Annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production

Abstract

The annealing furnace structurally comprises a furnace base and a furnace body located above the furnace base, a feeding opening is formed in the furnace body, a conveying frame is arranged on the outer side of the feeding opening, the interior of the furnace body is divided into a first compartment and a second compartment through a partition plate, and a material passing through opening is formed in the partition plate. The first compartment corresponds to the feeding port in position, a heating element is arranged at the top of the first compartment, a plurality of roller carriers used for conveying pipes are arranged on the upper surface of the conveying frame and the upper surface of the first compartment, a discharging channel is formed in the inner bottom wall of the second compartment, and the opening end of the discharging channel extends to the front side of the furnace base. A lifting assembly used for lifting the pipes is arranged in the first compartment, and the pipes enter the second compartment through the material passing through opening after being lifted to the preset height and are discharged out of the furnace body through the discharging channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of seamless steel pipe production technology, and more specifically, it relates to an annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production. Background Technology

[0002] Stainless steel pipe is a hollow, long steel material, which can be divided into two main categories: seamless steel pipe and welded steel pipe. It is widely used as a pipeline for transporting fluids and requires multiple processing steps to complete its manufacturing. During the manufacturing process, stainless steel pipes are usually annealed. The annealing equipment is a continuous stainless steel annealing furnace, which is mainly used to heat treat the finished stainless steel pipes to reduce hardness, improve plasticity, refine grain size, and homogenize the steel structure. During annealing, the stainless steel pipes are fed into the annealing furnace for heat treatment. After annealing, the stainless steel pipes are unloaded and conveyed to the next processing step.

[0003] Currently, while traditional seamless steel pipe annealing furnaces can achieve the heating and annealing treatment of steel pipes, there is a significant technical bottleneck in the post-annealing unloading process. Most existing annealing furnaces require manual labor or additional auxiliary equipment for unloading after annealing, making it impossible to achieve full automation from annealing to unloading. Manual unloading is not only inefficient and labor-intensive, but also poses safety hazards such as burns to operators from the high-temperature steel pipes. Using additional auxiliary equipment for unloading increases equipment costs and floor space requirements, and also leads to problems with poor equipment integration and high failure rates, making it difficult to meet the demands of modern seamless steel pipe production for high efficiency, continuous operation, and automation. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an annealing furnace for the production of seamless steel pipes, so as to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: an annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production, comprising a furnace base and a furnace body located above the furnace base. The furnace body is formed with a feed inlet and a conveyor frame on the outside of the feed inlet. The interior of the furnace body is divided into a first compartment and a second compartment by a partition. The partition has a material passage. The first compartment corresponds to the position of the feed inlet and is provided with a heating element at its top. A plurality of roller frames for conveying pipes are arranged on the upper surface of the conveyor frame and the upper surface of the first compartment. The bottom wall of the second compartment is formed with a discharge channel, and the opening end of the discharge channel extends to the front side of the furnace base. The first compartment has a lifting component for lifting the pipes. After the pipes are lifted to a preset height, they enter the second compartment through the material passage and are discharged from the furnace body through the discharge channel.

[0006] The present invention is further configured such that: the roller frame includes a frame body, the frame body has a "U" shaped structure and has an assembly area, a V-shaped roller is installed in the assembly area, and a power source is installed on the outer side of one of the frame bodies, the output shaft of the power source is driven and connected to the V-shaped roller.

[0007] The present invention is further configured such that: four fastening holes are formed at the four corners of the bottom of the assembly area, and each fastening hole is connected to a fastener.

[0008] The present invention is further configured such that: a number of guide cylinders are distributed on the inner wall of the furnace corresponding to the roller frame, each guide cylinder is connected to a guide column, each guide column is connected to a buffer plate, and a number of shock absorbers are distributed on the inner wall of the annealing furnace corresponding to the buffer plate, with the other end of each shock absorber connected to the buffer plate.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that: the bottom wall of the second compartment is formed with two guide blocks on the left and right sides of the discharge channel, and both guide blocks are formed with a guide ramp adapted to the opening of the discharge channel.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that: the lifting assembly includes several lifting units, and there is a lifting unit between each pair of adjacent roller frames in the first compartment. The lifting unit includes a lifting block and the lifting block is formed with a guide slope. Two sliding rods are correspondingly provided at the bottom of the lifting block. A first guide sleeve is provided at the bottom of the furnace body at the corresponding position of each sliding rod. The lifting block performs lifting / resetting actions by sliding up and down through the cooperation between the sliding rod and the guide sleeve.

