METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING BALLS

摘要

An apparatus and method of forming balls includes a metering device (2), a melting device (14) and a cooling device (20). The metering device (2) stamps a desired volume of solid material in the form of a slug (12) which passes through the melting device (14) where it is caused to levitate and transform state from a solid to a molten liquid. The molten liquid material (13) is released from the melting device (14) and descends through the cooling device (20) where it transforms state once again from a molten material to a solid material while maintaining a ball shape. A forming gas is passed over the molten material (13) in a direction opposite to the falling molten material (13). The balls (15) are finally cooled in a cooling bath (32).