The flask rest bay at the foundry contains 309 flasks. The system guarantees that the castings remain in the flask for a length of time that allows them to cool and optimises distension. The rest bay automatically handles shakeout from the flasks, but the operators are in any event able to slow down the shakeout of specific codes, to meet the particular requirements laid down by the Foundry Technical Office. The code for the casting in each individual flask stored in the bay can be traced, together with the date on which and time at which it was cast. The system records this information in a database together with the shakeout date and time, and it is therefore possible, also in hindsight, to ascertain the length of time for which the castings remained in the flasks. A certain number of flasks in the rest bay can be set apart and the castings shaken out separately, if special monitoring plans differing from the standard schedules are required