Furnace and method of operating the furnace

Abstract

Light metal components and/or plates are transported through a furnace in a clocked or continuous transport process and heated and optionally cooled inside the furnace by an air or gas flow. For this purpose, a continuous air-/gas circulation is generated, wherein circulating air-/gas flow flows across the light metal components and/or plates, heating and cooling them as necessary. The light metal components and/or plates entering into or exiting from the furnace perform a sealing function and prevent the air-/gas flow circulating in the furnace from escaping from the furnace.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein: 
     
         1 . A furnace for thermal treatment of light metal components which are continuously transported through the furnace, the furnace comprising:
 a heat source,   a conveyor transporting the light metal components through the furnace in a transport direction, and   a blower producing an airflow circulating inside the furnace, wherein the airflow heats the light metal components inside the furnace by convection, and a light metal component entering the furnace and a light metal component exiting from the furnace are constructed as a barrier so as to hinder the airflow from escaping from the furnace.   
     
     
         2 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source is constructed as at least one of an electric heater and a fuel-fired heater. 
     
     
         3 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the blower is arranged inside the furnace. 
     
     
         4 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace comprises sealing elements arranged at an entrance or exit of the furnace proving a thermal seal. 
     
     
         5 . The furnace of  claim 4 , wherein the sealing elements are constructed as exchangeable shaped baffles. 
     
     
         6 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace comprises at least two temperature zones, with the light metal components providing a barrier between the at least two temperature zones. 
     
     
         7 . The furnace of  claim 6 , wherein exchangeable shaped baffles are disposed at a respective transition between the at least two temperature zones. 
     
     
         8 . The furnace of  claim 7 , wherein the shaped baffles have an opening that corresponds substantially to a transverse cross-sectional frame area of the light metal components orthogonal to the transport direction. 
     
     
         9 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace comprises a drying zone disposed in a region of an entrance of the furnace. 
     
     
         10 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace comprises a cooling zone disposed in a region of an exit of the furnace. 
     
     
         11 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the circulating airflow flows across a surface of the light metal components when passing through the furnace. 
     
     
         12 . The furnace of  claim 6 , wherein the circulating airflow flows across a surface of the light metal components in the at least two temperature zones with at least one of mutually different air temperatures and mutually different flow velocities. 
     
     
         13 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt is a chain conveyor. 
     
     
         14 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the light metal components are heated to a temperature between 200° C. and 450° C. 
     
     
         15 . A method for thermal treatment of light metal components in a furnace, wherein the light metal components are continuously transported through the furnace, the method comprising:
 placing a plurality of consecutively arranged light metal components on a conveyor belt,   transporting the light-metal components through the furnace, wherein an entrance opening at an entrance region of the furnace is sealed by a light-metal component passing through the entrance opening,   generating a continuously circulating warm airflow and overflowing the light metal components in at least one temperature zone inside the furnace with the airflow to thermally treat the light-metal components, while the light metal components are continuously transported through the furnace, and   discharging the heat-treated light metal components from the furnace at an exit of the furnace, wherein an exit opening at an exit region of the furnace is sealed by light metal component passing through the exit opening.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising selecting at least one of a flow rate of the airflow and an air temperature in the at least one temperature zone for heating the light metal components. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising transferring the light metal components to an additional treatment process in a cycle time of less than 15 seconds. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the light metal components are dried in the drying zone to remove a lubricant. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the light metal components are cooled in a cooling zone to an age-hardening temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein shaped baffles are exchanged in dependence of the light metal components to be treated. 
     
     
         21 . A furnace for thermal treatment of light metal components which are continuously transported through the furnace, the furnace comprising:
 a heat source,   a conveyor transporting the light metal components through the furnace in a transport direction,   a blower producing an airflow circulating inside the furnace, wherein the airflow heats the light metal components inside the furnace by convection, and   partition walls arranged on the conveyor at mutual distances between the partition walls,   wherein at least one light metal component is arranged between two partition walls.   
     
     
         22 . The furnace of  claim 22 , wherein at least two temperature zones having mutually different temperatures are formed inside the furnace. 
     
     
         23 . The furnace of  claim 22 , wherein the partition walls are constructed as a barrier to prevent the airflow from escaping from the furnace when a partition wall passes at least one of an entrance, an exit and a transition between the at least two temperature zones. 
     
     
         24 . The furnace of  claim 23 , wherein two successive partition walls produce a continuous seal at at least one of the entrance, the exit and the transition. 
     
     
         25 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein two or more light metal components are arranged between two partition walls. 
     
     
         26 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein the partition walls on the conveyor are exchangeable. 
     
     
         27 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein the conveyor is a chain conveyor or a conveyor belt. 
     
     
         28 . The furnace of  claim 27 , wherein the partition walls are configured for placement on the chain conveyor before an entrance of the furnace and for removal from the chain conveyor after an exit of the furnace. 
     
     
         29 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein the airflow is guided by the partition walls and flows across a surface of the light metal components. 
     
     
         30 . The furnace of  claim 22 , wherein a partition wall separates two different air flows in two different temperature zones. 
     
     
         31 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein the partition walls are arranged on the conveyor at an angle between 10 degrees and 80 degrees. 
     
     
         32 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein the partition walls are arranged on the conveyor at an angle between 20 and 70 degrees. 
     
     
         33 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein the partition walls are arranged on the conveyor at an angle between 30 and 60 degrees. 
     
     
         34 . The furnace of  claim 21 , wherein the partition walls are arranged on the conveyor at an angle between 40 and 50 degrees. 
     
     
         35 . A method of operating a furnace for thermal treatment of light metal components, wherein the light metal components are continuously transported through the furnace on a conveyor belt, the method comprising:
 arranging on the conveyor belt partition walls separating mutually different temperature zones,   placing at least one light-metal component on the conveyor belt between two partition walls, and   transporting the at least one light-metal component through the furnace.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein two consecutively arranged partition walls seal at least one of an entrance region, an exit region and a transition region separating the different temperature zones, thereby hindering an airflow circulating in the furnace from escaping from the furnace or crossing over between the different temperature zones.