A support tooling for porous preforms intended to be infiltrated by a molten metal includes a rack including two suspension bars each extending longitudinally along a first direction, the suspension bars being held spaced apart from one another along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a plurality or porous preform supports removably mounted on the suspension bars, each support including a first portion connected to one of the suspension bars by a connection sliding along a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions and a second portion extending from the first portion and including support elements which are able to hold a porous preform by point or linear contact.

An assembly for providing a saggar for use in high temperature applications, may include a rectangular base element and first and second sets of two rectangular wall elements, wherein the rectangular base element includes connectors on two opposite sides for connecting with the two rectangular wall elements of the first set of the rectangular wall elements at the two opposite sides. The two rectangular wall elements of the first set may each include a connector at a first edge for connecting with the rectangular base element at the two opposite sides, and the two rectangular wall elements of the first set each may include two recesses in a second edge opposite to the first edge and in the vicinity of each end of the second edge of the rectangular wall elements of the first set. The two rectangular wall elements may each include two ears for connecting with the recesses.

A refractory article having a support structure including a first plurality of posts coupled by a first member; and a second plurality of posts substantially parallel with the first plurality of posts, the second plurality of posts coupled by a second member, wherein the support structure has a height, H, and wherein the first and second members are positioned between 0.3H and 0.7H. In another aspect, the support structure has a height to width ratio of at least 1.5, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%. In another aspect, the support structure has a weight of no greater than 1200 kg, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%.

The invention relates to a charge carrier (10) for the defined arrangement of processed objects, the charge carrier comprising, as components, at least a support grid (11) having a plurality of receiving elements for receiving the objects, the receiving elements being connected to the support grid in a form-fitting manner via a plug-in connection, wherein the receiving elements are designed as adapters (25) for the positioned individual reception of the objects, the adapters being received in adapter receptacles of the support grid so as to be arranged in a positioned manner.

A method including preheating a set of N shell molds for lost-wax casting, where the method can comprise: individually charging shell molds into n unit electric furnaces, each of which has previously been preheated to an initial loading temperature; starting a predefined preheating cycle for each shell mold charged in the unit electric furnaces, with a preheating cycle comprising raising the temperature of the furnace in compliance with a predefined ramp up to a predetermined setpoint temperature, and holding the furnace at the setpoint temperature for a predetermined duration; and at the end of each preheating cycle, unloading the shell mold in question and repeating the two preceding operations for another non-preheated shell mold.

The present invention relates to a submerged combustion furnace for melting ceramic frits by means of a submerged combustion process, said furnace comprising at least one control loop with feedback of the overall weight regulating at least one process variable of the furnace for producing ceramic frit.

The invention also relates to a regulating method for a submerged combustion furnace having these features, whereby obtaining a batch production of a ceramic frit having certain characteristics. The regulating method is implemented in the system by means of regulating process variables relating to the production of molten material during production.

A refractory article having a support structure including a first plurality of posts coupled by a first member; and a second plurality of posts substantially parallel with the first plurality of posts, the second plurality of posts coupled by a second member, wherein the support structure has a height, H, and wherein the first and second members are positioned between 0.3H and 0.7H. In another aspect, the support structure has a height to width ratio of at least 1.5, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%. In another aspect, the support structure has a weight of no greater than 1200 kg, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%.