AI- Powered Aluminium Extrusion

Problem solved:

Capral Aluminium cuts freight volume by 50% with AI-powered industrial packing robots

Capral provides 6,000+ aluminium profiles for building and industrial applications, from windows and doors to frames and custom fabrication. See how pioneering data-driven robotics helped this Australian manufacturer cut freight volumes by 50%, accelerate output, compete with global players and power local jobs.

PROBLEM: Rising costs and complexity of packing and delivering thousands of extrusion shapes

As Australia’s largest extruder and distributor of aluminium systems, with six manufacturing plants nationally, Capral’s products are used in offices, homes, shops, trucks, factories, ferries and more across the country.

With an ever-changing range of 6,000 unique aluminium profiles plus customisations, Capral faced major challenges trying to efficiently and safely sort, pick, pack and load orders for distribution to thousands of worksites. 

Like an industrial-size game of Tetris, maximising loads, cutting waste, eliminating damage and accelerating distribution are pivotal to running a profitable manufacturing business. 

Capral faced three primary challenges:

Inefficient load packing:

Using traditional manual methods, Capral sent out trucks with empty spaces and used surplus struts and packing materials. This resulted in more loads, wasted capacity and extra weight.

Variable sizes and packaging:

No shipment is the same. In addition to juggling thousands of shapes and profiles, architecturally designed cosmetic pieces have pristine finishes that need specialised packaging and careful positioning to protect them from scratches in transit and when offloading. 

Reflective surfaces impact scanning:

Another challenge that complicated previous automation attempts was that shiny reflective surfaces can be invisible or error-prone with standard lasers. Accuracy is critical when pieces differ only in tiny specifications.

Capral had three primary business goals: 

• Reduce shipping costs by shifting from wasteful layer and glut packing to a condensed tessellated solution that optimises space and is stable for storage and trucking. 
• Design an intelligent long-term solution that does not require manual re-programming for every new extrusion profile shape, which can run at ~20% turnover per year.
• Rationalise the efficiency and costs of picking, packing and shipping to maintain margins and sustainable competitive advantage.

Capral knew precisely what they wanted to achieve;
the challenge was how. 

After assessing the market to identify a proven supplier, they selected Applied Robotics as their partner. 

SOLVED: AI-powered robotics automate the process from picking to packaging

Having met the most demanding industrial automation challenges since 1985 – and pioneered AI-driven solutions for years before it became mainstream – the Applied Robotics team was more than ready to deliver the end-to-end solution.

The robotics, scanners and conveyors are all driven by a proprietary intelligent algorithm custom-coded by in-house engineers.

With the innovative Capral solution delivered in 2018, Applied Robotics Founder Dr Paul Wong was excited to deploy a solution far ahead of its time.

“We are proud to have designed and deployed Australia’s first AI-based factory automation system, and the world’s first AI-based aluminium extrusion pack-making system.”

All-in-one robotics, scanners, conveyors and packing

Applied Robotics delivered a turnkey solution integrating the software, algorithm and robotic machinery that intelligently identifies 6,000+ unique profiles of aluminium extrusions and sorts them into the most efficient and compact package. 

As demonstrated in our video, the solution includes multiple steps:

• A pair of robots automatically identify, pick, sort and place extrusions
• Advanced robot-mounted 3D cameras scan even minor differences on highly reflective surfaces
• Conveyors smoothly guide sections of all sizes through the system
• Condensed pack outfeed with optimised groupings and compact stacking – robots learn how to grasp and nest each shape in real-time with AI computation run on the spot
• Specialised packaging machine with an interleaver to add protective material to architectural finishes for damage-free transit and handling

A collaborative process from design to maintenance

At Applied Robotics, we pride ourselves on using technology to tackle manufacturers’ most complex challenges. As with all our solutions, we take a collaborative and consultative approach to designing a custom solution.

1. Define: Analyse processes to deeply understand the issues and objectives
2. Design: Develop a proposal detailing hardware, software and services  
3. Prove: Create a proof of concept to demonstrate exactly how it will work 
4. Build: Commission, test and optimise the cell in the production environment
5. Support: Deliver manuals, training and ongoing support and maintenance

RESULTS: 50% lower freight volumes cut costs and accelerate output

Through one carefully designed solution, Applied Robotics was able to help Capral meet all their immediate business objectives and set the business up for the future with a long-term competitive advantage and cost efficiency that enables them to maintain profitability and stay ahead of global players on value. 

• Delivered a 50% freight volume reduction, which dramatically cut freight costs 
• More efficient packing processes accelerate distribution and increase capacity
• Significantly reduced production costs and higher margins 
• With intelligent data-driven processes, Capral also have the data they need to feed into ordering, inventory and reporting systems to further optimise and streamline systems

Capral is also committed to reaching Net Zero by 2050 and, in 2022, was the first Australian extruder to offer low-carbon aluminium options. Maximising freight efficiency is crucial to sustainability improvements.

The best is yet to come

Following the success of this project, Applied Robotics developed a robotic arm that works in a hostile 600℃ environment, holding and positioning hot aluminium bullets to shape raw materials into precise profiles. 

Capral’s previous mechanical arm was inaccurate, causing deformed cuts, frequent downtime and product errors.

We designed a flexible and heat-proof robotic arm to pick a hot billet from the oven, orientate it into position and guide it as the ram pushes the billet through the die (mould). We also deployed a second gripper to increase capacity and an enhanced version to cater to multiple die diameters. 

With a long-term partnership approach, Applied Robotics continues to work closely with Capral to optimise their manufacturing processes. This AI-powered technology makes it possible to automate all the processes in an aluminium extrusion factory.

By working with local success stories like Capral, our vision is to transform the Australian industry into a globally competitive manufacturing powerhouse by enabling onshore manufacturing, driving towards a more efficient, competitive and technologically advanced future.

To explore the AI-driven automation possibilities for your manufacturing operation, contact our expert team for a discussion.