PURPOSE: To solve problems that the heat dissipation in a furnace body is large, the heat efficiency is low and the furnace equipping cost is high, and the heat inertia is large, a long time is necessary to raise and lower the temp. in the furnace at the time of changing the setting of the furnace temp. and repairing the furnace, relating to a soaking method in continuous annealing for continuously heating, soaking and cooling a metallic material.

CONSTITUTION: To the heated metallic material 1, electric current is conducted through conductive rolls 2, 3, and the metallic material 1 is soaked by Joule heat. The conductive current value is made to be only the current value generating the Joule heat compensating the heat dissipated from the metallic material 1 after the heating.