Results of industrial implementation and operation experience of small ignition furnaces in sinter machines of various domestic and foreign enterprises are reviewed. Hearths are equipped with automatic thermal control systems. Assessment of hot air application is conducted both at its combustion into burners, and at blowing into layer behind hearth. It is shown that sintering gas recirculation, which was selected after vacuum chambers, can significantly reduce emissions, consumption of solid fuel and mass fraction of minutiae in the final sinter. Various options for organization of recycling sintering gas are reviewed.