Abstract: Energy-efficient control of a vacuum pump having a pump controller integrated in a control and regulation device used in an industrial furnace complex is disclosed. A method and an industrial furnace complex provide incremental deactivation or activation of the vacuum pump depending on whether a vacuum is needed by using a program having one or more program steps, including a first query about whether a heat treatment process is active in the industrial furnace, a second query about whether the vacuum pump is required in a current phase of the heat treatment process, a third query about whether the vacuum pump will be required in a future phase of the heat treatment process, and/or a fourth query about whether a time until the next operation is greater than a required lead time for the vacuum pump to warm up.

Abstract: Energy-efficient control of a vacuum pump having a pump controller integrated in a control and regulation device used in an industrial furnace complex is disclosed. A method and an industrial furnace complex provide incremental deactivation or activation of the vacuum pump depending on whether a vacuum is needed by using a program having one or more program steps, including a first query about whether a heat treatment process is active in the industrial furnace, a second query about whether the vacuum pump is required in a current phase of the heat treatment process, a third query about whether the vacuum pump will be required in a future phase of the heat treatment process, and/or a fourth query about whether a time until the next operation is greater than a required lead time for the vacuum pump to warm up.

Abstract: A method and computer program for the control of the heat treatment of batches of metal workpieces for increasing the degree of automation of industrial furnace plants presumes an identical batch layout, an identical treatment program, and an identical article geometry of metal workpieces and relates it to a model batch, which has been run using batch thermoelements. The model batch becomes the foundation for a new batch. Through the assumption of program parameters of the actually run process of the model batch into the program of the new batch to be run, new batch thermoelements are not required for the new batch to be run.

Abstract: A method and computer program for the control of the heat treatment of batches of metal workpieces for increasing the degree of automation of industrial furnace plants presumes an identical batch layout, an identical treatment program, and an identical article geometry of metal workpieces and relates it to a model batch, which has been run using batch thermoelements. The model batch becomes the foundation for a new batch. Through the assumption of program parameters of the actually run process of the model batch into the program of the new batch to be run, new batch thermoelements are not required for the new batch to be run.