EP2653815B1 - Layer furnace installation and method for operating the layer furnace installation - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a laminated-bed furnace according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The present invention further relates to a method for operating a laminated-bed furnace according to the features in claim 10.

Layer furnace systems are known from the prior art in order to heat steel blanks in particular. For this purpose, steel blanks, thus flat metal components, which themselves can have expansions of a few square centimeters up to several square meters, are inserted into the layer furnace systems.

For example, is from the DE 10 2006 020 781 B3 such a layered furnace known. For example, is also from the EP 2 090 857 A1 a layer furnace system for tempering of metal components known or from the US 4,016,986 A a layer furnace system for the manufacture of fireplace blocks known.

The layer furnace systems consist of several stacked oven levels, in which then the metal components are inserted. In order to minimize the heat losses or to reach the predetermined temperatures per oven level, the oven levels each have an oven door or oven door.

The oven doors are known from the prior art as a pivotable oven door or as a lateral slide element. In the case of a pivotable oven door, an axis of rotation is arranged above or below the oven door, so that the oven door is pivotably moved as a furnace flap about the axis of rotation, thereby allowing access to the heating level located behind it. On the one hand, such a furnace flap has the disadvantage that the flap mechanism also determines the distance between the individual heating levels, and, on the other hand, that a corresponding mechanism must take thermally different expansions with respect to the pivot axis in order to be able to ensure a perfect function in different heating stages of the oven , However, this assumption occur in such furnaces occasionally signs of wear or malfunction during operation.

Ovens that have a slider require more space, so that the slide can be pushed laterally to the oven, in turn, to allow access to the heating level located behind it. Further, in heating levels suitable for accommodating multi-square meter boards, a gate valve is several meters long, up to 3, 4 or even 5 meters long. The lateral movement of such a slide valve therefore requires a corresponding mechanism, since the slide valve itself also heats up thermally.

Both aforementioned flap systems in the aforementioned furnace door systems have in common that in case of maintenance or repair only limited access to the oven behind it is possible in case of repair.

It is therefore an object of the present invention, starting from the state of the art, to provide a laminated-bed facility which has a simple operability. It It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for operating such a laminated-bed furnace.

The aforementioned object is achieved with a layer furnace system according to the features in claim 1

The procedural part of the object is further achieved by a method for operating the laminated-bed furnace according to the features in patent claim 10.

Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are part of the dependent claims.

The layer furnace system according to the invention for the thermal treatment of metal components has a plurality of vertically superimposed heating levels and at least one heat source, wherein sheet metal components, in particular metal plates, are inserted into the heating and a heating level is closed by an oven door, that the oven doors of several heating levels vertically one above the other are stored and a respective oven door for opening and closing the underlying heating level in the vertical direction displaceable linear in a rail system.

In the case of the laminated-bed furnace, the invention is preferably a tower furnace or else a multi-deck furnace in which a plurality of superimposed heating levels are arranged, for example also a multi-layer furnace. The heating levels can be separated from each other for example by separating grids or by separating elements. The layer furnace system is heated by at least one heat source. This may be, for example, an electric heat source or else a burner heat source, for example a gas burner. In the context of the invention, a plurality of heat sources can be arranged, for example, each heating level or else two adjacent heating levels can be assigned a heat source, so that prevails in the individual heating levels an equal and homogeneous temperature distribution or alternatively the temperature in each heating level is separately adjustable ,

With the layer furnace system according to the invention, it is thus possible to heat treat, in particular to heat, metal components, particularly in planar design, very particularly preferably as metal plates. For this purpose, it is possible to carry out a heating of a few minutes to several hours or even days with the laminated-bed furnace. The metal components can be heated in the furnace to a temperature above room temperature, for example from 50 ° C upwards, or else to a temperature above the AC3 temperature of steel components. Consequently, the metal components can be heated to temperatures of up to 1100 ° C or even up to 1200 ° C. It is thus possible to thermally treat steel components, but also light metal components.

