A system for treatment of a first material with at least one hazardous material, the system comprising a manufacturing room configured according to safety standards to hold at least one hazardous material. The manufacturing room is configured for the treatment of the first material using the at least one hazardous material as a solvent. A holding room is not configured according to the safety standards and is separated from the manufacturing room by a wall common to the manufacturing room and the holding room. A vacuum oven is embedded in the wall, and has a rear portion in the manufacturing room and a front portion in the holding room. The front door of the oven is configured to be opened from the holding room for removing the first material from the inner cavity following removal of the at least one hazardous material from the first material and from the inner cavity and no electrical components of the vacuum oven extend into the manufacturing room.

A system for treatment of a first material with at least one hazardous material, the system comprising a manufacturing room configured according to safety standards to hold at least one hazardous material. The manufacturing room is configured for the treatment of the first material using the at least one hazardous material as a solvent. A holding room is not configured according to the safety standards and is separated from the manufacturing room by a wall common to the manufacturing room and the holding room. A vacuum oven is embedded in the wall, and has a rear portion in the manufacturing room and a front portion in the holding room. The front door of the oven is configured to be opened from the holding room for removing the first material from the inner cavity following removal of the at least one hazardous material from the first material and from the inner cavity and no electrical components of the vacuum oven extend into the manufacturing room.

Described herein are glass forming apparatuses with cooled muffle assemblies and methods for using the same to form glass ribbons. According to one embodiment, a muffle assembly for a fusion forming apparatus may include a muffle frame comprising a back wall, a front wall opposite the back wall, and a pair of sidewalls joining the front wall to the back wall in a closed-loop. At least one first cooling tube may extend through the back wall and the front wall across the closed-loop. At least one second cooling tube may extend through the back wall and the front wall across the closed loop such that the at least one second cooling tube is spaced apart from and parallel with the at least one first cooling tube.

Described herein are glass forming apparatuses with cooled muffle assemblies and methods for using the same to form glass ribbons. According to one embodiment, a muffle assembly for a fusion forming apparatus may include a muffle frame comprising a back wall, a front wall opposite the back wall, and a pair of sidewalls joining the front wall to the back wall in a closed-loop. At least one first cooling tube may extend through the back wall and the front wall across the closed-loop. At least one second cooling tube may extend through the back wall and the front wall across the closed loop such that the at least one second cooling tube is spaced apart from and parallel with the at least one first cooling tube.

A multi-chamber type heating unit to heat a blank includes: a lower housing unit; an intermediate housing unit installed in an upper portion of the lower housing unit; and an upper housing unit installed in an upper portion of the intermediate housing unit. A plurality of intermediate housings are stacked to form the intermediate housing unit, and a heating unit to heat a blank is installed in each of the intermediate housings. Moreover, the intermediate housings are formed in the shape in which upper and lower portions thereof are opened, and an opening is formed in the front for a door to be inserted thereinto, and door sealing units provided on the intermediate housing portion and provided to seal the door when the door is closed.

A multi-chamber type heating unit to heat a blank includes: a lower housing unit; an intermediate housing unit installed in an upper portion of the lower housing unit; and an upper housing unit installed in an upper portion of the intermediate housing unit. A plurality of intermediate housings are stacked to form the intermediate housing unit, and a heating unit to heat a blank is installed in each of the intermediate housings. Moreover, the intermediate housings are formed in the shape in which upper and lower portions thereof are opened, and an opening is formed in the front for a door to be inserted thereinto, and door sealing units provided on the intermediate housing portion and provided to seal the door when the door is closed.

Disclosed are a continuous heat treatment device and method for a sintered Nd—Fe—B magnet workpiece. The device comprises a first heat treatment chamber, a first cooling chamber, a second heat treatment chamber, and a second cooling chamber continuously disposed in sequence, as well as a transfer system disposed among the chambers to transfer the alloy workpiece or the metal workpiece; both the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber adopt a air cooling system, wherein a cooling air temperature of the first cooling chamber is 25° C. or above and differs from a heat treatment temperature of the first heat treatment chamber by at least 450° C.; a cooling air temperature of the second cooling chamber is 25° C. or above and differs from a heat treatment temperature of the second heat treatment chamber by at least 300° C. The continuous heat treatment device and method can improve the cooling rate and production efficiency and improve the properties and consistency of the products.

Disclosed are a device and method for continuously performing grain boundary diffusion and heat treatment, characterized in that the alloy workpiece or the metal workpiece are arranged in a relatively independent processing box together with a diffusion source; the device comprises, in successive arrangement, a grain boundary diffusion chamber, a first cooling chamber, a heat treatment chamber, and a second cooling chamber, and a transfer system provided between various chambers for delivering the processing box; each of the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber uses an air cooling system, and the cooling air temperature of the first cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 550° C. from the grain boundary diffusion temperature of the grain boundary diffusion chamber; the cooling air temperature of the second cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 300° C. from the heat treatment temperature of the heat treatment chamber; and the cooling chamber has a pressure of 50 kPa to 100 kPa. The device provided by the present invention can increase the cooling rate and production efficiency, and improve product consistency.

Disclosed are a device and method for continuously performing grain boundary diffusion and heat treatment, characterized in that the alloy workpiece or the metal workpiece are arranged in a relatively independent processing box together with a diffusion source; the device comprises, in successive arrangement, a grain boundary diffusion chamber, a first cooling chamber, a heat treatment chamber, and a second cooling chamber, and a transfer system provided between various chambers for delivering the processing box; each of the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber uses an air cooling system, and the cooling air temperature of the first cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 550° C. from the grain boundary diffusion temperature of the grain boundary diffusion chamber; the cooling air temperature of the second cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 300° C. from the heat treatment temperature of the heat treatment chamber; and the cooling chamber has a pressure of 50 kPa to 100 kPa. The device provided by the present invention can increase the cooling rate and production efficiency, and improve product consistency.

In an example implementation, a method of operating a sintering furnace includes receiving information about a green object load to be sintered in a sintering furnace, determining a sintering profile based on the information, and performing a sintering process according to the sintering profile. During the sintering process, a sensor reading that indicates a degree of densification of a green object in the load is accessed from a densification sensor. The method includes initiating a cool down phase of the sintering process if the sensor reading has reached a target sensor reading.