FIELD: sintering nuclear fuel pellets. SUBSTANCE: binding of continuous sintering furnace is designed as integral part with its top enclosed in maintenance glovebox. Furnace binding has case and top cover mounted on case for removal; top cover can be flapped open in glovebox without disturbing safety shell. Furnace component disposed in binding case has plurality of separable furnace-component blocks which can be serviced using procedures conducted in gloves when blocks are extracted from case to shielding glovebox. Top part of glovebox accommodates overhead traveling crane; glovebox has provisional space for cover to receive the latter for the time being while it is removed and also it has maintenance space. It is good practice to dispose turntable in maintenance space for placing thereon block removed from furnace component. EFFECT: reduced time taken for maintenance and operations performed in gloves without mounting heat shields around these spaces. 3 cl, 2 dwg
