Tipping cylinders

are as a rule designed in the form of “plunger cylinders”, i.e. the piston rod, without its own sealing elements, acts simultaneously as the “piston”. Lowering takes place due to the counter-pressure of the furnace being raised. In most cases, the 2 tipping cylinders are arranged laterally in the front area of the furnaces. The lever arm has a length of 250 mm for small furnaces and a length of up to approx. 1,000 mm for a 70-t furnace. Wherever possible, the arrangement should be such that in the basic position, the tipping cylinders are standing either vertically, or inclined up to 3° to the rear. In the end position, the tipping cylinders should be either vertical, or inclined a maximum of 3° toward the front or rear. For furnaces from approx. 10 t, the tipping cylinders are equipped with “end-position damping”, which is achieved due to the piston rod design at the bottom. This is done to avoid sudden, jerky lowering into the basic position and any associated shocks when positioning the crucible.. In order to prevent any unforeseen “tipping errors”, the cylinders should be bled every 6 months.