Further preferably, the ply-furnace plant is formed by at least two vertically oriented columns, in particular by four vertically oriented columns, wherein the columns serve as holders and individual heating levels can be stacked on top of each other, wherein in each case preferably a heat source can be arranged between the heating levels. According to the invention, the stacking of the heating levels offers the possibility to construct the layer furnace system modularly to the respective situation. For example, only two or three heating levels can be provided by stacking dividers, but it is also possible to achieve 10, 20 or even 30 heating levels by stacking a number of heating levels accordingly. In the context of the invention, the individual heating levels are preferably designed as box-shaped elements, in particular as box-shaped elements open at the front and / or rear side, wherein the box-shaped elements are then stackable and form a single heating level in their respective interior. Between the heating levels or also laterally or else in front of or behind the heating levels, it is then possible to arrange heat sources and to exert a heat required according to the required temperatures on the components located in the heating levels. However, the heating levels can also be formed by stacking of separating elements, in which case a heating level is then formed in each case between two separating elements. In the context of the invention, it is then possible again, either between two separating elements To arrange a heat source, which then allow the heat dissipation relative to the separating elements adjacent spaces, thus the heating levels, or to arrange a heat source between the separating elements, which heats the heat level located simultaneously between the separating elements accordingly.

In turn, a heat source can in each case be arranged modularly between the separating elements so that different temperatures can be provided in the individual heating levels. For example, the heat source can heat the directly adjacent heating levels to a higher temperature than the heating levels in the second or third neighborhood.

In the case of a defect of a separating element, an oven door or even a heat source, it is again possible with the aid of a crane to raise the separating elements individually or modularly, in particular with the units above, so that then sufficient access in the form of a maintenance or repair room is created, for example, the defective heat source. If the repair has taken place, the raised separating elements can optionally be lowered again with heating levels located therein and the operation can be continued. In the context of the invention, it is particularly advantageous that when lifting a defective unit, the units above it are also lifted. If, for example, in the case of a laminated-bed facility comprising ten heating levels, the second heating level is defective from below, the first to eighth heating levels can be raised in order to reach the ninth heating level underneath and to repair it. By subsequently lowering the eighth heating level, the first to seventh heating levels, and thus the heating levels above them, automatically also decrease.

A further component of the invention is a combination of the previously described embodiments, according to which a furnace is formed of vertically stacked separating elements which are held in position by an outer frame, wherein the individual separating elements and the intermediate heating levels are opened and closed by vertically movable oven doors , Within the scope of the invention, racks can then be provided within the individual heating levels, but also rollers which receive the individual boards or which can be displaced during the heat treatment, so that, for example, damage to the coating of the boards during the heat treatment process is avoided. The heat source may be an electrical heat source or a fossil fuel heat source. Depending on the type of thermal heat treatment process, it may be, for example, a radiant heat source, an induction heat source or even a heating burner. This depends on the different temperatures to be achieved in the heat treatment carried out in each case and on the duration of the heat treatment carried out.

In the context of the invention, furthermore, at least one heating level can be closed with an oven door, the oven door being displaceable in the vertical direction. According to the invention, this results in the advantage that the at least one oven door, which can sometimes have a width of 2, 3 or even 4 m, does not have to be rotatably mounted or has to be mounted extendable as a drawer door or has to be pulled out sideways as a sliding latch, but is moved to release an underlying opening slot on the heating level in the vertical direction. For this purpose, the oven door is raised vertically or lowered. Due to the thickness of the heat-treated metal components in the form of a circuit board of sometimes only a few centimeters, the furnace door can therefore be raised or lowered only a few centimeters. As a result, printed circuit boards with a board thickness of preferably 1 mm to 100 mm, in particular from 2 to 30 mm, and very particularly preferably boards with a thickness of 3 to 25 mm can be thermally treated in the laminated-bed installation according to the invention.

The at least one oven door can be, for example, only one opening slot of the layered ovens system according to the invention, wherein the individual heating levels within the layered oven system can be raised via an actuator and the opening slot is released to the outside through the vertically displaceable oven door. Overall, the layer furnace system is thus very thermally well insulated, so that only through the opening slot heat from the furnace system can escape to the environment.

In a further preferred embodiment, the oven doors of several heating levels, particularly preferably all heating levels, for example two oven doors of two heating levels or else three oven doors of three heating levels, are mounted vertically one above the other, wherein the oven doors are linearly guided in a rail system. The oven doors thus lie in an oven door surface and are arranged vertically one above the other. Thus, it is possible to move the oven doors or each individual furnace doors vertically in the linearly guided rail system and release the underlying respective opening slot for access to the heating level.

