Method for melting scrap or other materials and apparatus for implementing the method

In a method of melting a metal material in a melting furnace provided with at least one melting vessel comprising directly pre-heating the material with exhaust gases of the melting furnace in at least one pre-heating vessel which can be emptied into the melting furnace, discharging the heated material from the pre-heating vessel into the melting vessel and melting the heated material in the furnace, the improvement wherein

• said steps of pre-heating and melting comprise placing said pre-heating and melting vessels in a respective first position;
• melting a first quantity of the material in the melting vessel in the melting furnace while simultaneously pre-heating a second quantity of the material in the pre-heating vessel by supplying the exhaust gases from the melting furnace to the pre-heating vessel;
• and removing the melted first quantity of material from the melting vessel;
• and
• said step of discharging comprises, effecting a first relative movement between said pre-heating and melting vessels to bring said pre-heating vessel above said melting vessel, then discharging the pre-heated second quantity of material into the melting vessel, and then effecting a second relative movement for placing the vessels in the respective first position and wherein the melting vessel is movable and the pre-heating vessel is stationary.