A heating apparatus, which can stably fix a heater and be easily produced, includes a heat insulating material and an electric heater embedded in the surface or near the surface of the heat insulating material. At least one hook extends from the electric heater into the heat insulating material. The heat insulating material is formed of ceramic fibers and a binder binding the ceramic fibers, and is integrally molded with the electric heater having the hook.

Provided is a molten metal holding furnace with heat dissipation and insulating properties. An insertion hole 20 of a molten metal holding furnace 10 has an inside cylindrical portion (tapered surface) 21 and an outside cylindrical portion 22 (cylindrical surface). A heating tube 30 has a distal cylindrical portion 35 corresponding to the inside cylindrical portion 21 and a proximal cylindrical portion 36 corresponding to the outside cylindrical portion 22. The heating tube 30 is inserted and positioned in the insertion hole with the distal cylindrical portion 35 positioned at the inner cylindrical portion 21 and the proximal cylindrical portion 36 positioned at the outside cylindrical portion 22. A filling material 60 is filled between the heating tube 30 and the insertion hole 20.

An electrical heating conductor arrangement for heating a furnace has one or more strip-shaped portions with a generally horizontal sheet-like extent. The strip-shaped portions are formed by individual bands which have along their width an arcuate curvature with respect to a horizontal plane. The individual bands are partially mounted by at least one bearing element pivotably in the longitudinal direction of the respective band.

An electrical heating conductor arrangement for heating a furnace has one or more strip-shaped portions with a generally horizontal sheet-like extent. The strip-shaped portions are formed by individual bands which have along their width an arcuate curvature with respect to a horizontal plane. The individual bands are partially mounted by at least one bearing element pivotably in the longitudinal direction of the respective band.

Provided is a heater protection tube for use with a molten metal holding furnace with heat dissipation and insulating properties. A heat protection tube 31 has a distal tapered cylindrical portion 35 corresponding to the inside tapered cylindrical portion 21 and a proximal non-tapered cylindrical portion 36 corresponding to the outside non-tapered cylindrical portion 22. The heater protection tube (31) is configured so that it can be mounted in the side wall (13) with the distal tapered cylindrical portion (35) located at the inside tapered cylindrical portion (21) and with the proximal non-tapered cylindrical portion (36) located at the outside non-tapered cylindrical portion (22).

Provided is a heater protection tube for use with a molten metal holding furnace with heat dissipation and insulating properties. A heat protection tube 31 has a distal tapered cylindrical portion 35 corresponding to the inside tapered cylindrical portion 21 and a proximal non-tapered cylindrical portion 36 corresponding to the outside non-tapered cylindrical portion 22. The heater protection tube (31) is configured so that it can be mounted in the side wall (13) with the distal tapered cylindrical portion (35) located at the inside tapered cylindrical portion (21) and with the proximal non-tapered cylindrical portion (36) located at the outside non-tapered cylindrical portion (22).

A vacuum heat treating furnace for the heat treatment of metal parts includes a pressure vessel and a hot zone enclosure that defines a hot zone therein. A heating element array inside the hot zone enclosure includes a first heating element, a second heating element, and a center heating element. The first and second heating elements are suspended on opposing sides of the hot zone enclosure. The center heating element is suspended vertically from the hot zone enclosure between the first and second heating elements. The center heating element is adapted to be connected to the first and second heating elements to form a continuous circuit therewith. The center heating element may be connected to the first and second heating elements with removable/reusable fasteners to provide for reconfiguration of the hot zone to accommodate different size workloads.

An infrared radiant panel is formed by overlaid substrates having conductors thereon which are electrically activated to generate heat to cause infrared radiation of desired wavelengths. The conductors are arranged to cancel magnetic fields caused by current flow therethrough. A conductive shield further suppresses fields generated by the panel.

An infrared radiant panel is formed by overlaid substrates having conductors thereon which are electrically activated to generate heat to cause infrared radiation of desired wavelengths. The conductors are arranged to cancel magnetic fields caused by current flow therethrough. A conductive shield further suppresses fields generated by the panel.

A support arrangement (10) for mounting electric heating elements (5, 7) in a furnace (1). The support arrangement (10) comprises a first insulating body (11), a second insulating body (21), a detachably arranged cover body (30) or cover assembly (60), and a support structure (40). A cavity (15) is formed between the first insulating body (11) and a second insulating body (21) into which the heating elements (5, 7) extend to thereby allow electrical connection to a power source. Each of the first insulating body (11) and a second insulating body (21) comprises at least one longitudinal slot (13, 23) arranged in a first surface facing towards the interior of the furnace (1) to thereby allow insertion of a heating element into the support arrangement (10) from the interior of the furnace (1).