A heat shrink tunnel with width adjustment includes a pair of opposing side wall assemblies, each including an outer wall and an inner perforated wall defining a plenum therebetween. The opposing side walls define a product path with the side wall assemblies being movable toward and away from each other. A heater/blower assembly disposed in each of the opposing side walls and has an outlet directed into the product path. A shroud extends over the side wall assemblies and an open top space between the side all assemblies. The side wall assemblies extend upwardly toward an inside of the shroud so as to define a small gap between tops of the side wall assemblies and the inside of the shroud. The shroud has a bottom wall. A conveyor is configured to convey items through the heat shrink tunnel. A tunnel includes a side wall assembly width adjusting assembly to move the side walls toward and away from one another by actuation of a single actuator.

A heat shrink tunnel with width adjustment includes a pair of opposing side wall assemblies, each including an outer wall and an inner perforated wall defining a plenum therebetween. The opposing side walls define a product path with the side wall assemblies being movable toward and away from each other. A heater/blower assembly disposed in each of the opposing side walls and has an outlet directed into the product path. A shroud extends over the side wall assemblies and an open top space between the side all assemblies. The side wall assemblies extend upwardly toward an inside of the shroud so as to define a small gap between tops of the side wall assemblies and the inside of the shroud. The shroud has a bottom wall. A conveyor is configured to convey items through the heat shrink tunnel. A tunnel includes a side wall assembly width adjusting assembly to move the side walls toward and away from one another by actuation of a single actuator.

A device for the heat treatment of a product includes a housing, and a conveyor for conveying the product between an inlet of the housing and an outlet of the housing. The conveyor includes a screw which is mounted so as to turn in the housing according to a geometric axis of rotation and comprising an actuator for rotating the screw according to said axis, with ohmic heating of the screw. Accordingly, the housing comprises an envelope consisting of a refractory material through with the screw extends, said envelope being shaped in the form of a tube, the main inner surface of which follows contours of the screw.

A device for the heat treatment of a product includes a housing, and a conveyor for conveying the product between an inlet of the housing and an outlet of the housing. The conveyor includes a screw which is mounted so as to turn in the housing according to a geometric axis of rotation and comprising an actuator for rotating the screw according to said axis, with ohmic heating of the screw. Accordingly, the housing comprises an envelope consisting of a refractory material through with the screw extends, said envelope being shaped in the form of a tube, the main inner surface of which follows contours of the screw.

A method, apparatus and system for processing a composite waste source, such as e-waste, is disclosed. The composite waste source may comprise low-, moderate and high-melting point constituents, such as plastics, metals and ceramics. The composite waste source is heated to a first temperature zone, causing at least some of the low-melting point constituents to at least partially thermally transform. The composite waste source is subsequently heated to a second, higher, temperature zone, causing at least some of the moderate-melting point constituents to at least partially thermally transform. At least some of the at least partially thermally transformed constituents may be recovered. The method, apparatus and system disclosed may provide for the recovery and reuse of materials which would otherwise be sent to landfill or incinerated.

A method for moulding a sheet into a component of complex shape having areas with different mechanical properties, particularly a motor-vehicle component, includes a first heating step of the sheet carried out by a kiln, prior to forming the component. The kiln has a main body with a roller shape, having a plurality of sectors extending along a radial direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the roller body. The sectors are configured to each receive a sheet, so that the main body with a roller shape is arranged to simultaneously carry a plurality of sheets. The kiln includes a plurality of heating elements incorporated in the roller-shaped main body, so as to heat the sheets in contact with the roller body. The kiln includes at least one electronically-controlled drive motor, arranged to rotate the roller-shaped main body around the longitudinal axis of the kiln, so as to vary the position of the sectors with respect to the inlet and outlet ports. An additional heating step follows extraction of the sheets from the kiln, wherein the sheets are locally heated only at one area, so as to obtain sheets with areas heated to different temperatures.

The method for heating a metal component to a target temperature, in which the component has a preliminary coating and is passed through a furnace that has at least four zones, which can be respectively adjusted to an individual zone temperature, wherein the component is passed successively through at least an initial heating zone, a plateau zone, a peak heating zone and an end zone and wherein the initial heating zone is adjusted to an initial heating temperature, the plateau zone is adjusted to a plateau temperature, the peak heating zone is adjusted to a peak temperature and the end zone is adjusted to the target temperature, the plateau temperature being chosen such that the temperature of the component in the plateau zone lies in a band around a melting temperature of the preliminary coating which is characterized in that the peak temperature lies by at least 100 K [kelvin] above the target temperature.

A continuous industrial furnace comprising: an inlet; a heating zone; a cooling zone; and an outlet in this order, the continuous industrial furnace being configured to heat-treat a workpiece while conveying the workpiece from the inlet to the outlet, wherein at least a part of the heating zone comprises a furnace wall heat insulation structure, the furnace wall heat insulation structure comprising: an outer wall having one or more gas introducing ports; and a porous thermal insulation layer arranged with a gap on an inner side of the outer wall; and wherein the heating zone further comprises one or more exhaust ports for sucking and discharging the gas after the gas flows into the heating zone of the furnace from the gas introducing ports through the gap and the porous thermal insulation layer In this order and then flows toward the inlet side.

A composite ceramic element and method of firing clay or ceramic elements in a roller kiln, comprising the steps of passing a first ceramic element on rollers through the roller kiln, passing a second ceramic element on rollers through the roller kiln, and mating and securing the first and second ceramic elements together after passing each said ceramic element through the roller kiln.

A method of thermally processing work pieces including providing an insulated chamber having a first end, an opposing second end, and a middle portion disposed between the first and second ends, wherein the first end is inclined with respect to middle portion, creating a thermal gradient within an interior of the insulated chamber, and providing a means for gradually moving a workpiece from the first end to the second end within the created thermal gradient.