A system comprising at least one furnace including a melt containing vessel; an intermediate casting product station coupled to the at least one furnace and operable to receive a molten metal from the at least one furnace, the intermediate casting product station including a casting pit, at least one moveable platen disposed in the casting pit, an array of exhaust ports about at least a top periphery of the casting pit, and an array of gas introduction ports about at least the top periphery of the casting pit; and an inert gas source operable to supply an inert gas to the array of gas introduction ports.