Method for operating an annealing furnace

Abstract

A method for operating an annealing furnace (100) for heating sheet metal is disclosed. The sheet metal is reciprocally transported through an inductive heating device (114) located within a heating zone (110) of the annealing furnace to inductively increase its surface temperature. The surface temperature of the sheet metal is detected upstream of or within the heating zone and compared with a predetermined limit value (TG). The reciprocating transport of the sheet metal through the inductive heating device is continued such that the surface temperature remains below the predetermined limit value (TG). When the surface temperature exceeds the predetermined limit value, a warning signal is output to indicate an overheating condition. The method enables controlled heating of the sheet metal while preventing excessive temperature rise and associated surface scaling.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.