Apparatus and method for dip coating a metal strip using a moveable overflow

Equipment for the continuous hot dip-coating of a metallic strip comprising:

• an annealing furnace;
• a tank containing a liquid metal bath;
• a snout connecting the annealing furnace and the bath, the snout including a downwardly extending snout tip at least partly immersed in the liquid metal bath in order to define, with a surface of the bath, and inside the snout, a liquid seal;
• a moveable support system, on at least one side of the tank, including:
• a core part;
• a first conveyor able to move the moveable support system at least in the horizontal direction, being on ground and connected to the core part;
• and
• a second conveyor connected to the core part and to a moveable support system connector, such that the support system connector is movable at least vertically by the second conveyor;
• an overflow, not connected to the snout, including a vat and a pump, being configured to move to a working position where the vat of the overflow is placed in a vicinity of the snout tip, wherein the overflow is fastened to the moveable support system via the support system connector.