Method for controlling temperature of multi-zone heating furnace

In a method of controlling the temperature inside a heating furnace having at least one furnace zone capable of being controlled by heating means and while conveying and heating therein materials to be heated that are introduced thereinto, withdrawing said materials to be heated after they are heated to a predetermined temperature, a method of controlling the temperature of a heating furnace comprising:

• memorizing sequentially specific data of said materials to be rolled that are introduced into said heating furnace;
• shifting and memorizing said memory values in accordance with the conveying operation of conveyor means inside said heating furnace;
• setting a furnace zone temperature in accordance with movement of said materials to be heated;
• attaining said furnace zone temperatures set in the preceding temperature setting step by controlling the furnace zone temperatures with said heating means of said furnace zones;
• changing the set temperature of said furnace zones in accordance with the position of a leading boundary material of plural materials having different temperature elevation patterns from those of said plural materials to be heated that are sequentially introduced;
• and
• attaining the changed furnace zone temperatures set in the preceding temperature set changing step by controlling the furnace zone temperatures with said heating means of said furnace zones.