A furnace assembly for a metal-making process, including: an electric arc furnace configured for flat bath operation and having a bottom, and an electromagnetic stirrer configured to be arranged underneath the bottom of the electric arc furnace to enable stirring of molten metal in the electric arc furnace.

Systems and methods for altering microstructures of materials are disclosed. The system may include at least one computing device in communication with a heating device and an electromagnetic device. The computing device(s) may be configured to alter a microstructure of a material forming a component by performing processes including heating the component using the heating device to a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature may be below a first phase-transformation temperature based on the material forming the component, and a second phase-transformation temperature based on the material forming the component, where the second phase-transformation temperature greater than the first phase-transformation temperature. The computing device(s) may also perform processes including intermittently magnetizing the heated component using the electromagnetic device for a predetermined number of cycles, and cooling the component after intermittently magnetizing the heated component.

A direct current smelting electric furnace includes a rectifying control circuit, a rectifying power supply device, a short network device, a multi-load layout device including multiple electrodes, and an electric furnace body. The rectifying power supply device includes at least two double-circuit direct current power supply packs. Four output terminals of each double-circuit direct current power supply pack are connected to three electrodes in the multi-load layout device by the short network device to constitute two current circuits by an electric furnace weld pool load. Each electrode in the multi-load layout device is connected to homo-polar output terminals of a three-phase negative semi-cycle rectifying output circuit and a three-phase positive semi-cycle rectifying output circuit, separately. The rectifying power supply device-includes multiple output current circuits. The number of output current circuits of the rectifying power supply device is the same as the number of electrodes in the multi-load layout device.

An apparatus for heating a fluid is provided, the apparatus comprising a chamber and one or more tubes for conveying the fluid through the chamber, wherein at least one of the tubes has a bend and the bend comprises a removable bend cap including at least one microwave emitter. In another aspect, there is provided an apparatus for removably attaching a bend in tubing for conveying a fluid through the enclosure, the bend having a removable bend cap, and the apparatus comprising a sleeve extending through an opening in the enclosure, wherein the sleeve is adapted to receive the removable bend cap. In yet another aspect, there is provided an apparatus having an enclosure and tubing within the enclosure, the tubing being to convey fluid through the enclosure. At least one of the tubes has a bend, and the bend comprises a removable bend cap which comprises a cleaning device.

An apparatus for heating a fluid is provided, the apparatus comprising a chamber and one or more tubes for conveying the fluid through the chamber, wherein at least one of the tubes has a bend and the bend comprises a removable bend cap including at least one microwave emitter. In another aspect, there is provided an apparatus for removably attaching a bend in tubing for conveying a fluid through the enclosure, the bend having a removable bend cap, and the apparatus comprising a sleeve extending through an opening in the enclosure, wherein the sleeve is adapted to receive the removable bend cap. In yet another aspect, there is provided an apparatus having an enclosure and tubing within the enclosure, the tubing being to convey fluid through the enclosure. At least one of the tubes has a bend, and the bend comprises a removable bend cap which comprises a cleaning device.

The invention relates to a facility for producing a metal component having at least two regions of different strength properties, said facility consisting of a heating unit (2) comprising heat-producing radiation sources (4) as well as a positioning device for at least one base body (1) consisting of metal, and a protecting device comprising at least one covering part for the contactless protection of a pre-determined surface region of the base body (1), the protecting device being arranged in the heating unit such that it remains therein during a temperature control of the base body (1) before the forming of the base body in a forming tool, the protecting part comprising a plurality of separately manipulatable covering parts (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) which are respectively used to protect a predetermined surface region (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e) of the Base Body (1), and a Manipulator (5) is Provided for Each Covering Part (3a to 3e), by means of which the covering part (3a to 3e) can be moved, independently from the other covering parts (3a to 3e) in the heating unit (2), into a covering position in which it covers the pre-determined surface region (1a to 1e), or into an uncovering position in which it uncovers the pre-determined surface region (1a to 1e) for the irradiation of the radiation sources (4).

This invention relates to a device for drying at least one object containing a liquid, in particular a dental restoration object (12). Said device comprises a means for generating thermal energy acting upon the object and sufficient for increasing the temperature of the object to the boiling point. Moreover, the device includes an impingement area for impinging on the object with thermal energy and a control device (24) that is characterized by the fact that a temperature detection element (20) of the device (10) measures the temperature of the object (12), and upon reaching a trigger temperature that is at the boiling temperature, somewhat below or somewhat above thereof, emits a signal to the control device.

The infrared baking device includes: a furnace chamber having an opening openable/closable by an opening/closing cover and allowing an internal space thereof to be tightly sealed; a baking object placement portion on which a baking object is to be placed and which is extractable/insertable through the opening; a heater lamp for heating the heating object by infrared rays; and a thermocouple provided at the baking object placement tray. A furnace wall of the furnace chamber is configured so that infrared rays from the heater lamp are collected and radiated to the tray. The thermocouple is provided in a contactor to contact with the tray. The tray and the contactor are made of the same material which absorbs the infrared rays.

A far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace including far-infrared radiation heaters having flexibility that are prevented from deflecting even during heating at temperatures ranging from the Ac.sub.3 transformation temperature to 950 C. The furnace includes: multiple-staged heating units that accommodate steel sheets, each heating unit formed by thermal insulation materials disposed around the periphery; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the heating units. A far-infrared radiation heater is received by first metal strips. The first metal strips are disposed so that their strong axis direction approximately corresponds to the direction of gravity and supported by support pieces so as to be expandable and contractible in a longitudinal direction by thermal expansion or thermal contraction. The support pieces are disposed outside the thermal insulation materials in the heating units and a ceiling unit.

A far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace including far-infrared radiation heaters having flexibility that are prevented from deflecting even during heating at temperatures ranging from the Ac.sub.3 transformation temperature to 950 C. The furnace includes: multiple-staged heating units that accommodate steel sheets, each heating unit formed by thermal insulation materials disposed around the periphery; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the heating units. A far-infrared radiation heater is received by first metal strips. The first metal strips are disposed so that their strong axis direction approximately corresponds to the direction of gravity and supported by support pieces so as to be expandable and contractible in a longitudinal direction by thermal expansion or thermal contraction. The support pieces are disposed outside the thermal insulation materials in the heating units and a ceiling unit.