[0011] The present invention is further configured such that: a drive rod is provided at the bottom of the lifting block at the center of the two slide rods; a second guide sleeve is provided at the bottom of the furnace body at the corresponding position of the drive rod; and a drive source is fixedly installed at the bottom of the furnace base at the corresponding position of each drive rod, and the output shaft of the drive source is connected to the corresponding drive rod.

[0012] In summary, this utility model has the following beneficial effects: 1. Fully automated material feeding: This application sets up a lifting component in the first compartment. After the steel pipe is annealed, each drive source is activated to drive the lifting block to rise. The guide slope of the lifting block is used to lift the pipe to a preset height, so that the pipe enters the second compartment through the material passage under its own weight, and is discharged from the furnace body through the discharge channel. No manual intervention is required, realizing full automation from annealing to material feeding, greatly improving production efficiency, and reducing labor costs and safety risks.

[0013] 2. Stable and reliable material feeding process: The cooperative design of the sliding rod and guide sleeve in the lifting assembly ensures the stability of the lifting block's upward and downward sliding movement; the guide block and guide ramp on the bottom wall of the second compartment can accurately guide the annealed steel pipe to pass smoothly through the discharge channel, preventing material jamming and ensuring the continuity and reliability of the material feeding process.

[0014] 3. Adapting to the needs of automated production: The entire material feeding process is closely coordinated with the in-furnace steel pipe conveying, heating and annealing and other links, and is seamlessly connected, which meets the needs of modern seamless steel pipe production automation and intelligence, effectively improves the overall operating efficiency and stability of the production line, and creates higher economic benefits for enterprises. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly of the buffer plate, shock absorber, guide column, and guide cylinder of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting component of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another innovative embodiment of the material passage of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another innovative embodiment of the roller frame of this utility model.

[0022] Reference numerals: 1. Furnace base; 2. Furnace body; 20. Feed inlet; 21. Baffle plate; 22. First compartment; 23. Second compartment; 24. Material passage; 25. Heating element; 26. Movable door; 27. Torsion spring; 3. Conveyor frame; 30. Roller frame; 31. Frame body; 32. Assembly area; 33. V-shaped roller; 34. Power source; 35. Fastening hole; 36. Fastener; 4. Discharge channel; 40. Guide block; 41. Guide ramp; 5. Guide cylinder; 50. Guide column; 51. Buffer plate; 52. Shock absorber; 6. Lifting unit; 60. Lifting block; 61. Guide ramp; 62. Slide rod; 63. First guide sleeve; 64. Drive rod; 65. Second guide sleeve; 66. Drive source. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0024] Please see Figure 1-6 As shown in the figure, an annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a furnace base 1 and a furnace body 2 located above the furnace base 1. The furnace body 2 is formed with a feed inlet 20 and a conveyor frame 3 on the outside of the feed inlet 20. The interior of the furnace body 2 is divided into a first compartment 22 and a second compartment 23 by a partition 21. The partition 21 has a material passage 24. The first compartment 22 is positioned corresponding to the feed inlet 20 and is provided with a heating element 25 at its top. A plurality of roller frames 30 for conveying pipes are arranged on the upper surface of the conveyor frame 3 and the upper surface of the first compartment 22. The bottom wall of the second compartment 23 is formed with a discharge channel 4 and the opening end of the discharge channel 4 extends to the front side of the furnace base 1. The first compartment 22 has a lifting component for lifting the pipe. After the pipe is lifted to a preset height, it enters the second compartment 23 through the material passage 24 and is discharged from the furnace body 2 through the discharge channel 4.