In the context of the invention, a linear drive is furthermore provided for carrying out the vertical displacement movement on at least one lateral end of the oven doors, preferably a linear drive is provided on each lateral end of the oven doors. The linear drives are preferably arranged on the ply furnace system such that on each side of the furnace doors, that is to say on the right-hand side and the left-hand side, the ply furnace installation in each case a linear drive is arranged for all furnace doors. Thus, all oven doors are vertically displaceable over these two linear drives.

In the context of the invention, the linear drive can be a mechanical spindle drive, an electronic actuating actuator or even a hydraulic drive. With the help of the linear drive, it is thus possible to vertically lift a respective individual oven door or even an oven door and the oven doors respectively above it and thus release the opening slot located behind the corresponding oven door for access to the heating level. In the context of the invention, it is also possible with the help of the linear drive to lower the oven doors after lifting again or not to raise from a starting position, but lower.

Furthermore, the linear drive preferably has engagement means, wherein by means of the engagement means a positive coupling of linear drive and a respective Oven door can be produced. In the context of the invention, this means that the oven doors are not permanently connected to the linear drive, but each targeted by the engagement means coupling of linear drive and moving oven door can be produced. The oven door to be moved is then raised in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the possibly over it oven doors, so that the located behind the specifically selected furnace door opening slot is released and the heating level can be equipped with a metal component or a metal component from the heating level can be removed. Following this, then the oven door and the oven doors above it via the linear drive are lowered again and the positive coupling between the engagement means of the linear drive and the oven door in turn removable. The linear drive is then within the scope of the invention adjustable so that the engagement means can be brought to another oven door for engagement and also raise this oven door, in particular with the oven doors then turn over and lower accordingly again.

Preferably, the engagement means are designed as a horizontally displaceable pawl. In the context of the invention are further preferred receiving openings, such as notches or slots on the sides of the oven doors, in which then the movable pawls are horizontally inserted, so that a lifting movement or a lowering movement of the oven doors is executable and after completion of the charging process of the heating level the pawls are in turn detachable from the oven door. Following this, the pawls can be moved in a vertical direction via the linear drive and a specific other oven door can be activated.

The pawls themselves are in turn displaceable via a horizontally acting linear drive, for example an electric, electromechanical, hydraulic or even pneumatic actuator. In the context of the invention, the displaceable pawls particularly preferably have a safety function which allows lifting the sometimes several meters wide and several hundred kilogram heavy furnace doors only after secure coupling. For example, the security function may be designed such that after engagement of the pawls first a safety signal is issued before the linear actuator for vertical raising or lowering of the oven doors is still operable.

Further preferably, the oven doors have a brake so that they remain in the vertical position in which they have been brought from the linear drive. The brake may, for example, be a frictional brake, so that such a high adhesive force is generated by applying a spring force that the oven door remains in the absolute position in which it is spent. Preferably, each oven door has an individual brake, so that it is possible to lift several oven doors simultaneously in the vertical direction and then all the oven doors remain in the vertical position. The bottom oven door of the raised oven doors can then be individually lowered separately from the other oven doors via the linear drive, for example, all other oven doors remain in the raised position due to the respective brake. The brake may for example also be designed in the form of a respective positive engagement. For this purpose, a form-fitting engagement means attached to each oven door engages a latching toothing, for example a sawtooth profile, and then first has to be unlocked, so that the respective oven door can be moved.

Further preferably, the furnace doors are always superimposed by the gravitational force, whereby an opening slot for inserting the metal component into the heating level is created by lifting an oven door and the oven doors located above it in front of a heating level, wherein the raised oven door releases the opening slot. Also, a metal component can be removed from the heating level. Following this, the opening slit of the heating level is closed again by lowering the oven door and the oven doors above it are also lowered. Due to the flat superimposition of the oven doors all above heating levels remain closed during the raising and lowering process.

Further preferably, the oven doors are formed thermally insulated and / or the oven doors are thermally decoupled from the rail system. In the context of the invention, the oven doors are particularly preferably provided with an insulating layer, for example, the oven doors are double-layered formed, between the two layers, an insulating layer is formed analogous to the functional principle of Thermopenscheiben. In the context of the invention, however, the oven doors can also have an extra insulating layer made of an insulating material or else be of multilayer construction. In this way, on the one hand prevents the sometimes several hundred degrees Celsius hot temperatures in the oven interior can escape through the oven doors to the environment. On the other hand, this prevents that an outside surface, which is formed by the stacked oven doors, a correspondingly high heat unfolds, so that, for example, an inadvertently coming into contact with fitter suffers no burns. Furthermore, the oven doors are particularly preferably thermally decoupled from the rail system of the linear guide. This also avoids that the heat used in the furnace for heating the metal components is released from the oven doors via the rail system to the environment. Furthermore, it is possible to avoid tilting, for example due to different thermal expansions, when the oven doors are moved.

