A heating furnace includes: a heating furnace main body that includes an accommodation chamber capable of accommodating a heating target object; a heat source capable of heating an inside of the accommodation chamber to an annealing point; a gas supply source that is arranged outside the heating furnace main body; and a pipeline that includes a pipeline main body that is arranged inside the accommodation chamber, and that is heated by the heat source, the pipeline main body being configured to retain a gas supplied from the gas supply source and heat the gas to the annealing point, and a discharge outlet that is formed on an end portion of the pipeline main body, and that is opened inside the accommodation chamber, the discharge outlet being configured to discharge the gas that is heated to the annealing point, to the inside of the accommodation chamber.

A heating furnace includes: a heating furnace main body that includes an accommodation chamber capable of accommodating a heating target object; a heat source capable of heating an inside of the accommodation chamber to an annealing point; a gas supply source that is arranged outside the heating furnace main body; and a pipeline that includes a pipeline main body that is arranged inside the accommodation chamber, and that is heated by the heat source, the pipeline main body being configured to retain a gas supplied from the gas supply source and heat the gas to the annealing point, and a discharge outlet that is formed on an end portion of the pipeline main body, and that is opened inside the accommodation chamber, the discharge outlet being configured to discharge the gas that is heated to the annealing point, to the inside of the accommodation chamber.

A multi-chamber type heating unit to heat a blank includes: a lower housing unit; an intermediate housing unit installed in an upper portion of the lower housing unit; and an upper housing unit installed in an upper portion of the intermediate housing unit. A plurality of intermediate housings are stacked to form the intermediate housing unit, and a heating unit to heat a blank is installed in each of the intermediate housings. Moreover, the intermediate housings are formed in the shape in which upper and lower portions thereof are opened, and an opening is formed in the front for a door to be inserted thereinto, and door sealing units provided on the intermediate housing portion and provided to seal the door when the door is closed.

A multi-chamber type heating unit to heat a blank includes: a lower housing unit; an intermediate housing unit installed in an upper portion of the lower housing unit; and an upper housing unit installed in an upper portion of the intermediate housing unit. A plurality of intermediate housings are stacked to form the intermediate housing unit, and a heating unit to heat a blank is installed in each of the intermediate housings. Moreover, the intermediate housings are formed in the shape in which upper and lower portions thereof are opened, and an opening is formed in the front for a door to be inserted thereinto, and door sealing units provided on the intermediate housing portion and provided to seal the door when the door is closed.

A system and methods are described herein for preheating a preform in a preheater furnace and then transferring the preheated preform to a consolidation furnace for chemical treatment and sintering the preform into a clear glass which can be drawn into optical fiber. In addition, the preheater furnace is described herein which is configured to heat the preform per a predetermined heat-profile until the preform is uniformly heated to a temperature above 1000 C.

A dual-purpose sintering furnace including a furnace body having a furnace chamber, a first furnace mouth and a second furnace mouth which are communicated with the furnace chamber, a furnace door hinged to the furnace body and configured for closing the first furnace mouth, a blocking member lap jointed inside the furnace chamber and configured for blocking the second furnace mouth, a sample stage, an ejection rod fixedly arranged on a sample placement face of the sample stage, a lifting device configured for driving the sample stage to raise or lower, so that the ejection rod pushes the blocking member until the second furnace mouth is opened, and so that the sample stage enters the furnace chamber through the second furnace mouth. The dual-purpose sintering furnace can complete a large amount of sintering as conventional sintering and also implement rapid sintering.

An apparatus for loading/unloading workpieces, including a furnace heating a workpiece, and a robot loading and/or unloading a workpiece into/from the furnace. The robot may include a manipulator linkage and a fork at an end of the manipulator linkage. The fork may have an upper side on which a workpiece is placed while being loaded into and/or unloaded from the furnace. The fork may include a parallel arrangement of fork elements, each fork element in the fork having a length and rectangular cross section perpendicular to the length. Each fork element may have a workpiece carrying surface on which a workpiece is placed and an opposite surface to the workpiece carrying surface. The fork element may include a heat insulator disposed on the workpiece carrying surface at least over an area where a workpiece is placed to equalize longitudinal thermal expansions in the workpiece carrying surface and the opposite surface.

The invention relates to a process chamber (10) for carrying out thermal processes in the manufacture of an electronic assembly (30), comprising the following: at least one opening (20) for introducing and/or removing the electronic assembly (30); a device (40) for supplying a gas; a controllable protection device (50) which is arranged on the opening (20) in order to reduce a leakage of gas from the process chamber, wherein the controllable protection device (50) comprises a first movable element (50A) as an integral piece which covers the width between the total width of the opening and the width of the electronic assembly; a device for detecting data relating to the dimensions of the electronic assembly (30); and a controller (60) which can control the protection device (50) on the basis of the data relating to the dimensions of the electronic assembly (30) such that when the electronic assembly (30) passes through the opening (20), a defined spacing is constantly maintained between the electronic assembly and the first movable element (50A).

A method for heat treatment, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heat treatment system that is capable of performing highly precise and efficient control of heat treatment. A heat treatment furnace has in-furnace structures made of graphite and has a heat-treatment chamber in which heat treatment of materials to be treated is performed. A value of G.sup.0 (standard formation Gibbs energy) is computed with reference to the sensor information from respective sensors, and an Ellingham diagram, a control range, and a status of the heat treatment furnace in operation expressed by G.sup.0 are displayed on a display device. A control unit controls a flow rate of neutral gas or inactive gas as atmosphere gas or a flow velocity of the gas so that G.sup.0 is within the control range.

A method for heat treatment, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heat treatment system that is capable of performing highly precise and efficient control of heat treatment. A heat treatment furnace has in-furnace structures made of graphite and has a heat-treatment chamber in which heat treatment of materials to be treated is performed. A value of G.sup.0 (standard formation Gibbs energy) is computed with reference to the sensor information from respective sensors, and an Ellingham diagram, a control range, and a status of the heat treatment furnace in operation expressed by G.sup.0 are displayed on a display device. A control unit controls a flow rate of neutral gas or inactive gas as atmosphere gas or a flow velocity of the gas so that G.sup.0 is within the control range.