Heat treatment furnace

摘要

A furnace heats through both infrared radiation and convective air utilizing an infrared/purge gas design that enables improved temperature control to enable more uniform treatment of workpieces. The furnace utilizes lamps, the electrical end connections of which are located in an enclosure outside the furnace chamber, with the lamps extending into the furnace chamber through openings in the wall of the chamber. The enclosure is purged with gas, which gas flows from the enclosure into the furnace chamber via the openings in the wall of the chamber so that the gas flows above and around the lamps and is heated to form a convective mechanism in heating parts.

主权项

1. A heat treatment furnace for heat treating a workpiece, the furnace comprising:
a treatment chamber into which the workpiece is introduced for heat treatment; an electrically powered source of infrared radiation for heat treatment located within the chamber, the infrared radiation source having an electrical connection; an enclosure within which the electrical connection is located and substantially isolated from the treatment chamber while the remainder of the infrared radiation source extends into the treatment chamber; a source of a first flowing gas in flow communication with the enclosure to flow gas past the electrical connection to cool the electrical connection, the first flowing gas being heated as it flows past the electrical connection; and a passage from the enclosure to the treatment chamber to exit the thus heated first flowing gas from the enclosure to the treatment chamber.