Further preferably, a sealing labyrinth for thermal insulation is formed between the oven doors and the rail system and / or the oven doors and the separating elements. The sealing labyrinth is formed in a preferred embodiment in cross-section as an L-shaped seal. As a result, it is difficult for the heated air in the oven to escape via the sealing labyrinth to the ambient air. Thermal radiation generated within the furnace can not be released to the environment due to the L-shaped cross-section. In the context of the invention, however, more complex geometries for the formation of the labyrinth seal are possible, so that they have, for example, additional waveforms or similar geometries. Also preferably, a sealing labyrinth is formed between the oven doors themselves.

Further preferably, the partition elements are associated with side plates, wherein the furnace doors in combination with the side plates preferably thermally insulate the layer furnace system. The side plates are then in turn preferably coupled with the vertically formed columns. In the context of the invention, the rail system and / or the linear drive with the vertical columns can also be coupled or formed directly in the columns or arranged on these. In the case of a defect, it is possible to quickly and easily remove the side plates and then in turn raise the dividing elements via a crane, so that an assembly or maintenance on the damaged heating level vornehmbar. In the context of the invention, the separating elements are particularly preferably already designed such that they individually stacked one above the other make a lateral bordering or sealing of the layer furnace system.

In the context of the invention, the layer furnace system can also be designed as a continuous furnace. In this case, furnace doors are then formed on a front side and a rear side of the layer furnace installation so that a circuit board can be inserted at the front side of the layered furnace installation and can be removed again at a rear side of the layered heating plant. In this case, the boards can walk through the oven via a transport system, such as a conveyor chain, but it is also possible to insert the boards only at the front and remove at the back so that they are not transported through the oven. In the context of the invention, the oven, in particular each individual oven level can also be designed as a continuous rolling hearth furnace. However, it can also be arranged separating elements, for example in the form of grids or of plates between the individual heating levels, in which the heat-treated metal components are inserted. The oven then has no means for moving the heat-treated components. These are passed through the furnace, for example, by a slider or other loading or handling device. In the context of the invention, it is also possible to form the oven as a drawer stove, wherein the drawers are then additionally completed by a vertically sliding oven door of at least one side, in particular from both sides, so that the drawer when opening the doors on the front can be pulled out to the front and can be pulled out when opening the doors on the back to the back.

Another component of the present invention is a method for operating the laminated-bed furnace with at least one of the aforementioned features. For this For example, an opening slit to a heating level is opened by vertically moving an oven door.

In a preferred embodiment, an oven door and the oven doors lying in the vertical direction are raised at the level of a heating level to open the desired heating level and then lowered again to close the heating level. In the context of the invention, it is thus possible to select a central oven door, for example the fourth oven door, in the case of a plurality of oven doors, for example of 5, 6 or also 7 oven doors. In the case of 7 oven doors, the 5th, 6th and 7th oven doors are then located vertically above the 4th oven door. If the fourth oven door is raised by the linear drive at the level of essentially one heating level, the fifth, sixth and seventh oven doors are also automatically raised. At the same time, the 4th oven door closes the 5th heating level, the 5th oven door closes the 6th heating level and the 6th oven door closes the 7th heating level, whereas the 7th oven door is raised above the 7th heating level. Following this, the fourth heating level can be equipped with a metal plate through the opening slot or else a metal plate located therein can be removed from the fourth heating level. Following this, the 4th oven door is again lowered by the linear drive and the 5th, 6th and 7th oven door located above it is also lowered due to gravity. Likewise, the 4th heating level is then closed by the 4th oven door, the 5th heating level by the 5th oven door, the 6th heating level by the 6th oven door and the 7th heating level by the 7th oven door. During the entire opening process, the 5th, 6th and 7th heating levels as well as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd heating levels were always completely closed.

