A steel-strip production apparatus adapted to produce a hot-dip-plated steel strip and a cold-rolled steel strip includes a continuous annealing furnace, a snout connected to the continuous annealing furnace, a contact-type seal plate device and a noncontact-type seal roll device, a hot-dip-plating tank that is movable, and a roll configured to turn the path direction of the steel strip after passing through the snout, wherein a hot-dip-plated steel strip production unit configured to produce a hot-dip-plated steel strip by bringing the steel strip continuously annealed in the continuous annealing furnace into the hot-dip-plating tank; and a cold-rolled steel strip production unit configured to produce a cold-rolled steel strip by transferring the steel strip continuously annealed in the continuous annealing furnace without causing the steel strip to pass through the hot-dip-plating tank, are configured to be switchable with one another.

A heat treatment system includes heating chambers configured to perform heat treatment on objects to be treated, and a conveyance device configured to load each of the objects to be treated into the heating chambers, unload the object to be treated from the heating chambers, and convey the object to be treated under an oxygen-free atmosphere, wherein the conveyance device includes a cooling device configured to perform cooling treatment on the object to be treated.

A continuous annealing furnace for annealing steel strips that is a vertical-type annealing furnace is configured so that part of gas inside the furnace is drawn and introduced to a refiner disposed outside the furnace including an oxygen removing apparatus and a dehumidifying apparatus, oxygen and moisture contained in the gas are removed to lower the dew point of the gas, and the gas having a lowered dew point is put back into the furnace. At least one gas inlet through which gas is drawn from the furnace into the refiner is disposed in the vicinity of the entry side of the furnace at a distance of 6 m or less in the vertical direction and 3 m or less in the furnace-length direction from the steel-strip-introduction section located at the lower part of the heating zone.

A consumable electrode vacuum arc furnace and, more particularly, a direct current consumable electrode vacuum arc furnace is provided, wherein no water cooling is needed to cool down typically neither the electrodes, nor any other parts of the furnace, and this includes the shell, the flanges ports and the electrical connections of the furnace. The present furnace uses non-metallic electrodes, such as graphite electrode, which are suitable for melting metals, smelting of metal ores, and metal oxide to elemental metal where the use of graphite electrodes is a common practice. The present furnace and electrode assemblies render possible to perform a true continuous process of melting and smelting under controlled pressure.

A sealing system for isolating the environment inside a vitrification container from the outside environment comprises a vitrification container with a lid. The lid comprises two or more electrode seal assemblies through which two or more electrodes may be operatively positioned and extend down through the lid into the vitrification container. The electrodes may move axially up and down through the electrode seal assemblies or lock into place. The electrode seal assemblies each comprise a housing having two halves with recessed ring grooves. Sealing rings with a split may be placed into the grooves. Gas galleries may be machined or cast into the housing such that they are adjacent to the ring grooves. The gas galleries distribute gas onto the external faces of the sealing rings causing a change in pressure resulting in the sealing rings compressing onto the electrodes and forming a seal.

An oven system includes an oven chamber defined by side walls and a top wall. The oven chamber includes a slot formed in the top wall. A conveyor rail extends longitudinally along the slot at a position outside of the oven chamber. A conveyor hanger is coupled to and movable along the conveyor rail to support a material within the oven chamber. A first support bracket and a second support bracket each extend longitudinally along a length of the top wall of the oven chamber. The second support bracket is spaced from the first support bracket to define the slot that extends longitudinally along the top wall of the oven chamber. A closure mechanism is coupled to the first and second support brackets to inhibit heat from releasing out of the oven chamber.

A decompression heat-insulating pipe structure that can exhibit the desired heat-insulating performance and is easy to assemble. In the structure, a space between ends of inner and outer tubes is decompressed. The outer tube includes a first flange, which extends radially inward from an axially one end thereof, and a second flange, which extends radially outward from the axially other end thereof. The inner tube includes a third flange, which extends radially inward from an axially one end thereof and is opposed to the first flange at an axially inward position of the first flange, and a fourth flange, which extends radially outward from the axially other end thereof and being opposed to the second flange at an axially outward position of the second flange. First and second elastic seal members are disposed between the first and third flanges and between the second and fourth flanges, respectively.

The inventive concept relates to a substrate treating apparatus including a process chamber having a first and a second body, a support unit supporting a substrate, a heating unit heats the substrate, a driver moves any one of the first body and the second body, an interval state detection unit that detects an interval state between a side wall of the first body and a side wall of the second body when the first and the second body are placed in a process location, and a controller that controls the driver and the interval state detection unit, wherein the interval state detection unit includes a pressure provision line that provides a positive pressure or a negative pressure between the side wall of the first body and the side wall of the second body, and a pressure measurement member that measures a change in a pressure of the pressure provision line.

A concrete products curing kiln and kiln closure apparatus comprising a pressure door shaped to cover an opening of the kiln, and an expandable chamber. The expandable chamber is positioned such that inflation of the chamber causes the chamber to expand and press on, and at least partially seal, the pressure door against a kiln door frame defining the kiln opening.

The invention relates to a slide valve (20) having a slide valve plate (32) movable in a slide valve rail (29) between a locked position and an open position in a slide valve casing (26), said slide valve rail (29) being provided with a slide valve seal for attaining a gas-proof locked position, said slide valve rail (29) being connected to the slide valve casing (26) via a flange connection in such a manner that the slide valve rail (29) is removable from the slide valve casing (26) radially to a flow axis of the slide valve (20).