The present invention improves the strength of the bottom (net) of the jig and makes it more difficult and unlikely for deviation of the mesh to occur. A workpiece is loaded on the net (2) of the heat treat furnace jig (hereinafter, heat treatment furnace jig). In the net (2), a first strand (10), a second strand (20) and a third strand (30) are in contact at a contact point (X1). Near the contact point (X1), the second strand (20) overlaps the first strand (10) from above and the third strand (30) overlaps the first strand (10) from below. As a result, the first strand (10) is held between the second strand (20) and the third strand (30) in the up/down directions.

A protective and abradable coating composition is suitable for application on rolls and more particularly for application on conveyor rolls. The abradable coating is suitable for use in high temperature applications. Rolls incorporating the coating may be produced and used according to disclosed processes and procedures. Application of the composition to rolls reduces corrosion by aluminium melt, and enables the removal of built-up substances by friction. The life time of the roll is thereby increased.

An apparatus for heating steel products, in particular billets, includes a heating chamber, a plane of advance defined inside the heating chamber and feed and extraction components for the steel products.

A roller transport assembly includes a cart assembly and a roller carriage assembly. The roller carriage assembly is slidably mounted to the cart assembly and has at least one chamber for housing a roller. Each of the chambers includes a linear rail extending along a first axis and a roller coupling device attached to and slidable along the linear rail. The roller coupling device is operable to couple to the roller and move the roller along the first axis adjacent and parallel with the linear rail.

Provided is a hearth roll for supporting and conveying a steel sheet in a continuous annealing furnace, wherein all of a shaft portion and a roil main body are made from one or more ceramic materials, preferably constituted with concentric ceramic layers of different ceramic materials centering on the rotation shaft of the roll. The hearth roll has not only an excellent pickup resistance but also a long roll life free from maintenance for long periods. Also provided is a continuous annealing facility using the hearth roll in at least one of a heating zone, a soaking zone and a cooling zone.

An integral metal end cap for use in a conveyor roll assembly is suitable for use in an environment subject to significant temperature variation. The metal end cap comprises a first end connectable to rotary means, and a second end comprising an integral body adapted to fit over the end of a ceramic spool. The integral body contains a torque transmission portion having a plurality of deformable strips enabling transmission of torque during temperature variations. A conveyor roll assembly comprises a ceramic spool having a longitudinal axis and, at least at one end of the ceramic spool, a metal end cap as described.

A loading tooling for thermochemical treatment of parts includes at least first and second loading stages stacked one on the other in separable manner, each loading stage including a rack extending in a horizontal plane. The rack is supported by four legs extending in a vertical direction with the legs of the second loading stage standing on the legs of the first loading stage. The rack has a plurality of support arms secured thereto, with the plurality of support arms of the first loading stage presenting an arrangement that is different from the arrangement of the plurality of support arms of the second loading stage.

An integral metal end cap for use in a conveyor roll assembly is suitable for use in an environment subject to significant temperature variation. The metal end cap comprises a first end connectable to rotary means, and a second end comprising an integral body adapted to fit over the end of a ceramic spool. The integral body contains a torque transmission portion having a plurality of deformable strips enabling transmission of torque during temperature variations. A conveyor roll assembly comprises a ceramic spool having a longitudinal axis and, at least at one end of the ceramic spool, a metal end cap as described.

A roller bearing replacement device for replacement or exchange of a roller bearing of a roller hearth furnace includes a housing that can be sealed off from the environment or external atmosphere that has a sluice through which access to the roller bearing of the roller hearth furnace that is to be replaced from the inside of the housing while excluding the external atmosphere is possible, and at least one roller bearing handling device that is designed for demounting and installing roller bearings and is arranged moveably in the housing and which can be at least partly moved out of the housing through the sluice. Roller bearing replacement or exchange is possible without the roller bearing getting tilted or twisted through its movement during demounting or assembly as the case may be in the roller hearth furnace. The roller bearing replacement device furthermore has a height adjusting device that is coupled with the housing; this height adjusting device is designed and constructed to position the housing vertically and to align the housing on a horizontal plane.

A skid rider button is provided for use in a steel reheating furnace to reduce gouge-type damage of a steel slab heated in the reheating furnace. The button includes a top surface defining an interface surface area to receive the steel slab to be reheated, a bottom surface couplable with a skid assembly of the reheating furnace, a front surface, a rear surface, and two opposing side surfaces positioned between the front surface and the rear surface. An overall height of the button between the bottom surface and the top surface may be reduced to lower the interface temperature of the button. The interface surface area may be increased to lower the interface temperature of the button. The button may include rounded edges between each of the surfaces to reduce the mechanical impact between the button and the steel slab.