Continuous sintering furnace and use thereof

A continuous sintering furnace comprising:

• a substantially horizontally arranged furnace body through which a plurality of trays are moveable between opposite ends of the furnace body, said trays being adapted to contain a material to be sintered;
• free roller means for supporting the trays from below which are arranged in a spaced apart relationship over substantially an actual length portion of said furnace body;
• and
• a plurality of lower heaters arranged over a predetermined range in the furnace body so as to be positioned below and between the free roller means and a plurality of upper heaters arranged over the predetermined range in the furnace body so as to be positioned above a path of transportation of the trays;
• wherein the free roller means are arranged in a plurality of columns along a predetermined length of the furnace body.

A continuous sintering furnace comprising:

• a substantially horizontally arranged furnace body through which a plurality of trays are moveable between opposite ends of the furnace body, said trays being adapted to contain a material to be sintered;
• free roller means for supporting the trays from below which are arranged in a spaced apart relationship over substantially an actual length portion of said furnace body;
• and
• a plurality of lower heaters arranged over a predetermined range in the furnace body so as to be positioned below and between the free roller means and a plurality of upper heaters arranged over the predetermined range in the furnace body so as to be positioned above a path of transportation of the trays;
• wherein each of the lower and upper heaters comprises a heating energization body having electrodes positioned on opposite ends thereof, said heating energization body extending through side walls of the furnace body substantially horizontally and laterally of the trays, and holders which support said electrodes.

A method for operating a continuous sintering furnace, which comprises:

• moving a plurality of trays containing a material to be sintered through an entrance side of a deaerating chamber;
• sequentially feeding the trays through preheating, heating and cooling zones of the furnace from said entrance-side deaerating chamber;
• pressing the trays into an exit-side deaerating chamber from the cooling zone;
• utilizing pusher means for pushing the tray from said entrance-side deaerating chamber to the preheating zone, puller means for pulling the tray from the cooling zone to the exit-side deaerating chamber, intermediate puller means for pulling the tray from the heating zone to the cooling zone, a vertically moveable first door moveable between the entrance-side deaerating chamber and the preheating zone, a vertically moveable first intermediate door positioned in proximity with the first door and positioned at an upstream end of the preheating zone in a direction of transportation of the trays, a vertically moveable second intermediate moveable door between the heating and cooling zones and a vertically moveable second door moveable between the cooling zone and the exit-side deaerating chamber;
• and
• moving a tray of said plurality of trays at an extreme downstream position in the heating zone in the direction of transportation of the trays into the cooling zone by the intermediate pusher, upon the second intermediate door being at a raised position thereof for opening, so as to push the trays already in the cooling zone downstream and subsequently moving the intermediate door into a lowered position thereof for closing.

A continuous sintering furnace comprising:

• a substantially horizontally arranged furnace body through which a plurality of trays are moveable between opposite ends of the furnace body, said trays being adapted to contain a material to be sintered;
• free roller means for supporting the trays from below which are arranged in a spaced apart relationship over substantially an actual length portion or said furnace body;
• and
• a plurality of lower heaters arranged over a predetermined range in the furnace body so as to be positioned below and between the free roller means and a plurality of upper heaters arranged over the predetermined range in the furnace body so as to be positioned above a path of transportation of the trays,
• wherein each of cross sectional areas of openings at portions near the entrance- and exit-side ends in the furnace body is made smaller than a cross sectional area of an intermediate portion in the furnace body.