[0025] When in use, turn on the power source 34, heating element 25 and other equipment, check whether they are operating normally, and set the temperature parameters of the heating element 25 to a suitable annealing temperature; place the seamless steel pipe to be annealed on the conveyor frame 3, start the power source 34 of the roller frame 30 on the conveyor frame 3, so that the steel pipe is conveyed along the roller frame 30 into the first compartment 22 of the furnace body 2; after the steel pipe enters the first compartment 22, the heating element 25 heats and anneals it. After the annealing is completed, start the lifting assembly to lift the steel pipe to the preset height. After the pipe is lifted to the preset height, it enters the second compartment 23 through the material passage 24 and is discharged from the furnace body 2 through the discharge channel 4; the front and rear ends of the furnace body 2 are hinged with boxes, and the boxes have observation windows.

[0026] The heating element 25 can be a conventional device component from existing technologies, such as: a heating tube: typically made of a metal tube with an electric heating wire inside and filled with insulating material, which can efficiently convert electrical energy into heat energy and has advantages such as fast heating speed, precise temperature control, and cleanliness; a heating plate: generally made of resistance wire or heating film combined with a metal plate or ceramic plate, etc. The heating plate can be customized according to the shape and size of the tube and attached to a specific heating area, providing stable heat and suitable for situations where the surface temperature of the tube needs to be relatively uniform; these heating source devices have been widely used and maturely developed in the field of industrial heating, each with its own characteristics and applicable scenarios, and can be comprehensively selected based on factors such as the material and specifications of the tube, heating process requirements, and production costs;

[0027] like Figure 5 As shown, in another innovative embodiment of the material passage 24, a movable door 26 is preferably provided at the material passage 24. The movable door 26 is hinged to the edge of the material passage 24, and a torsion spring 27 is installed at the hinge point of the movable door 26. In the initial state, the torsion spring 27 provides torque to keep the movable door 26 in a normally closed state, blocking heat loss from the first compartment 22. When the pipe rolls into the second compartment 23, it contacts the movable door 26. When the front end of the pipe contacts the movable door 26, the thrust overcomes the resistance of the torsion spring 27, and the movable door 26 rotates around the hinge point to open and form a channel. After the pipe has completely passed through, the movable door 26 loses its thrust, and the torque of the torsion spring 27 drives it to quickly reset and close, blocking heat transfer. The design of this structure makes the material passage 24 normally closed, effectively reducing heat loss and improving heating efficiency. Moreover, the adaptive triggering does not require additional power and uses the thrust of the pipe itself to open, making the structure simple and reliable. After resetting, it fits tightly, preventing airflow or impurities from the second compartment 23 from flowing back into the heating area.

[0028] The roller frame 30 includes a frame 31, which has a "U" shaped structure and an assembly section 32. A V-shaped roller 33 is installed in the assembly section 32. A power source 34 is installed on the outside of one of the frames 31. The output shaft of the power source 34 is connected to the V-shaped roller 33 for driving. Four fastening holes 35 are formed at the four corners of the bottom of the assembly section 32. Each fastening hole 35 is connected to a fastener 36.

[0029] In use, the unique shape of the V-shaped roller 33 perfectly matches the circular outer surface of the steel pipe, providing stable support during pipe transportation and effectively preventing the steel pipe from rolling or deviating during transmission. Furthermore, by installing a power source 34 (preferably a "servo motor") on the outside of one of the frames 31, the output shaft of the power source 34 is directly connected to the V-shaped roller 33, allowing power to be precisely transmitted to the roller. When the power source 34 is started, it drives the V-shaped roller 33 to rotate, thereby achieving continuous and stable transportation of the steel pipe, enabling the steel pipe to quickly and smoothly enter the first compartment 22 of the furnace body 2 for annealing. The design of the roller frame 30 not only ensures the efficiency of pipe transportation but also reduces frictional loss during transportation through the tight fit between the structures, extending the service life of the equipment and providing a reliable guarantee for the automated annealing production of seamless steel pipes.

