METHOD FOR MELTING AND REFINING RODLIKE METALLIC STOCK

PURPOSE:To easily melt and refine a bundled rodlike metallic stock in an effective and economical manner by irradiating high output beams on the tip of the stock introduced horizontally into a vacuum chamber under rotation to melt the stock from the tip and to drip the resulting melt. CONSTITUTION:A bundled rodlike metallic stock 1 is horizontally introduced into a vacuum chamber under rotation. The stock 1 may be inclined downward. High output electron beams 2 are irradiated on the tip of the stock 1 to melt the stock 1 from the tip and to drip the resulting melt on a crystallizer 3. The constituent materials of the stock 1 can easily be bundled and set with high operational efficiency. The area of the dripped melt is increased to enhance the refining effect and the dripping is easily carried out on the central part of the crystallizer 3, so a formed ingot is made sound.