▁separ ating ▁the ▁st arter ▁sheet ▁from ▁the ▁“ m other ▁plate ” ▁( re ferred ▁to ▁as ▁“ st ri pping ” ) ▁was ▁entirely ▁manual . ▁ ▁St arter ▁sheets ▁are ▁usually ▁quite ▁light . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁st arter ▁sheets ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁C RL ▁ref in ery ▁we ighed ▁ 1 0 ▁pounds ▁( 4 . 5 3 ▁kil og rams ). ▁Thus , ▁they ▁are ▁thin ▁and ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁handled ▁carefully ▁to ▁avoid ▁b ending . ▁ ▁Over ▁time , ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁st arter ▁sheets ▁was ▁improved ▁by ▁mechan isation , ▁but ▁there ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁high ▁labour ▁input . ▁ ▁Once ▁the ▁st arter ▁sheets ▁were ▁formed , ▁they ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁fl atten ed , ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁lik elihood ▁of ▁short ▁circ uits , ▁and ▁then ▁cut , ▁formed ▁and ▁p unch ed ▁to ▁make ▁loops ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁st arter ▁sheets ▁are ▁hung ▁from ▁conduct ive ▁co pper ▁h anger ▁bars ▁in ▁the ▁electro ly t ic ▁cells ▁( see ▁Figure ▁ 1 ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁st arter ▁sheets ▁are ▁inserted ▁in ▁the ▁ref ining ▁cells ▁and ▁dissol ved ▁co pper ▁depos its ▁on ▁them ▁to ▁produce ▁the ▁c ath ode ▁co pper ▁product ▁( see ▁Figure ▁ 2 ). ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁manufact uring ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁st arter ▁sheets , ▁ref iner ies ▁using ▁them ▁tend ▁to ▁keep ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁cells ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁possible , ▁usually ▁ 1 2 – 1 4 ▁days . ▁On ▁the ▁other