A shell (10) acts as a transporting shoe for steel ingots, which are pushed through a preferably tubular induction furnace for inductive heating for the purpose of producing seamless tubes by the extrusion process. The shell (10) is formed in such a way that it partially reaches around the contour of the steel ingot to be heated. The shell is provided at one end leading in the pushing-through direction or transporting direction, with a shoulder (12), which extends at an angle to the transporting direction, against which the steel ingot rests in such a way that the pushed-through steel ingot takes the shell (10) along with it. A method for inductively heating steel ingots uses a shell (10) as described.

A shell (10) acts as a transporting shoe for steel ingots, which are pushed through a preferably tubular induction furnace for inductive heating for the purpose of producing seamless tubes by the extrusion process. The shell (10) is formed in such a way that it partially reaches around the contour of the steel ingot to be heated. The shell is provided at one end leading in the pushing-through direction or transporting direction, with a shoulder (12), which extends at an angle to the transporting direction, against which the steel ingot rests in such a way that the pushed-through steel ingot takes the shell (10) along with it. A method for inductively heating steel ingots uses a shell (10) as described.

A shell (10) acts as a transporting shoe for steel ingots, which are pushed through a preferably tubular induction furnace for inductive heating for the purpose of producing seamless tubes by the extrusion process. The shell (10) is formed in such a way that it partially reaches around the contour of the steel ingot to be heated. The shell is provided at one end leading in the pushing-through direction or transporting direction, with a shoulder (12), which extends at an angle to the transporting direction, against which the steel ingot rests in such a way that the pushed-through steel ingot takes the shell (10) along with it. A method for inductively heating steel ingots uses a shell (10) as described.

A metal material supply device which is annexed to a metal melting furnace has a vibration trough for transporting metal material to be supplied to a crucible; the transported metal material is discharged from a material discharge port that is provided at the front end of the vibration trough; the metal material supply device is movable between a material supply position where the material discharge port is disposed above the crucible and a retracted position from the material supply position, and supplies the metal material to the crucible at the material supply position; the upper end of the metal material supplied to the crucible and piled up is detected by a microwave level meter, and the material supply operation by driving the vibration trough is controlled on the basis of the detected value.

A metal material supply device which is annexed to a metal melting furnace has a vibration trough for transporting metal material to be supplied to a crucible; the transported metal material is discharged from a material discharge port that is provided at the front end of the vibration trough; the metal material supply device is movable between a material supply position where the material discharge port is disposed above the crucible and a retracted position from the material supply position, and supplies the metal material to the crucible at the material supply position; the upper end of the metal material supplied to the crucible and piled up is detected by a microwave level meter, and the material supply operation by driving the vibration trough is controlled on the basis of the detected value.