Patent ID: 7858017

Claim:
A method for melting a material in rod form in a material melting and holding apparatus of a metal molding apparatus, the material melting and holding apparatus comprising a furnace body of a melting and holding furnace, a melting cylinder for one or more rods of material and a material supply cylinder for directly supplying one or more rods of material into the furnace body; the melting and supply cylinders being provided in parallel with each other on the furnace body; said method comprising: initiating molding by melting one or more rods of material in the melting cylinder; supplying molten material from the melting cylinder into the melting and holding furnace; supplying one or more rods of material thereafter from the material supply cylinder to a bottom portion of the furnace body for submergence and melting by the molten material in the melting and holding furnace; thereby maintaining the submersion melting in the melting and holding furnace after the initiation of molding.