lakeville, Minnesota (USA) · Suzhou, Jiangsu (CN) · Zhubei City, Hsinchu County (TW)New on Amplifa
About Despatch Industries
Despatch Industries was founded in 1902 by Albert E. Grapp and is a manufacturer of high-performance industrial ovens and thermal process systems headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota (USA). The company belongs to ITW EAE, the Electronics Assembly Equipment Division of Illinois Tool Works. The portfolio includes benchtop and laboratory ovens (LBB, LAC, LFC), chamber ovens and furnaces (RA/RF, RAF/RFF), walk-in and truck-in ovens (TA/TF, TAD/TFD, PWE), conveyor ovens (PC/PCC) as well as special systems such as carbon fiber oxidation ovens, inert gas ovens, cleanroom ovens and high-temperature ovens up to 732 °C. The systems are used for curing, drying, tempering, stress relieving, aging and heat treatment of polymers, composites, carbon fibers, rubber, textiles, ceramics, aluminum, steel, adhesives and paints. Electric, gas and infrared heating are available, in batch or continuous operation, with special atmospheres such as argon or nitrogen. The Lakeville plant is ISO 9001:2015 certified; a worldwide service network offers maintenance, calibration, temperature uniformity surveys, installation and training. Additional locations exist in Suzhou (China) and Zhubei City (Taiwan).
- Site
- Lakeville, MN
- Processes
- Industrial ovens and heat treatment (thermal processing), Curing of Composites (Out-of-Autoclave), Carbon Fiber Oxidation (Split-Zone Oxidation Oven), Aluminum Solution Heat Treatment / Heat Treatment, Heat Treatment / Tempering of 3D-Printed Parts (Curing, Debinding, Drying,, Stress Relieving of Metals, Drying / Heating / Aging / Baking / Bonding, Service and maintenance programs (Full/Basic Service)
- Materials
- Polymers / Thermoplastics / Thermosets, Carbon Fibers / Composites / Prepreg, Rubber, Textiles, Ceramics, Aluminum, Steel, Adhesives
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015
- Founded
- 1902
- Industries
- Electronics, Healthcare, Materials, Transportation, Industrial, Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing
- 01
Consulting and process development (Innovation Center)
- 02
Design and engineering
- 03
Manufacturing of the ovens in Lakeville
- 04
Installation, commissioning, testing and validation
- 05
Training (Operator, Maintenance, Engineering)
- 06
Service and maintenance programs, calibration, uniformity surveys
- 07
Parts and repair service
Materials and Processes
Polymers / Thermoplastics / Thermosets
Curing and annealing of thermoplastics, thermosets and adhesives in chamber and conveyor ovens.
Carbon fibers / Composites / Prepreg
Out-of-autoclave curing as well as split-zone oxidation of carbon fiber precursor with Novariance technology.
Rubber and Textiles
Drying and heat treating of elastomers and textile materials.
Ceramics
Drying and thermal processing of ceramic materials.
Aluminum
Solution heat treatment, heat treatment and aging for aerospace and automotive components.
Steel
Preheating, stress relieving and finish-bake processes for steel producers.
Adhesives / Paints / Powder Coating
Curing and baking of adhesives, paints and powder coats.
Electrical Insulation Materials
Thermal processing per ASTM 5423 for EV and energy storage applications.
