The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling the pressure in the exhaust gas duct of a converter in a steel mill using a pressure control loop. To optimize the defined pressure setpoint for the pressure control loop so as to prevent excessive amounts of outside air from being drawn in via the converter mouth, the pressure setpoint is determined according to the invention by adapting a raw value based on the extent to which smoke or flames is/are formed at the mouth (120) of the converter (100).

An electron beam melting furnace includes a hearth, a mold, an electron gun for keeping metal as a molten state, an electron beam controller for controlling direction of the electron beam, an image sensor for molten metal, and an operating device. A method for operating the furnace includes a step of inputting electron beam emitting coordinates in the electron beam controller, a step of emitting the electron beam, a step of detecting a high electron beam intensity spot by the image sensor, a step of calculating coordinates of high electron beam intensity based on the detected signal by the operating device, a step of calculating differences between the coordinates of emission and the coordinates of high electron beam intensity spot, a step of inputting the difference in the electron beam controller, and a step of controlling the location of electron beam spot.

An induction heating device for a metal strip, including: an induction coil provided on one side or on both sides of a front face side or a reverse face side of a metal strip, and that induces an induction current in the strip when a primary current is passed through the coil, the induction current configuring a closed loop as viewed from a direction perpendicular to a metal strip face; plural magnetic cores disposed at a specific position, this being a position at a back face side of the coil and separated from the strip by a specific distance, to concentrate magnetic flux generated by the coil in the strip; and a moving mechanism coupled to the magnetic cores, and that moves the cores to increase or decrease a disposed number of the cores at the specific position disposed side-by-side along a metal strip width direction.

A melting and holding furnace includes a main body and a material input mechanism supplying a molten metal to the body which includes a melting chamber; a molten metal receiving chamber; a pumping-out chamber; and a molten metal heating mechanism. The input mechanism includes a molten-metal surface level sensor to detect that the surface height position of the metal in the pumping-out chamber has reached a lower limit that is set to be above the lower surface height position of a lid of the melting chamber, and is set to supply the receiving chamber with the metal and/or the metal block when the sensor detects that the surface height position of the metal in the pumping-out chamber has reached the lower limit so that the surface height position of the metal in the pumping-out chamber is always kept above the lower surface height position of the lid.

The invention relates to an arrangement of a furnace and of bulk material of glass particles, said furnace (10) comprising a pressing punch (36), a pressure, distance and/or speed sensor and a control device for controlling a pressing process based on the output signal of the sensor. The sensor detects at least a pressure, position and/or motion parameter of the pressing punch (36). The pressing punch (36) acts on the bulk material of glass particles (32)—possibly via an interposed ram (28)—, said glass particles being guided and crystallizable in a press channel (30). The trigger criterion for the process control is a change of at least a motion parameter of the pressing punch (36) upon softening of the bulk material of glass particles (32) which change is detected by the sensor.

A melting and holding furnace includes a main body and a material input mechanism supplying a molten metal to the body which includes a melting chamber; a molten metal receiving chamber; a pumping-out chamber; and a molten metal heating mechanism. The input mechanism includes a molten-metal surface level sensor to detect that the surface height position of the metal in the pumping-out chamber has reached a lower limit that is set to be above the lower surface height position of a lid of the melting chamber, and is set to supply the receiving chamber with the metal and/or the metal block when the sensor detects that the surface height position of the metal in the pumping-out chamber has reached the lower limit so that the surface height position of the metal in the pumping-out chamber is always kept above the lower surface height position of the lid.

A method of generating a loaded layout in a vacuum furnace corresponding to an actual layout in the vacuum furnace during operation of the vacuum furnace may comprise receiving, via a processor, a visual data of a loading process of the vacuum furnace from a camera; comparing, via the processor, the visual data to a predetermined maximum capacity layout for the vacuum furnace; and arranging, via the processor, the visual data into the loaded layout in response to comparing the visual data.

A system for conditioning stucco particulate material includes a vessel having separation chamber in communication with a holding chamber having a holding volume therein. The conditioning system includes the holding volume sufficient to condition the stucco particulate material therein and/or a control system configured to delay discharge of the stucco particulate material from the holding chamber. The system for conditioning stucco particulate material is configured to increase residence time of the stucco particulate material in the holding chamber to promote calcining conditioning therein.

The present disclosure discloses a reflow oven for processing a circuit board, the reflow oven comprising a heating zone, a plurality of heating devices and a start-stop device. The heating zone comprises a plurality of heating sub-zones, the plurality of heating devices are arranged in corresponding heating sub-zones of the plurality of heating sub-zones, and each of the plurality of heating devices is configured such that a working temperature of the corresponding heating sub-zone is in a predetermined temperature interval. The start-stop device is configured to activate or deactivate the plurality of heating devices, and the start-stop device is configured in such a way that the start-stop device activates or deactivates the plurality of heating devices according to predetermined time intervals in a process during which the circuit board sequentially passes through the plurality of heating sub-zones, such that a working temperature of each of the plurality of heating sub-zones is in a corresponding predetermined temperature interval. The reflow oven according to the present disclosure can perform soldering and processing of large-sized circuit boards and prevent the occurrence of overheating in a hearth of the reflow oven.

An electrically controlled valve which can be operated using a programable controller. A cooperating pair of the electrically controlled valves can be used in a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO). The electrically controlled valve has two seats, and a blade which can move between a first position contacting the first seat and a second position contacting the second seat. The blade is moved by an actuator which is controlled by a variable frequency drive (VFD). A control computer continuously monitors the operation of both valves and halts operation of the system upon detecting a fault (error). The motion of the blade is programmed such that force of impact on the seat is reduced. Once the blade is seated, a brake is engaged which maintains the stationary position while utilizing relatively low power.