Particularly preferably, sealing elements or sealing labyrinths are formed between the individual oven doors, so that no loss of heat, in particular during the opening or closing operation of the oven doors, can be transferred to the environment via this. In particular, when a plurality of stacked furnace doors are raised together and are passed past the heating levels located behind it, thus escaping no heat loss between the oven doors.

The above-described process of opening a furnace door with 7 heating levels is also feasible in the context of the invention at 10 heating levels, 20 heating levels or even 30 heating levels. In this case, any oven door with the oven doors of the overlying heating levels can then be opened and also lowered again due to the principle of gravity.

For optimal utilization of the travel of the linear drive is very particularly preferably approached in the method for opening the ply furnace system at a ungraden number of oven doors to open the topmost oven door first. If the topmost oven door is opened, a board is placed in the heating level behind it or taken out and the topmost oven door is closed again, the next oven door is approached with an odd ordinal number. This is the third oven door from the top. If this oven door has also been opened, with the two oven doors located above it, ie the first and the second oven door, also being opened when the third oven door is opened, it is closed again after inserting or removing a circuit board into the third heating level behind it following next odd oven door, thus the fifth oven door, approached and again the opening and closing process repeated. This extends to the nth oven door.

If the last, and therefore the n-th oven door has also been opened and closed again, the linear drive is located at the lowermost point of the layered-oven installation in relation to the vertical direction. Subsequently, the second bottommost oven door, that is, the one corresponding to the atomic number n-1, approached, opened and then closed again. Subsequently, all furnace doors with a straight ordinal number are successively approached, opened and then closed, so that after opening and closing of all straight furnace doors, the linear drive is at the second highest point, ie at the furnace door with the ordinal number two.

Following this, in turn, the opening and closing process can then begin from the first oven door.

In the context of the invention, it is of course also possible to perform the opening and closing operation in the inverse direction to the procedure described above. It can thus be started at the bottom, so the nth oven door. However, in the context of the invention, the straight furnace doors can also be approached from top to bottom following the second uppermost oven door, followed by the odd oven doors.

In the context of the invention, it is also possible, with an even number of n oven doors to open first, the top oven door, consequently the oven door with the atomic number 1, to approach, open and close and then each subsequent furnace doors with odd ordinal number in vertical Direction from top to bottom, to the n-1th oven door. If the lowest oven door with an odd ordinal number, ie the nth oven door, is approached, opened and closed, then the lowest oven door with the ordinal number n is approached, opened and closed. In this case, then the bottom oven door is raised with all over the oven doors and then closed again. As a result, only the opening slit is released to the lowermost heating level, with all above heating levels 1 to n-1 remain closed by the vertically upwardly lifted furnace doors two to n. Following this are all located above the bottom furnace door furnace doors with even ordnungszahl approached from bottom to top in the vertical direction, opened and closed. The oven doors which are above the oven door to be opened and closed in the vertical direction are thereby also lifted and also lowered again. The method for opening and closing an even number of n furnace doors can also be executed in the inverse direction from the bottom upwards and again from the top downwards.

Due to the temporal opening variants, there are the advantages that a maximum travel distance over a double oven door distance is utilized and can be optimally adapted to the process duration of the thermal treatment. The oven can thus be equipped continuously in analogy to the respective open heating levels and thermally treated boards can be removed from the oven. At the same time, the linear drive is used to save energy and time effectively. So the linear drive does not have to over each of the entire Oven length can be moved to specifically target an oven door, but he can successively work off the oven doors of the individual heating levels.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, in a plurality of heating levels, each with a corresponding furnace door in a modular furnace structure, a furnace door less in the laminated oven, then always a heating level is opened and by moving any oven doors in the vertical direction up or down a desired other heating level is opened and the previously described open heating level is closed by moving. For example, with 10 heating levels only 9 oven doors are arranged. For this purpose, the oven doors require an individual brake, so that, for example, with 10 heating levels, the 5th heating level is open. Optionally, then, for example, the oven door of the 4th heating level can be raised to close the 5th heating level and open the 4th heating level or the oven door of the sixth heating level are lowered to open the sixth heating level and the 5th heating level to close.

The other oven doors then always remain in their position and the recently moved oven door also remains in its last absolute position. In the context of the invention, however, it is also possible, for example, when the fifth heating level is opened by lifting the oven door of the 2nd heating level to close the 5th heating level and to open the 2nd heating level. In this case, the furnace doors of the 3rd and 4th heating level are also raised by lifting the oven door of the 2nd heating level. The oven door of the 4th heating level then closes the oven door of the 5th heating level, the oven door of the 3rd heating level closes the 4th heating level and the oven door of the 2nd heating level closes the 3rd heating level. The 2nd heating level is then open. The same applies to a lowering process.

