For the treatment of different components in one charge, chamber furnaces are used for gas nitriding, for plasma heat treatment bell type funaces have successfully been used.

WIth a bell type furnace the chamber lifts for loading and unloading, the charge can be reached from all sides and components can be loaded simply by hand or crane. The entire space is very effectively used in this vertical type furnace. The plasma entry, which does not exist in conventional furnaces, can be supplied to the furnace wall in a optimal way with only a small differences in temperature.

As the loading may take quite a long time and can cause unacceptable down time for a directly loaded furnaces douuble ground furnaces have been developed. Whilst one treatment is running on one ground the next charge can be prepared on the other ground, when the process ends the furnace swings around automatically to the new prepared ground and continues processing. This configuration allows 24 hour operation, even when staff is not present.

A tandem furnace is a similar concept, here two recipients are connected to one power supply, but as the plasma is used during the entire treatment this concept has no advantages. Because of this the lower cost double ground furnace has become the most popular.

Long and slender components are charged hanging due to distortion reasons, for these components shaft furnaces are best suited as they can lowered under the floor to economise on space. Loading by hand is not very practical for these furnaces, they are more suited to fully automatic processes, which are integrated into production lines.