To provide a melting and retaining furnace capable of effectively applying molten metal stirring force when using a permanent magnet type molten metal stirring device.
In the melting and retaining furnace 1, the permanent magnet type molten metal stirring device 10 is arranged below a hearth member 2. The hearth member 2 has a structure comprised by laminating a silicon nitride sheet with relatively superior high temperature strength than an inner side refractory material layer 23, and outer side refractory material layers 21, 2 comprised of at least one type of a silicon carbide sheet on top faces and bottom faces of one layer or plural layers of the inner side refractory material layer 23. Or, an opening is provided on a bottom plate 3 of the melting and retaining furnace to suppress magnetic force shielding of a permanent magnet of the molten metal stirring device 10.
Ken Takada
Yoshihito Shimizu