Continuous furnace with more flexible operation for heating blocks, billets, etc. - has fixed beams with step(s) in feed direction and lifting and travelling mechanism with controlled, variable lifting height

摘要

The continuous furnace with top and bottom heating system (2) for heating various items (4), especially blocks, billets etc. of metal, is provided with fixed beams (3) on support elements (5), as well as with lifting beams (7) actuated by means of a lifting and travel mechanism. It is characterised by the fact that the fixed beams (3) have at least one step (6) in the feed direction an that the lifting and travel mechanism of the lifting beams (7) is controllable with a variable lifting height. A single step (6) is envisaged, with its length in the passage direction forming preferably 0.5 to 0.6 of the furnace length. For each step (6) the fixed beam (3) or the lifting beam (7) can be divided into respective sections. The support elements (5) of at least one section is made adjustable by means of a lifting mechanism. The lifting beams (7) and the fixed beams (3) including the support elements are cooled, with each section provided with one entry and one exit connection for the cooling agent. USE/ADVANTAGE - The invention can be used in metal forming plants such as rolling mills, for example. Its main advantage over the known traditional continuous furnaces is its greater operational flexibility allowing items with different thermal requirements to be treated concurrently.