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.

A method of generating a loaded layout in a vacuum furnace corresponding to an actual layout in the vacuum furnace during operation of the vacuum furnace may comprise receiving, via a processor, a visual data of a loading process of the vacuum furnace from a camera; comparing, via the processor, the visual data to a predetermined maximum capacity layout for the vacuum furnace; and arranging, via the processor, the visual data into the loaded layout in response to comparing the visual data.

A method of generating a loaded layout in a vacuum furnace corresponding to an actual layout in the vacuum furnace during operation of the vacuum furnace may comprise receiving, via a processor, a visual data of a loading process of the vacuum furnace from a camera; comparing, via the processor, the visual data to a predetermined maximum capacity layout for the vacuum furnace; and arranging, via the processor, the visual data into the loaded layout in response to comparing the visual data.

A pressing arrangement (100) is disclosed. The pressing arrangement (100) comprises a pressure vessel (2) and a furnace chamber (18) arranged within the pressure vessel (2). The furnace chamber (18) is at least partly enclosed by a heat insulated casing (6, 5 7, 8) and arranged so that pressure medium can enter and exit the furnace chamber (18). The pressing arrangement (100) comprises a plurality of pressure medium guiding passages (10, 11) in fluid communication with the furnace chamber (18) and arranged to form an outer cooling loop within the pressure vessel (2). The pressing arrangement (100) comprises a heat absorbing element (20) which is arranged within the pressure vessel (2) and which is 10 configured to absorb heat from pressure medium having exited the furnace chamber (18).

A steel strip annealing furnace with a dew point control system. The furnace/control system can be more readily controlled to the desired dew point than the prior art control system and can handle the set point changes required as different types of steel coils are continuously run therethrough.

A steel strip annealing furnace with a dew point control system. The furnace/control system can be more readily controlled to the desired dew point than the prior art control system and can handle the set point changes required as different types of steel coils are continuously run therethrough.

A processing apparatus includes: a plurality of process modules concatenated with one another; and a loader module configured to receive a carrier accommodating a plurality of substrates to be processed by the plurality of process modules, wherein each of the plurality of process modules includes: a heat treatment unit including a processing container configured to accommodate the plurality of substrates and perform a heat treatment on the plurality of substrates; and a gas supply unit disposed on one side surface of the heat treatment unit and configured to supply a gas into the processing container.

A processing apparatus includes: a plurality of process modules concatenated with one another; and a loader module configured to receive a carrier accommodating a plurality of substrates to be processed by the plurality of process modules, wherein each of the plurality of process modules includes: a heat treatment unit including a processing container configured to accommodate the plurality of substrates and perform a heat treatment on the plurality of substrates; and a gas supply unit disposed on one side surface of the heat treatment unit and configured to supply a gas into the processing container.

A rotary tube kiln, with a rotatably mounted rotary tube, which has a motorized drive, a mounting, a material inlet and a material outlet, wherein the interior space of the rotary tube has a process space, the inside atmosphere of which is separate from the outside atmosphere. The process space is sealed off from a pressure space by means of a first seal and the pressure space is sealed off from the outside atmosphere by means of a second seal and, by means of a pressing device, a first pressing force can be applied to the first seal and a second pressing force can be applied to the second seal, the first pressing force can be set independently of the second pressing force and, during operation, the internal pressure of the pressure space is higher than the internal pressure of the process space.

A rotary tube kiln, with a rotatably mounted rotary tube, which has a motorized drive, a mounting, a material inlet and a material outlet, wherein the interior space of the rotary tube has a process space, the inside atmosphere of which is separate from the outside atmosphere. The process space is sealed off from a pressure space by means of a first seal and the pressure space is sealed off from the outside atmosphere by means of a second seal and, by means of a pressing device, a first pressing force can be applied to the first seal and a second pressing force can be applied to the second seal, the first pressing force can be set independently of the second pressing force and, during operation, the internal pressure of the pressure space is higher than the internal pressure of the process space.