[0030] The assembly section 32 has fastening holes 35 at the four corners of its bottom, which are used to securely connect the roller frame 30 to the mounting surface with matching fasteners 36 (preferably "high-strength bolts"). This design effectively prevents the roller frame 30 from shifting or loosening under conditions such as high-frequency operation and pipe impact, ensuring the reliability and stability of power transmission, while reducing wear caused by vibration and extending the overall service life. During disassembly, the roller frame 30 can be quickly separated by loosening the bolts with the matching tools, facilitating individual inspection and replacement of worn parts.

[0031] like Figure 6 As shown, in another innovative embodiment of the roller frame 30, the surface of the V-shaped roller 33 is innovatively designed with a double V-groove structure. This structure breaks through the traditional single-pipe conveying mode and can simultaneously carry and convey two pipes, effectively improving conveying efficiency. In practical applications, operators only need to quickly replace the V-shaped roller 33 with the appropriate specifications to flexibly adjust the number of pipes that the equipment can handle, realize parallel conveying and annealing operations of single pipes, double pipes, and even multiple pipes, and fully meet diverse production needs.

[0032] Several guide cylinders 5 are distributed on the inner wall of the furnace body 2 at the corresponding position of the roller frame 30. Each guide cylinder 5 is connected to a guide column 50. Each guide column 50 is connected to a buffer plate 51. Several shock absorbers 52 are distributed on the inner wall of the annealing furnace at the corresponding position of the buffer plate 51. The other end of each shock absorber 52 is connected to the buffer plate 51.

[0033] During use, the pipe is transported towards the first compartment 22 by the conveying of each roller frame 30. When the pipe reaches the designated position, the roller frame 30 stops conveying, but the pipe will move forward a certain distance due to inertia and come into contact with the buffer plate 51. The guide column 50 and the guide cylinder 5 provide sliding guidance. Then the shock absorber 52 plays a damping role to absorb the vibration, and finally controls the vibration amplitude to a very small range. This not only effectively reduces the operating noise of the equipment, but also avoids direct collision with the inner wall of the furnace body 2, and avoids damage to the pipe or the furnace body 2 due to vibration.

[0034] The buffer plate 51 is made of high-strength flexible material, which can quickly absorb the impact force generated during steel pipe transportation and further enhance the shock absorption effect. An array of shock absorbers 52 is arranged between the inner wall of the furnace body 2 and the buffer plate 51. The two ends of the shock absorber 52 are rigidly connected to the furnace body 2 and the buffer plate 51 respectively, and provide shock absorption through elastic compression and rebound.

[0035] The bottom wall of the second compartment 23 is located on the left and right sides of the discharge channel 4, and two guide blocks 40 are formed accordingly. Both guide blocks 40 are formed with guide ramps 41 that are adapted to the opening of the discharge channel 4.

[0036] In use, both guide blocks 40 are formed with guide ramps 41 that are adapted to the opening of the discharge channel 4, which can guide the annealed steel pipe to pass smoothly through the discharge channel 4 and prevent material jamming.

[0037] The lifting assembly includes several lifting units 6. Each pair of adjacent roller frames 30 in the first compartment 22 has a lifting unit 6. The lifting unit 6 includes a lifting block 60 with a guide slope 61. Two slide rods 62 are correspondingly provided at the bottom of the lifting block 60. A first guide sleeve 63 is provided at the bottom of the furnace body 2 at the corresponding position of each slide rod 62. The lifting block 60 performs lifting / resetting actions by sliding up and down through the cooperation between the slide rods 62 and the guide sleeves. A drive rod 64 is provided at the bottom of the lifting block 60 at the center of the two slide rods 62. A second guide sleeve 65 is provided at the bottom of the furnace body 2 at the corresponding position of the drive rod 64. A drive source 66 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the furnace base 1 at the corresponding position of each drive rod 64. The output shaft of the drive source 66 is connected to the corresponding drive rod 64.

