Modernizing and Transforming Manufacturing Training: Extral’s Journey with Digital Work Instructions
How a global packaging manufacturer reduced operator training time by 75% using AR-enabled digital work instructions with Taqtile Manifest®.
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An on-demand webinar for organizations planning their next move as HoloLens support winds down. Without losing hard-won AR investments.
Training and onboarding in modern manufacturing are under intense pressure. Procedures are complex. Tribal knowledge lives in experienced operators. And every error during product changeovers results in scrap, downtime, and lost revenue.
Extral, one of the world’s leading aluminum tube packaging manufacturers, faced exactly this challenge. Their operators required nearly two years to master complex, 13-machine production line changeovers — a pace no longer sustainable in a high-turnover, high-mix manufacturing environment.
In this recorded customer webinar, Extral Production Manager Pablo González joins Taqtile CEO Dirck Schou to share Extral’s real-world journey from classroom videos and tribal training to interactive digital work instructions delivered through augmented reality.
🎥 Watch how Extral transformed training, standardized changeovers, and empowered frontline operators with Manifest.
The Challenge Extral Faced
Rural workforce with limited prior machine experience
Highly complex aluminum tube production across 13 machines
Thousands of changeover variations across product sizes and coatings
Heavy reliance on shadowing expert operators
2-year learning curve to perform full line changeovers independently
Growing workforce turnover and shrinking order sizes
Result: Training could not keep pace with operational needs.
Why Extral Chose Digital Work Instructions + AR
Extral evaluated multiple spatial computing platforms before selecting Manifest® because it enabled:
✔ True hands-free execution on the production floor
✔ Step-by-step guided workflows
✔ Video + image-driven procedures
✔ Easy authoring by process experts (not programmers)
✔ Cloud-delivered updates across devices
✔ Scalability for future troubleshooting and maintenance
What Extral Implemented
AR-guided changeover procedures across all 13 machines
Thousands of steps documented using video, images, pen annotations
Wi-Fi mesh across production floor
Two-person internal digital instruction team
Structured onboarding for operators using AR training simulations
Validation: non-operators successfully performing changeovers
Measurable Results
| Metric | Before Manifest | After Manifest |
|---|---|---|
| Time to fully train operator | ~24 months | ~6 months |
| Knowledge consistency | Expert dependent | Fully standardized |
| Changeover errors | Frequent | Dramatically reduced |
| Training scalability | Classroom only | On-machine, hands-free |
| Expert reliance | High | Minimal |
📉 75% reduction in onboarding time
What’s Next for Extral
Troubleshooting workflows for maintenance teams
Future deployment for preventative maintenance
Exploring next-gen AR hardware (DigiLens, HMS) post-HoloLens
Goal: Operators using guided instructions from Day One
Ready to Modernize Your Manufacturing Training?
Leading manufacturers like Extral are proving that digital work instructions delivered through AR dramatically reduce onboarding time, standardize operations, and preserve critical institutional knowledge.
Talk with Taqtile experts to explore how Manifest® can help your frontline workforce learn faster, perform with precision, and reduce costly errors across training, changeovers, and maintenance.