Within the scope of the invention, the abovementioned features can be combined as desired with one another with the attendant advantages, without departing from the scope of the invention.

• Figur 1a und b eine erfindungsgemäße Schichtofenanlage in Vorder- und Seitenansicht;
• Figur 2 einen Querschnitt durch eine Ofentür mit Seitenelement;
• Figur 3 einen Querschnitt durch drei übereinander gestapelte Ofentüren und
• Figur 4 die erfindungsgemäße Schichtofenanlage als Durchlaufofen.

Further advantages, features, characteristics and aspects of the present invention are part of the following description. Preferred embodiments are shown in the schematic figures. These are for easy understanding of the invention. Show it:

• FIGS. 1a and b a layer furnace system according to the invention in front and side view;
• FIG. 2 a cross-section through an oven door with side member;
• FIG. 3 a cross section through three stacked oven doors and
• FIG. 4 the layer furnace system according to the invention as a continuous furnace.

In the figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, even if a repeated description is omitted for reasons of simplicity.

In FIG. 1a are shown five stacked furnace doors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, which are displaceable in the vertical direction V. In FIG. 1b is a side sectional view of the layer furnace system according to the section line AA of FIG. 1a shown. Thereafter, five stacked heating levels h1 to h5 and at a front side VS of the layered heating system S five oven doors 1 to 5 are in the ply furnace system.

In FIG. 1a are each indicated at the lateral ends 6, a linear drive 7, on the adjustment of the oven doors 1 - 5 in the vertical direction V are displaced. So that the two linear drives 7 can be coupled to the oven doors 1-5, this engaging means 8 has, wherein the engagement means 8 in the horizontal direction H are displaceable. Shown here are the engagement means 8 are engaged on or under the furnace door 3 and have the furnace doors 1, 2 and 3 raised in the vertical direction V by the height 9, so that an opening slot 10 in the heating level h3, which is otherwise closed by the oven door 3 is, arises. Through the opening slot 10, a board P in the insertion direction ER is then inserted into the heating level h3. In the heating levels h1, h2, h4 and h5 also boards P are also inserted and are thermally treated. The heating levels h1 and h2 are still closed by the oven doors 2 and 3 in the position shown here. After lowering the furnace doors 1 to 3, the heating levels h1 to h5 are then closed again by the oven doors 1-5.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section through an oven door 1 to 5 with a side member 11. Between the oven door 1 - 5 and the side member 11 is an L-shaped labyrinth seal 12 is formed, so that the present in a heating chamber 13 warm air neither by convection nor by thermal radiation between the oven door 1 - 5 and the side member 11 can escape. With respect to a displacement in the vertical direction V, the oven door 1 - 5 can be moved relative to the side member 11 without the labyrinth seal 12 loses its sealing function.

FIG. 3 further shows three furnace doors 1, 2 and 3, which are stacked in the vertical direction V one above the other. Labyrinth seals 12 are also formed in each case between the individual furnace doors 1 - 5, here in the form of a counter-running L's. The labyrinth seals 12 between the oven doors 1-3 in vertical directions V prevent the heat prevailing in the heating chamber 13 from escaping therefrom. When lifting different furnace doors 1 - 3, for example, the oven door 2 and the associated overhead furnace door 1, the labyrinth seal 12 is maintained between the oven door 2 and the oven door 1, wherein between the oven door 2 and oven door 3, an opening slot would be released. After lowering the furnace door 2 and also due to the gravitational force E of the furnace door 1 located above, in turn, the labyrinth seal 12 is formed between the oven door 2 and the oven door 3.

FIG. 4 shows the layer furnace system according to the invention FIG. 1b however, as a continuous furnace installation, so that the furnace doors 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are arranged on the front side VS, wherein oven doors r1-r5 are likewise arranged on a rear side RS of the laminated-bed installation S. In the in FIG. 4 illustrated variant is in turn released by raising the third oven door 3 of the front and the third oven door r3 of the back of the third boiler room h3 both on the front side VS and on the rear side RS. On the front side, an untreated board uP is inserted into the heating chamber h3 in the insertion direction ER, and a heat-treated board wP is removed from the heating chamber h3 on the rear side RS. In the context of the invention, it is also possible to individually open the oven doors 1 to 5 at the front and the oven doors r1 to r5 at the Back RS to keep closed and vice versa. The oven doors on the back RS are preferably movable via a linear drive.

