Despatch Industries Acquires Substantial Production Order from European Manufacturer

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., U.S.A. – October 25, 2006 – Despatch Industries, a global leader of in-line thermo-processing systems, announced today that it has secured another key order for infrared drying and firing furnaces used in the manufacturing of solar cells. The order comes from a leading European solar cell manufacturer.

The order consists of infrared (IR) products from Despatch’s photovoltaic product portfolio. Despatch IR products are designed to provide superior thermal processing control, improved cost of ownership and a value added feature set of options. The patent pending design consistently produces high-efficiency solar cells while maximizing uptime and throughput. Since its entrance into the photovoltaic market, Despatch has engineered and manufactured solar cell production equipment that has improved and optimized in-line solar cell manufacturing.

“Despatch continues to find broad market acceptance of our IR products,” says Brian Bunkenburg, Director of Custom Products and New Product Development. “We work diligently to enhance our design, and as a result we are enjoying great success in the photovoltaic market. We are pleased to have been selected by another European customer interested in advancing their Drying and Firing capabilities.”

Despatch Industries is a leading worldwide provider of thermal processing and environmental simulation solutions. Founded in 1902, closely held Despatch Industries is a technology-driven company committed to satisfying customer needs through ground-breaking research and development. Despatch continues to rapidly expand its global presence in the photovoltaic, semiconductor and electronic markets by anticipating and reacting to customer needs and supplying premium, innovative products.

For more information on Despatch and IR processing solutions click here:
www.despatch.com