The operator supervising the lift in the DC casting pit is John Griffiths. The aluminium slab being lifted is a 27"x 10" x 156" AA1200 or AA3103 aluminium alloy weighing approximately 2 tonnes. These slabs were sawn into lengths of 36" prior to rolling on the 60" wide Robertson break down mill. The New Cast House using semi-continuous direct chill casting was opened in about 1979 to replace the previous book mould casting system which was prone to blister due to entrapped hydrogen gas or shrinkage porosity.