The present invention is directed to an inductively heated bushing box and fiber formation method for an igneous rock melting furnace. The bushing box includes side walls with a water cooling system surrounded by one or more induction coils for maintaining and even temperature distribution of melted charge before the melt is extruded through tips of a bushing plate. The bushing plate is offset from the bottom of the one or more induction coils to avoid end effects and better ensure consistent eddy current formation. By increasing the uniformity of temperature distribution over a larger surface area, the system allows for a greater number of tips per bushing plate, and therefore provides for greater efficiency.

A bushing assembly is provided including terminal ears coupled to opposed end walls of the bushing assembly. Each of the terminal ears includes an electrically conductive plate with a first terminal edge (1D) coupled to a bushing first end wall, and extending away from the first end wall to a second, free terminal edge (1A) and having a curved geometry. The curvature, 1/(2R), at any point of the curved second end of the slot is less than the reciprocal, 1/ Wo, of the smallest gap width, Wo, of both slot first open end, W.sub.A, and elongated portion, W.sub.B, where R is defined as the radius at any point of the curved second end.

The present invention concerns a bushing assembly comprising terminal ears (1) coupled to opposed end walls (2) of the bushing assembly, for heating the bushing tip plate and walls, each of said terminal ears comprising: (a) an electrically conductive plate, said conductive plate comprising at least a first portion (1A) extending along a longitudinal 1D axis (X1) from a first terminal edge (1D) substantially normal to said longitudinal axis (X1) 1B and coupled to a bushing end wall (2), and further comprising a second, free terminal edge (1C) connectable to a source of power, and (b) at least one elongated reinforcing member (1B) coupled to said at least first portion (1A) of said plate to increase the bending moment of the latter, characterized in that, said at least one elongated reinforcing member (1B) extends from, or adjacent to the plate first terminal edge (1D) along a direction non parallel to said longitudinal axis (X1).