A strip flotation furnace for controlling the temperature of a metal strip has a flotation nozzle bar extending through the furnace transversely to a strip running direction of the strip. The flotation nozzle bar has two opposing first flotation nozzle rows spaced apart by a central region of the flotation nozzle bar. The rows are set up so that corresponding flotation nozzle jets, with a directional component toward the central region, can be generated to provide pressure cushioning for metal strip guiding. A temperature-control nozzle bar extends transversely to and is spaced apart from the flotation nozzle bar along the strip running direction. The temperature-control nozzle bar has two additional opposing temperature-control nozzle rows spaced apart by an additional temperature-control nozzle bar central region. These rows are set up so that corresponding temperature-control nozzle jets, with a directional component opposite to the additional central region, can be generated.

A threading apparatus for transporting an electrode plate includes an oven, a first guide rail and a second guide rail, and a threading assembly. The first guide rail and the second guide rail are spaced apart from each other inside the oven in a first direction. A first opening and a second opening are respectively provided on a surface of the first guide rail and a surface of the second guide rail that face each other. Two ends of the threading assembly in the first direction are movably disposed in the first guide rail and the second guide rail through the first opening and the second opening, respectively. The threading assembly is configured to be connected to the electrode plate for transporting the electrode plate inside the oven.

A system for thermally bonding nonwoven fibers of assemblages of nonwoven fibers loosely held together may include a processing duct including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an intermediate portion extending between the inlet end and the outlet end. The system also may include one or more heat inlets located in the intermediate portion and configured to facilitate introduction of heat and air flow into the intermediate portion. The system further may include an inlet air feed at the inlet end and configured to separate the assemblages upon entry into the inlet end and propel the assemblages into the intermediate portion. The system also may include one or more heating devices configured to heat the assemblages as the assemblages are conveyed toward the outlet end to form processed assemblages, each of the processed assemblages including at least some nonwoven fibers adhered to one another.

A method of annealing a steel sheet in an annealing furnace, including: supporting and conveying a steel sheet with hearth rolls; and supporting and conveying the steel sheet with a full-ceramic hearth roll as a hearth roll located in an area where a furnace temperature is equal to or higher than 950° C., wherein a main constituent of the full-ceramic hearth roll is silicon nitride with use of an Al—Y-based sintering aid.

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 conveyor unit for moving products in a conveying direction is disclosed. The unit comprises first beams extending along the conveying direction substantially parallel to each other. The first beams are slidably mounted on rollers and are displaceable in a back-and-forth reciprocating motion along the conveying direction between an upstream position and a downstream position. The unit further comprises second beams extending along the conveying direction and arranged interleaved with the first beams. The second beams are configured to be displaceable in an up-and-down reciprocating motion between a lower vertical position and an upper vertical position along a vertical direction that is defined in a plane substantially perpendicular to a plane of the conveying direction, wherein an upper working surface of the first beams is positioned along the vertical direction, between the lower vertical position and the upper vertical position.

Furnace with movable beam load handling system, in particular for heating or heat treatment of ferrous or non-ferrous metallic material, comprising:—a furnace chamber extending between a furnace-loading section and a furnace-unloading section of the material along a longitudinal direction;—first beams, arranged inside said chamber and defining a plurality of main supports for the material to be treated in said chamber,—second beams, arranged inside said chamber and defining a plurality of temporary supports for the material, wherein said second beams are cyclically movable with respect to the first beams so as to impart to said material a movement between said furnace-loading section and said furnace-unloading section having a motion component parallel to said longitudinal direction.

Walking beam furnace comprising movable and stationary andirons supported by movable and stationary keels, respectively, and drive means designed to move a lifting frame and a translation frame according to a rectangular displacement cycle having two vertical positions and an intermediate vertical position, the movable andirons being at the same height as the stationary andirons The furnace further comprises stationary and movable beams, the movable beams arranged between the stationary beams and separated from the latter by a space, the movable keels attached to the movable beams, which are attached to the translation frame and arranged at the same height as the stationary refractory beams in the intermediate position. The furnace further comprises a plurality of skirts attached to the other movable beams defining the separation space and dipping into longitudinal water tanks arranged in line with the separation spaces and attached to one of the separation space defining beams.

A furnace for producing a secondary battery cathode material according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes; a chamber of which the internal space is heated by a heater; a conveyer installed in the chamber and conveying a sagger containing raw material power of a cathode material of a secondary battery in one direction; and a gas supply nozzle and an exhaust port installed in the chamber.

The chamber is divided into a front chamber, an intermediate chamber, and a rear chamber. The intermediate chamber has an inlet shutter and an outlet shutter for sealing the internal space thereof, and an exhaust port of the intermediate chamber is connected to an exhaust device for discharging gas.

A system for thermally bonding nonwoven fibers of assemblages of nonwoven fibers loosely held together may include a processing duct including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an intermediate portion extending between the inlet end and the outlet end. The system also may include one or more heat inlets located in the intermediate portion and configured to facilitate introduction of heat and air flow into the intermediate portion. The system further may include an inlet air feed at the inlet end and configured to separate the assemblages upon entry into the inlet end and propel the assemblages into the intermediate portion. The system also may include one or more heating devices configured to heat the assemblages as the assemblages are conveyed toward the outlet end to form processed assemblages, each of the processed assemblages including at least some nonwoven fibers adhered to one another.