An inline thermal treatment system for thermally treating a continuous conductive product includes a first electrode configured to contact a continuous conductive product and a second electrode configured to contact the continuous conductive product such that a portion of the continuous conductive product is disposed between the first and second electrodes. The inline thermal treatment system includes a power source coupled to the first electrode and to the second electrode, wherein the power source is configured to apply an electrical bias between the first electrode and the second electrode to resistively heat the portion of the continuous conductive product disposed between the first and second electrodes.

An inline thermal treatment system for thermally treating a continuous conductive product includes a first electrode configured to contact a continuous conductive product and a second electrode configured to contact the continuous conductive product such that a portion of the continuous conductive product is disposed between the first and second electrodes. The inline thermal treatment system includes a power source coupled to the first electrode and to the second electrode, wherein the power source is configured to apply an electrical bias between the first electrode and the second electrode to resistively heat the portion of the continuous conductive product disposed between the first and second electrodes.

A continuous furnace for the heat treatment of steel sheets, such as hot forming and press hardening, wherein two zones with mutually different temperatures are formed in the furnace, and a separating wall is present between the two zones. A gap is present in the closed state between the steel sheet and the separating wall and a surface cooling nozzle is in the form of a tube, wherein the surface cooling nozzle has outlet openings pointing downwards in the vertical direction and the surface cooling nozzle is arranged in the direction towards a relatively cooler zone.

A continuous furnace for the heat treatment of steel sheets, such as hot forming and press hardening, wherein two zones with mutually different temperatures are formed in the furnace, and a separating wall is present between the two zones. A gap is present in the closed state between the steel sheet and the separating wall and a surface cooling nozzle is in the form of a tube, wherein the surface cooling nozzle has outlet openings pointing downwards in the vertical direction and the surface cooling nozzle is arranged in the direction towards a relatively cooler zone.

A method of annealing a steel sheet in an annealing furnace, including: supporting and conveying a steel sheet with hearth rolls; and supporting and conveying the steel sheet with a full-ceramic hearth roll as a hearth roll located in an area where a furnace temperature is equal to or higher than 950° C., wherein a main constituent of the full-ceramic hearth roll is silicon nitride with use of an Al—Y-based sintering aid.

A stretching unit for stretching a film is disclosed having an oven and a compensation device. The compensation device includes an air conveyor, the first compensation opening and a second compensation opening, in which the first compensation opening and the second compensation opening open into the oven on opposing sides of a central plane (M) of the oven in the vertical and drawing directions (H, R). The air conveyor is located in terms of flow between the first compensation opening and the second compensation opening, in which the compensation device is configured to remove a volume of air from the oven through one of the compensation openings and to feed the removed volume of air into the oven through the other one of the compensation openings.

A stretching unit for stretching a film is disclosed having an oven and a compensation device. The compensation device includes an air conveyor, the first compensation opening and a second compensation opening, in which the first compensation opening and the second compensation opening open into the oven on opposing sides of a central plane (M) of the oven in the vertical and drawing directions (H, R). The air conveyor is located in terms of flow between the first compensation opening and the second compensation opening, in which the compensation device is configured to remove a volume of air from the oven through one of the compensation openings and to feed the removed volume of air into the oven through the other one of the compensation openings.

Direct flame preheating section for continuous metal strip processing lines, comprising a connecting zone between an active zone provided with burners capable of operating in “no flame” mode and a recuperative zone for preheating the strip by exchange with combustion fumes originating from the active zone, the connecting zone having chambers capable of orienting the flow of fumes such that they flow head-on relative to the strip when exiting the active zone and entering the recuperative zone depending on the direction of flow of the fumes.

Direct flame preheating section for continuous metal strip processing lines, comprising a connecting zone between an active zone provided with burners capable of operating in “no flame” mode and a recuperative zone for preheating the strip by exchange with combustion fumes originating from the active zone, the connecting zone having chambers capable of orienting the flow of fumes such that they flow head-on relative to the strip when exiting the active zone and entering the recuperative zone depending on the direction of flow of the fumes.

A sealing device is installed in heating treatment equipment through which a steel strip passes, the device including a rotary damper which is placed above the steel strip so as to be in contact with the steel strip, and a roll which is placed below the steel strip so that the roll opposes the rotary damper to form a pair consisting of the rotary damper and the roll opposing each other, the steel strip passing through a gap, which is formed between the rotary damper and the roll opposing each other, in which two pairs each of which is the pair consisting of the rotary damper and the roll opposing each other are arranged in tandem in a moving direction of the steel strip in the heating treatment equipment, and an inert gas is fed into a space defined by the two pairs arranged in tandem.