PURPOSE: To perform a melting process uniformly and rapidly and reduce the contact area of molten metal with a crucible, by arranging an inductive heating means relative to the crucible so that an inductive heating field interacts with a metallic material in the crucible.

CONSTITUTION: A crucible 4 divided into segments 5 to 7 is provided with an inductor 2 composed of a coil to generate an inductive heating field interacting with a metallic material 3 capable of being melted. In this cage, the crucible 4 has an axis (Z-direction) along which the force of gravity changes. The coil 2 is designed to generate an inductive heating field having an inductive power density which locally changes relative to the crucible 4, for instance, along a vertical axis. Thus, a volumetric force counteracting the hydrostatic pressure of molten metal is generated, so that a melting process can be performed uniformly and rapidly. Further, the contact area of the molten metal with the crucible can be decreased as much as possible and heat loss due to heat transfer from the molten metal to the crucible can be reduced.