Abstract: In a preferred embodiment of this invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in FIGS. 5 and 6, an annealing tray coil support pad 24 is formed of a woven cloth high temperature resistant fabric layer 26 and a similar bottom layer 28. The woven cloth is made of high tensile strength fibers. An intermediate layer 34 composed of a high density matted fiberboard insulative material of a thickness of between 0.75 inches and 3 inches is positioned between the top layer 26 and the bottom layer 28 for providing sufficient support to aluminum sheet coil 10 to minimize its peripheral deformation while the coil is being processed through one or more annealing furnaces. Pad 24 substantially reduces the amount of deformation and therefore the amount of waste material from each aluminum sheet coil 10.