Better memory useage for multiple images

This is a request for some way to better use the server's memory resources. We have a situation with a multiple image field, each with three cropping options. Most users are uploading fairly large images, around 8MB or so. With several images all being cropped, the server runs out of memory, all services grind to a halt, and once the page finally loads, it is broken. It would be nice if the module could someone process these images in the background when there are resources available instead of all at once.