A rotating magnet heater for metal products, such as aluminum strip, can include permanent magnet rotors arranged above and below a moving metal strip to induce moving or time varying magnetic fields through the metal strip. The changing magnetic fields can create currents (e.g., eddy currents) within the metal strip, thus heating the metal strip. A magnetic rotor set can include a pair of matched magnetic rotors on opposite sides of a metal strip that rotate at the same speed. Each magnetic rotor of a set can be positioned equidistance from the metal strip to avoid pulling the metal strip away from the passline. A downstream magnetic rotor set can be used in close proximity to an upstream magnetic rotor set to offset tension induced by the upstream magnetic rotor set.

A high current multi-layer parallel plane inductor is formed from a plurality of electrically conductive continuous layers folded back and forth to form a compact series inductor with each one of the plurality of electrically conductive layers having one or more layer pocket holes with layer edge notches forming one or more coil control pockets that generate a magnetic field pattern when alternating current is applied to the inductor.

A method of thermally processing a material with a thermal processing system includes providing a material for treating in an in-line thermal process to a heating system, providing a force to the material at a portion of the material configured to be heated by the heating system, adjusting the heating system to a specified temperature value, and heating the portion of the material to the specified temperature value while the portion of the material is under the force to change a magnetic property in the portion of the material. The heating system is moveable from a first position that is away from a path of the material through the in-line thermal process to a second position in which the heating system is configured to heat the portion of the material to the specified temperature value. The heating system can include induction-based heating.

Coils (230, 330) are respectively arranged on a front side and a rear side of a planned conveyance plane (CP). Main cores (211, 311), edge cores (212, 213, 312, 313), and bridge cores (220a, 220b, 320a, 330b) are arranged with respect to the coils (230, 330). The bridge cores (220a, 220b, 320a, 330b) are arranged on a back side of the main cores (211, 311) and the edge cores (212, 213, 312, 313). The main cores (211, 311) and the edge cores (212, 213, 312, 313) can be magnetically coupled by using the bridge cores (220a, 220b, 320a, 320b).

In one slot (1121a, 1121b, 1221a, 1221b), first copper pipes (1111a to 1111f, 1211a to 1211f) and a second copper pipe (1111g, 1111h, 1211g, 1211h) are arranged. At each position (each y-coordinate) in a heating length direction in the one slot, the first copper pipe is at a position closest to a conductor plate M. In the one slot, the second copper pipe is at a position close to the conductor plate M relative to at least one first copper pipe. In the one slot, there is at least one second copper pipe electrically connected in series to the first copper pipe.

Volumes of cores (1120, 1220) are made to differ between a heating upstream-side region and a heating downstream-side region.

Induction furnace, method for operating, control program, and control device for an inducation furnace for heating planar rolled stock material made of metal. The rolled stock passes through the induction furnace in a longitudinal direction and extends transversely thereto from a first to a second rolled stock edge. The induction furnace has a plurality of module pairs which, viewed in the longitudinal direction, follow one another sequentially and each have a first and a second induction module. The induction modules, as viewed in the transverse direction, are positioned at a respective initial position, so that the first induction modules are arranged offset towards the first rolled stock edge and the second induction modules are arranged offset towards the second rolled stock edge. Induction modules are supplied with electrical power via respective power supply devices. A respective electrical target variable is defined for each induction module.