The dies and tools used for forming and machining materials are also subjected to increasing amounts of stress; the ever-faster tool rotation speeds in machining processes demand greater and greater care in production phases and especially in the heat and surface treatment of the tool, while the larger and larger size of the dies used for die-casting and forging processes, especially in the automotive industry, requires treatment furnaces with ever-increasing capacity in terms of size and weight, which also guarantee excellent performance with regard to uniform heating and rapid cooling.