System for heating billets of non-ferrous materials

System for heating a metal billet comprising a fixed base carrying at least one heating member having a cavity configured to house the billet during the heating thereof, and first and second gripping members disposed on the base and being configured to retain the billet during the heating in the heating member, the first and second gripping members being arranged at opposite first and second ends of said heating member, wherein the first and second gripping members are movable with respect to the base, the first gripping member comprising a beam arranged under the base and under the heating member, said beam being movable in a guided fashion along the base, the beam having a first end arranged at a first end of the heating member and supporting a first gripping arm configured to cooperate with a first end of the billet and associated with a first support and actuation assembly fixed to the beam, said first gripping arm and said first support and actuation assembly being components of the first gripping member, the beam having a second end arranged at the second end of the heating member and supporting a plane on which there is arranged movable in a guided fashion the second gripping member, said second gripping member comprising a second gripping arm configured to cooperate with a second end of the billet and associated with a second support and actuation assembly of said second gripping member, said second support and actuation assembly being movable in a guided fashion on said plane carried by the beam from the first gripping arm under the action of actuation means, said first and said second gripping arms retaining the billet when it is arranged in the heating member so as to avoid the rotation thereof around a longitudinal axis (W) thereof, said first and second gripping arms being operable to automatically move apart during the retention of the billet so as to compensate each deformation and extension of the billet during the heating thereof in the heating member, said first and second gripping members being arranged coaxial with a longitudinal axis (W) of the cavity of the heating member.

Method for heating a metal billet, comprising:

• providing a system comprising a base carrying at least one heating member having a cavity configured to house the billet during the heating thereof, and first and second gripping members disposed on the base and including first and second gripping arms configured to retain the billet during the heating in the heating member, the first and second gripping members being respectively arranged at first and second opposite ends of said heating member, the first gripping member being movable with respect to the base of the system, the first gripping member supporting the second gripping member so that said second gripping member is movable on a plane of the first gripping member, said first and second gripping members retaining the billet when it is inserted into the heating member;
• compensating the extension or deformation of the billet during heating by relatively moving apart the first and second gripping members along a longitudinal axis (W) of the billet;
• maintaining the first gripping member in a locked position on said base using the second gripping member;
• and
• moving said second gripping member in a guided fashion on said plane of the first gripping member so that the second gripping arm does not detach from the billet while allowing the deformation or extension thereof.