A system for the hot stamping of workpieces having a furnace installation, in which workpieces can be heated to a forming temperature, and a forming installation, in which the heated workpieces can undergo forming. A transfer device is provided for transferring workpieces from the furnace installation to the forming installation. The transfer device is arranged in a transfer space, which is delimited at least in certain regions by a housing and largely bridges the space between the furnace installation and the forming installation. Also provided is a method for the hot stamping of workpieces.

A heating system for drill steel pipe billet includes a feedback device configured to control distances d.sub.1 and d.sub.2 of three flamethrowers, a propulsion device, a positioning device, a heating device, a temperature measuring device and a conveying device. Heating temperature of the flamethrowers is controlled by an oxygen distribution box and a gas distribution box. A heating method for the drill steel pipe billet is also provided, in which a rolling forming method of gradient flame heating is adopted to control density of the rolled pieces and avoid internal defects of the drill steel caused by the same deformation of the traditional uniformly heated pipe billets. A radial temperature of the drill steel pipe billet is accurately controlled through the feedback device. Only one set of flamethrowers corresponding to drill steel pipe billets of different dimensions is required, and other devices are universal components, which will not be replaced.

A helicoidal blade system is presented having an armature to facilitate bending of metal stock to form helicoidal blades. In one or more embodiments, the armature has an exterior surface that is generally conical in shape and includes a guide structure and an engagement track. The helicoidal blade system also includes drive coupler and motor that are operably coupled together. The drive coupler is configured to engage the engagement track of the conical armature and rotate the conical armature when the motor is operated. A blade metal feed apparatus is configured to feed the metal stock into the helical shaped guide structure as the conical armature is rotated. As the conical armature is rotated, the metal stock is bent around the armature within the helical shaped guide structure to form one or more helicoidal blades.

A method and apparatus for treating a workpiece such as a mold grid includes moving the workpiece laterally along a conveyor assembly into a furnace for heating in a carbon-rich atmosphere to form a heated workpiece. The heated workpiece is then received from the furnace onto the conveyor assembly in an enclosed vestibule whereupon it is clamped under pressure between an overhead mechanical press and the conveyor assembly to form a clamped assembly. The clamped assembly, including a portion of the conveyor, is then lowered into a quenching bath via an elevator assembly until the heated workpiece is quenched, whereupon the clamped assembly is raised out of the bath and the clamping force released. This clamping during quenching acts to maintain the workpiece in a planar orientation while reducing warpage during the quenching process.

The present invention provides a nitriding treatment method for forming a compound layer of ε phase (Fe.sub.2-3N) and γ′ phase (Fe.sub.4N) iron nitride excellent in wear durability in a steel material, from which a sliding member is formed, by short treatment, with a high thermal efficiency, with a reduced amount of used nitriding gas, and with a low environmental load. The nitriding treatment method of the present invention includes heating a sliding member made of a steel material at a temperature of 600° C. to 700° C. for a time of 1 to 25 minutes under an atmosphere of nitriding gas through high frequency induction heating or resistive heating, to form a compound layer of ε phase (Fe.sub.2-3N) and γ′ phase (Fe.sub.4N) iron nitride, the compound layer having a nitrogen content of higher than 4.5%, in a surface layer portion of the sliding member.

The present description concerns a gas cooling cell, comprising: a chamber; at least one opening in the chamber, of access to a treatment space internal to the chamber; at least one door for closing the opening; and a system (4), internal to the chamber, comprising at least one wall (42) mobile between a first position where this wall forms a screen between the opening and the treatment space, and a second position where said wall clears the access to the treatment space from the opening.

A method of stirring and apparatus for stirring are provided. The method includes: a) providing a number of electro-magnetic stirrer units, each stirrer unit being moveably mounted on a stirrer support carriage; b) providing a number of locations at which stirring is to be provided by a stirrer unit; c) providing stirring at a first location from amongst the number of locations using a stirrer unit; d) providing stirring at a second location from amongst the number of locations using the same stirrer unit, the second location being different to the first location; and wherein the stirrer unit has a first position relative to the stirrer support carriage during movement between the first location and the second location and the stirrer unit has a second position relative to the stirrer support carriage at the first location and at the second location during stirring.

A shield covers a predetermined region of a plate workpiece during tempering of the plate workpiece in a furnace in which the shield and the workpiece are subjected to an austenitization temperature while the predetermined region of the plate is shielded by the shield against heat. The shield has at least one first shield part shaped to cover at least some of the predetermined region of the workpiece, at least one second shield part, and a fastener or the like securing the second part movably relative to or removable from the first part such that the first and second parts together achieve an optimum shape fully covering and shielding the predetermined region of the plate workpiece.

A multi-opening oven assembly for simultaneously heating a plurality of blanks, for example aluminum blanks, before forming the heated blanks in a production line is provided. The oven assembly includes vertically aligned shelves to present a plurality of chambers for heating the blanks. A table including an entry side platform and an exit side platform moves vertically along the oven assembly. A rail system extends along the platforms and the shelves to convey the blanks in and out of the chambers. Once one set of heated blanks is removed from a first chamber, the table moves vertically to a second chamber and is ready to receive the next set of heated blanks. A continuous supply of heated blanks is provided for high throughput. The oven assembly is preferably disposed in a press adjacent a forming station of an existing production line and thus, no additional floor space is required.

A slab library for separate storage of cold blanks and hot blanks of heavy plates and heating furnace layout, and a furnace loading method are provided. The slab library and heating furnace layout comprises: 1# slab library and 2# slab library span, i.e. feeding span, arranged side by side; continuous casting blank delivery roller way connected to the continuous casting process arranged at the inlet of the 2# slab library span; heating furnace span arranged at the outlet of the 2# slab library span, wherein more than two heating furnaces are arranged in the heating furnace span, and arranged side by side at the outlet of the 2# slab library span; slab preparatory library span, which is across the inlets of the 1# slab library span and the 2# slab library span; span-crossing traverse trolley roller way, which is across the cold blank zones of the 1# slab library span and the 2# slab library span, and the heating furnace span; span-crossing roller way, which is across the slab preparatory library span and the 1# slab library span; and, feeding roller way, arranged between the 2# slab library span and the heating furnace span, and across the hot blank zone and the cold blank zone of the 2# slab library span and the two ends of the heating furnace span, wherein the feeding roller way has a structure for delivery in two directions.