Locations
Lakeville, Minnesota
USWorld Headquarters / Manufacturing
- Materials
- Aluminum, Steel, Polymers, Composites, Carbon Fibers
- Benchtop and laboratory ovens (LBB, LAC, LFC)
- Chamber ovens RA/RF, RAF/RFF
- Walk-in/truck-in ovens TA/TF, TAD/TFD, PWE
- Conveyor ovens PC/PCC
- FCH high-temperature ovens up to 732 °C
- Split-zone carbon fiber oxidation ovens
- Inert gas ovens PNF
- Cleanroom ovens LCC/LCD
Suzhou, Jiangsu
CNITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd
Zhubei City, Hsinchu County
TWDespatch Industries (Taiwan)
Systems and Series
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial ovens and heat treatment (thermal processing)Heat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Polymers, Composites, Plastics (Thermoset), Adhesives, Rubber, Textiles, Ceramics, Aluminum, Carbon Fibers, Steel |
| Curing of Composites (Out-of-Autoclave)Heat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Carbon Fiber Composites, Prepreg, Fibers |
| Carbon Fiber Oxidation (Split-Zone Oxidation Oven)Heat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Carbon Fiber Precursor |
| Aluminum Solution Heat Treatment / Heat TreatmentHeat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Aluminum |
| Heat Treatment / Tempering of 3D-Printed Parts (Curing, Debinding, Drying,Heat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Metal, Plastic |
| Stress Relieving of MetalsHeat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Steel, Metal |
| Drying / Heating / Aging / Baking / BondingHeat Treatment | – | – | – | – | Polymers, Composites, Rubber, Textiles, Ceramics, Aluminum, Adhesives, Paints |
21 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drying Oven (Benchtop / Lab Oven) | Despatch LBB (Forced Convection Benchtop Oven) | – | – | – | – |
| Laboratory Oven (Benchtop) | Despatch LAC | – | – | – | – |
| Laboratory Oven (Benchtop, Class A) | Despatch LFC2-27 | – | – | – | – |
| Laboratory Oven (Benchtop, Class A) | Despatch LFC1-38 | – | – | – | – |
| Chamber Oven / Cabinet Oven | Despatch RA/RF (RAD/RFD) | – | – | – | – |
| Chamber Oven (Batch Furnace) | Despatch RAF/RFF | – | – | – | – |
| Walk-In / Truck-In Oven | Despatch TA/TF | – | – | – | – |
| Walk-In Oven | Despatch TAD/TFD (476 and 952 cubic foot) | – | 476 and 952 cubic foot | – | – |
| Walk-In Oven (High Temperature) | Despatch PWE | – | – | – | – |
| Truck-In Oven | Despatch PBC/PNC (Burn-in) | – | – | – | – |
| Truck-In Oven / Furnace | Despatch PWE (Walk-in / Truck-in) | – | – | – | – |
| Conveyor Oven | Despatch PC Series (PCC) | – | – | – | – |
| Conveyor Oven with HEPA Filter | Despatch PCC1-40 | – | – | – | – |
| Carbon Fiber Oxidation Oven (Split-Zone) | Despatch Split-Zone Oxidation Oven (Novariance Technology) | – | – | – | – |
| High-Temperature Oven (up to 732°C) | Despatch FCH Furnace | – | – | – | – |
| Polyimide Curing Oven | Despatch PCO2-14 | – | – | – | – |
| Cleanroom Oven (Clean Process Oven) | Despatch LCC/LCD | – | – | – | – |
| Inert Gas Oven (Argon/Nitrogen) | Despatch PNF Inert Atmosphere Cabinet Furnace | – | – | – | – |
| Top-Load Test Oven | Despatch PTC | – | – | – | – |
| Test Oven for Paint Samples | Despatch PRVO | – | – | – | – |
| Burn-In Oven | Despatch RBC | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
The Lakeville manufacturing plant is ISO 9001:2015 certified (Verisys Registrars, certificate I082620). Temperature uniformity is verified with nine-point thermocouple surveys; NFPA 86 safety inspections are part of the maintenance contracts.
| Evidence | Lakeville |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 |
History
- 1902
Albert E. Grapp founds Despatch Industries; repair of electrical equipment, electric heaters for Minneapolis streetcars, flour drying ovens for mills such as Pillsbury.
- 1904
Flour test oven for Pillsbury with heating accuracy of ±10 °F.
- 1913
Despatch Manufacturing Company officially incorporated in Minnesota.
- 1916
Electric bread baking oven (Electric-Maid Bake Shop) as a franchise system.
- 1917
Custom ovens for armaments production, foundry and finish-bake ovens for steel producers.
- 1925
First continuous conveyor oven (Moore Bedding Company).
- 1934
Largest installation to date for Seeger Refrigerator Company.
- 1939
Watertight ovens for repair shops aboard US Navy ships.
- 1941
First high-temperature oven for treating magnesium castings.
- 1943
Ovens for hot-air/dry-heat sterilization of glassware.
- 1946
Ovens for 3M for the manufacture of Scotch Cellophane Tape.
- 1947
GE and Westinghouse become customers.
- 1948
Fully automated 200-foot system for John Deere.
- 1951
Finishing system for the Pentagon.
- 2021
Walk-in ovens for vaccine manufacturers as part of Operation Warp Speed.
- 2022
120th company anniversary; milestone of 200,000 units sold.
- 2024
Partnership with Etek Europe for distribution in the UK and Ireland; expansion of the LAC lab oven line (LAC2-27).
- 2025
Ovens support ASTM 5423 test methods for electrical insulation materials (EV/energy storage).