The disclosure relates to a machine for thermal treatment of bulk material, comprising, a stationary furnace which presents a support structure, and a plurality of pallet cars traveling through the furnace, said plurality of pallet cars together defining, at a lateral side thereof, a common engagement surface which extends through the furnace, wherein a gap is defined between the support structure of the furnace and the common engagement surface, said gap having a gap length, the machine further comprising: a sealing system comprising: one or more drop bars, wherein each drop bar of the one or more drop bars includes a brush arranged on the drop bar such that the brush is configured to be in engagement with the common engagement surface such that the one or more drop bars covers the gap over at least parts of the gap length.

The disclosure relates to a machine for thermal treatment of bulk material, comprising, a stationary furnace which presents a support structure, and a plurality of pallet cars traveling through the furnace, said plurality of pallet cars together defining, at a lateral side thereof, a common engagement surface which extends through the furnace, wherein a gap is defined between the support structure of the furnace and the common engagement surface, said gap having a gap length, the machine further comprising: a sealing system comprising: one or more drop bars, wherein each drop bar of the one or more drop bars includes a brush arranged on the drop bar such that the brush is configured to be in engagement with the common engagement surface such that the one or more drop bars covers the gap over at least parts of the gap length.

The disclosure relates to a machine for thermal treatment of bulk material, comprising, a stationary furnace which presents a support structure, and a plurality of pallet cars traveling through the furnace, said plurality of pallet cars together defining, at a lateral side thereof, a common engagement surface which extends through the furnace, wherein a gap is defined between the support structure of the furnace and the common engagement surface, said gap having a gap length, the machine further comprising: a sealing system comprising: one or more drop bars, wherein each drop bar of the one or more drop bars includes a brush arranged on the drop bar such that the brush is configured to be in engagement with the common engagement surface such that the one or more drop bars covers the gap over at least parts of the gap length.

The invention relates to a method for sealing a reduction assembly, wherein the reduction assembly has a product discharge device, wherein the product discharge device is supplied with sealing gas and wherein at least one compressor is provided for delivering prepared sealing gas to the product discharge device, wherein according to the invention, at least one nitrogen generator is provided for producing pure sealing gas, and wherein the sealing gas for supplying to the product discharge device is composed of pure sealing gas from the at least one nitrogen generator or composed of pure sealing gas from the at least one nitrogen generator and of prepared sealing gas from the at least one compressor. The invention also relates to a device with which the method according to the invention is carried out.

The invention relates to a sintering furnace for components consisting of sintering material, especially dental components and in particular components consisting of ceramic, and a method for sintering such components. The sintering furnace 1 comprises a heatable furnace chamber 2 for the component 9 to be sintered, the furnace chamber 2 having a wall section 6 to be opened for inserting the component 9 to be sintered into the furnace chamber 2. Drive means 10 are provided for mechanized opening and closing of the wall section 6, and a control 11 is provided for the drive means 10 that has an actuation element 12 for the drive means 10. Furthermore, a heating device 5 for the furnace chamber 2 is provided, and the control 11 causes the furnace chamber 2 to be heated. Actuating the control element 12 triggers the loading sequence of the control 11, and the drive means 10 are automatically actuated by the control 11 corresponding to the loading sequence. An additional subject is a method for operating the sintering furnace, as well as a computer program therefor.

The disclosure relates to a machine for thermal treatment of bulk material, comprising, a stationary furnace which presents a support structure, and a plurality of pallet cars traveling through the furnace, said plurality of pallet cars together defining, at a lateral side thereof, a common engagement surface which extends through the furnace, wherein a gap is defined between the support structure of the furnace and the common engagement surface, said gap having a gap length, the machine further comprising: a sealing system comprising: one or more drop bars, wherein each drop bar of the one or more drop bars includes a brush arranged on the drop bar such that the brush is configured to be in engagement with the common engagement surface such that the one or more drop bars covers the gap over at least parts of the gap length.

The invention relates to a method for sealing a reduction assembly, wherein the reduction assembly has a product discharge device, wherein the product discharge device is supplied with sealing gas and wherein at least one compressor is provided for delivering prepared sealing gas to the product discharge device, wherein according to the invention, at least one nitrogen generator is provided for producing pure sealing gas, and wherein the sealing gas for supplying to the product discharge device is composed of pure sealing gas from the at least one nitrogen generator or composed of pure sealing gas from the at least one nitrogen generator and of prepared sealing gas from the at least one compressor. The invention also relates to a device with which the method according to the invention is carried out.