A method for producing a metal ingot by using an electron-beam melting furnace having an electron gun and a hearth that accumulates a molten metal of a metal raw material, wherein the metal raw material is supplied to the position on a supply line disposed along a second side wall of the hearth that accumulates the molten metal of the metal raw material. A first electron beam is radiated along a first irradiation line that is disposed along the supply line and is closer to a central part of the hearth relative to the supply line on the surface of the molten metal, wherein a surface temperature (T2) of the molten metal at the first irradiation line is made higher than an average surface temperature (T0) of the entire surface of the molten metal in the hearth.

A method for producing a metal ingot by using an electron-beam melting furnace having an electron gun and a hearth that accumulates a molten metal of a metal raw material, wherein the metal raw material is supplied to the position on a supply line disposed along a second side wall of the hearth that accumulates the molten metal of the metal raw material. A first electron beam is radiated along a first irradiation line that is disposed along the supply line and is closer to a central part of the hearth relative to the supply line on the surface of the molten metal, wherein a surface temperature (T2) of the molten metal at the first irradiation line is made higher than an average surface temperature (T0) of the entire surface of the molten metal in the hearth.

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.

Method and means for suppressing discoloration during thermal treatment of a product of a magnesium containing aluminium alloy, the alloy contains in wt. % Mg: 0.45-12.0, with a preferred range of 0.45-6.0 wt %. The product, being either an extrusion billet, a sheet ingot, a cast product, or a forged product is heated to a temperature T where it is prone to surface discoloration and oxidation, wherein during the thermal treatment it is exposed to a suppressing atmosphere comprising 0.5-5.0% CO.sub.2 gas with a preference for 0.5-1.5% CO.sub.2 gas.

Furnace with movable beam load handling system, in particular for heating or heat treatment of ferrous or non-ferrous metallic material, comprising:—a furnace chamber extending between a furnace-loading section and a furnace-unloading section of the material along a longitudinal direction;—first beams, arranged inside said chamber and defining a plurality of main supports for the material to be treated in said chamber,—second beams, arranged inside said chamber and defining a plurality of temporary supports for the material, wherein said second beams are cyclically movable with respect to the first beams so as to impart to said material a movement between said furnace-loading section and said furnace-unloading section having a motion component parallel to said longitudinal direction.

Furnace with movable beam load handling system, in particular for heating or heat treatment of ferrous or non-ferrous metallic material, comprising:—a furnace chamber extending between a furnace-loading section and a furnace-unloading section of the material along a longitudinal direction;—first beams, arranged inside said chamber and defining a plurality of main supports for the material to be treated in said chamber,—second beams, arranged inside said chamber and defining a plurality of temporary supports for the material, wherein said second beams are cyclically movable with respect to the first beams so as to impart to said material a movement between said furnace-loading section and said furnace-unloading section having a motion component parallel to said longitudinal direction.

A method for producing a metal ingot by using an electron-beam melting furnace including an electron gun and a hearth that accumulates a molten metal of a metal raw material, in which, in a downstream region between an upstream region in which the metal raw material is supplied onto the surface of the molten metal and a first side wall, an irradiation line is disposed so as to block a lip portion and so that two end portions are positioned in the vicinity of the side wall of the hearth. A first electron beam is radiated onto the surface of the molten metal along the irradiation line, such that the surface temperature (T2) of the molten metal along the irradiation line is made higher than the average surface temperature (T0) of the entire surface of the molten metal in the hearth.

A method for producing a metal ingot by using an electron-beam melting furnace including an electron gun and a hearth that accumulates a molten metal of a metal raw material, in which, in a downstream region between an upstream region in which the metal raw material is supplied onto the surface of the molten metal and a first side wall, an irradiation line is disposed so as to block a lip portion and so that two end portions are positioned in the vicinity of the side wall of the hearth. A first electron beam is radiated onto the surface of the molten metal along the irradiation line, such that the surface temperature (T2) of the molten metal along the irradiation line is made higher than the average surface temperature (T0) of the entire surface of the molten metal in the hearth.

A method of producing a metal superalloy may include: providing a charge of metal materials; melting the charge of metal materials in an electric-arc furnace to obtain a first melt of the charge of metal materials; performing Argon Oxygen Decarburization (A.O.D.) treatment on the first melt to obtain a decarburized and refined first melt; solidifying the decarburized and refined first melt to obtain first ingots; melting the first ingots in a Vacuum Induction Degassing and Pouring (V.I.D.P.) furnace to obtain a second melt; solidifying the second melt to obtain second ingots; melting the second ingots in a Vacuum Arc Remelting (V.A.R.) furnace to obtain a third melt; and solidifying the third melt to obtain the metal superalloy. The charge of metal materials may have a weight greater than or equal to forty tons and less than or equal to sixty tons.

A method of producing a metal superalloy may include: providing a charge of metal materials; melting the charge of metal materials in an electric-arc furnace to obtain a first melt of the charge of metal materials; performing Argon Oxygen Decarburization (A.O.D.) treatment on the first melt to obtain a decarburized and refined first melt; solidifying the decarburized and refined first melt to obtain first ingots; melting the first ingots in a Vacuum Induction Degassing and Pouring (V.I.D.P.) furnace to obtain a second melt; solidifying the second melt to obtain second ingots; melting the second ingots in a Vacuum Arc Remelting (V.A.R.) furnace to obtain a third melt; and solidifying the third melt to obtain the metal superalloy. The charge of metal materials may have a weight greater than or equal to forty tons and less than or equal to sixty tons.