Reference numerals:

1-

oven door

2

oven door

3

oven door

4

oven door

5

oven door

6

End to 1 to 5

7-

linear actuator

8th-

engagement means

9-

height

10-

opening slot

11-

page element

12-

labyrinth seal

13-

boiler room

ER -

insertion direction

V -

vertical direction

H -

Horizontal direction

E -

Gravity

h1 -

Heating level 1

h2 -

Heating level 2

h3 -

Heating level 3

h4 -

Heating level 4

h5 -

Heating level 5

P -

circuit board

uP -

untreated board

wp -

heat treated board

r1 -

Oven door 1 to RS

r2 -

Oven door 2 to RS

r3 -

Oven door 3 to RS

r4 -

Oven door 4 to RS

r5 -

Oven door 5 to RS

Claims (13)

1. Layer furnace installation (S) for thermal treatment of metal components, having a plurality of heating levels (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5) lying one on top of the other in vertical direction and at least one heat source, wherein flat metal components, more particularly metal blanks (P), can be inserted into the heating levels (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5) and a heating level (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5) can be closed by means of a furnace door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), characterised in that the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of a plurality of heating levels (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5) are mounted vertically one on top of the other and each particular furnace door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) for opening and closing the heating level (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5) behind it is guided linearly in a rail system and can be moved in vertical direction.
2. Layer furnace installation according to at least the preceding claim, characterised in that, to perform the vertical translational movement, there is provided on at least one lateral end (6) of the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) a linear drive (7), preferably a linear drive (7) is arranged on each lateral end of the furnace doors, so that all furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of the layer furnace installation (1) can be moved by way of the two linear drives (7).
3. Layer furnace installation according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the linear drive (7) has an engaging means (8), wherein a form-fitting coupling of linear drive (7) and any particular furnace door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) can be established by means of the engaging means (8).
4. Layer furnace installation according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the engaging means (8) is configured as horizontally movable detent pin.
5. Layer furnace installation according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) have a brake, so that they remain in the vertical position, into which they have been brought by the linear drive (7).
6. Layer furnace installation according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) always lie flat one on top of the other on account of the gravitational pull of the earth (E) and as a result of the raising of one furnace door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and also of the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) located above it in vertical direction (V) in front of a heating level (h1, h2 h3, h4, h5) an opening slot (10) is created for the insertion of the metal component into the heating level.
7. Layer furnace installation according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are configured to be insulated and/or that the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are decoupled thermally from the rail system.
8. Layer furnace installation according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a sealing labyrinth (12) for thermal insulation is configured between the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and the rail system and/or between two furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) lying vertically one on top of the other.
9. Layer furnace installation according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the layer furnace installation (1) is configured as continuous furnace, more particularly the layer furnace installation (1) has vertically movable furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, r1, r2, r3, r4, r5) on a front side (VS) and a rear side (RS), respectively.
10. Method for operating a layer furnace installation according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an opening slot (10) to a heating level (h1, h2, h3 h4, h5) is opened through vertical moving of the furnace door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
11. Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that a furnace door (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and also the furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) lying above it in vertical direction (V) at the height of a heating level (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5) are raised to open the desired heating level and finally are lowered again to close the heating level (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5).
12. Method according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that with an odd number of n furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) the topmost furnace door (1) is started first for opening, then the respectively following furnace door (3, 5) with odd ordinal number, as far as the n-th furnace door (5), and that thereafter the second lowest furnace door (4) is started, wherein the second lowest furnace door (4) corresponds to the ordinal number n-1 and immediately thereafter, respectively, the furnace door (2) lying above with even ordinal number is started.
13. Method according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that with an even number of n furnace doors (1, 2, 3, 4) the topmost furnace door (1) is started first for opening, then the respectively following furnace door (3) with odd ordinal number, as far as the n-1-th furnace door (3), and that thereafter the lowest furnace door (4) with the ordinal number n is started, and immediately thereafter, respectively, the furnace door (2) lying above with even ordinal number is started.

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