After the molds are poured and the castings are solidified and cooled to the appropriate temperatures, they are moved the shakeout deck of a 40,000-pound-per-hour mechanical reclaim system for extraction in preparation for cleaning. Sand is cooled and mechanically or thermally reclaimed.

The normal processing of rough castings begins with blasting before the removal of gates, sprues and risers. There are two cleaning methods available – shot blast with steel shot (the cleaning envelope is 8 feet in diameter and 4 feet deep) or grit blast with an iron-free medium (used on stainless steel).

Castings are sorted by size and metal type, then ground to remove extraneous material. Most fettling is done manually using swing-frame cutters and grinders. Air grinders are used for hand cleaning of castings. The plant also has air arc facilities for cutting carbon and stainless steel or other high alloy material.