after the shear 18 cuts the product one minute and fifteen seconds is required to clear the severed product from the upstream paths 22 another one minute and forty seconds is consumed by reorientation of the drum 30 and carriage 48 to bring the pinch roll unit 46 into alignment with the downstream path 54 threading of the product into the mill takes twenty five seconds and rolling of the coiled product takes eight minutes and forty five seconds another one minute and forty seconds is required to return the drum and pinch roll unit into position to receive the next product length thus the total time elapsed between the cut of shear 18 and the return of the drum and pinch roll unit to the receiving position is thirteen minutes and forty five seconds the time required for the lead end of the next product length to reach the pinch roll unit 46 is fourteen minutes and sixteen seconds it will be seen therefore the by staggering the sequential operation of casting system 10 b by fourteen minutes and sixteen seconds and casting system 10 c by twice this time the rolling mill can be operated substantially continuously at its taking speed of 60 feet per minute which is substantially higher than the 5 8 feet per minute delivery speed of the casting systems in an exemplary ferrous rolling mill environment as depicted in fig6 a switch 56 u2032 directs.