[0038] In operation, the drive source 66 is activated, and the output shaft drives the drive rod 64 to move vertically upward via a coupling. The lifting block 60 rises synchronously along the slide rod 62 / guide sleeve, and its guide slope 61 lifts the pipe away from the roller frame 30 until the lowest point of the guide slope 61 is flush with the lowest point of the material passage. Utilizing the inclination angle of the lifting block 60 and guide slope 61, the pipe slides along the slope under its own weight and rolls into the second compartment 23 through the material passage 24. The pipe entering the second compartment 23 touches the guide blocks 40 on both sides and slides along its guide slope 41 into the discharge channel 4, and is finally discharged out of the furnace. After the pipe is completely separated from the lifting block 60, the drive source 66 moves in the opposite direction, and the drive rod 64 drives the lifting block 60 to fall back and reset along the guide sleeve. The roller frame 30 then receives the subsequent pipe. The drive source 66 is preferably a lifting cylinder, and the output shaft of the lifting cylinder is connected to the drive rod 64 via a coupling.

[0039] All electrical components mentioned in this article are connected to an external main controller and 220V AC mains power, and the main controller can be a conventional known device such as a computer that provides control.

[0040] It should also be noted that the terms used in this utility model, such as "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0041] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model. The protection scope of this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions falling within the scope of this utility model's concept are protected. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principle of this utility model should also be considered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production, comprising a furnace base (1) and a furnace body (2) located above the furnace base (1), characterized in that: The furnace body (2) is formed with a feed inlet (20) and a conveyor frame (3) is provided on the outside of the feed inlet (20). The interior of the furnace body (2) is divided into a first compartment (22) and a second compartment (23) by a partition (21). The partition (21) has a material passage (24). The first compartment (22) is located corresponding to the feed inlet (20) and a heating element (25) is provided on the top. A number of roller frames (30) for conveying pipes are arranged on the upper surface of the conveyor frame (3) and the upper surface of the first compartment (22). The bottom wall of the second compartment (23) is formed with a discharge channel (4) and the opening end of the discharge channel (4) extends to the front side of the furnace base (1). The first compartment (22) has a lifting component for lifting the pipe. After the pipe is lifted to a preset height, it enters the second compartment (23) through the material passage (24) and is discharged from the furnace body (2) through the discharge channel (4).

2. The annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The roller frame (30) includes a frame (31), which has a "U" shaped structure and an assembly area (32). A V-shaped roller (33) is installed in the assembly area (32). A power source (34) is installed on the outside of one of the frames (31), and the output shaft of the power source (34) is driven to connect with the V-shaped roller (33).

3. The annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production according to claim 2, characterized in that: Four fastening holes (35) are formed at the four corners of the bottom of the assembly section (32), and each of the fastening holes (35) is connected to a fastener (36).

4. The annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the furnace body (2) is provided with a number of guide cylinders (5) at the corresponding position of the roller frame (30). Each guide cylinder (5) is connected to a guide column (50). Each guide column (50) is connected to a buffer plate (51). The inner wall of the annealing furnace is provided with a number of shock absorbers (52) at the corresponding position of the buffer plate (51). The other end of each shock absorber (52) is connected to the buffer plate (51).

5. The annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom wall of the second compartment (23) is located on the left and right sides of the discharge channel (4) and has two guide blocks (40) formed accordingly. Both guide blocks (40) have a guide ramp (41) that is adapted to the opening of the discharge channel (4).

6. The annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting assembly includes several lifting units (6). Each pair of adjacent roller frames (30) in the first compartment (22) has a lifting unit (6). The lifting unit (6) includes a lifting block (60) and the lifting block (60) is formed with a guide slope (61). The bottom of the lifting block (60) is provided with two slide rods (62). The bottom of the furnace body (2) is provided with a first guide sleeve (63) at the corresponding position of each slide rod (62). The lifting block (60) performs a lifting / resetting action by sliding up and down through the cooperation between the slide rod (62) and the guide sleeve.

7. The annealing furnace for seamless steel pipe production according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom of the lifting block (60) is provided with a drive rod (64) located in the middle of the two slide rods (62). The bottom of the furnace body (2) is provided with a second guide sleeve (65) corresponding to the drive rod (64). The bottom of the furnace base (1) is fixedly equipped with a drive source (66) corresponding to each drive rod (64). The output shaft of the drive source (66) is connected to the corresponding drive rod (64).

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