Device for monitoring an apparatus for induction heating of a metal material, method for automatic loading and control system

A device for monitoring a device for inductive heating of a metal material during the filling of the device for induction heating with a detection device and with an evaluation device, wherein the detection device is a LIDAR sensor for detecting a distance, the detection device being configured to emit beams in the ultraviolet, infrared or visible range of light and to determine a distance value for a distance to be measured at a specific measurement time on the basis of a transit time of a measurement pulse between emission and reception after reflection, the detection device further configured such that several measuring pulses are emitted simultaneously and sent in the direction of a free surface of the metal material in order to observe a sinking behavior of several positions on the free surface of the metal material, and the evaluation device being configured to determine a fill level of the device for inductive heating on the basis of a distance detected by the detection device and to output a corresponding signal;

• wherein said corresponding signal being suitable for further use in a control process for a supply of metal material to the device for inductive heating;
• and wherein several distance values corresponding to several distances detected at the same time are taken into account in order to detect bridging in the metal material received by the device for inductive heating.