Streamlining operations with smart automation from Kasto

Established in 1945, family-owned US firm Architectural Grille manufactures in its Brooklyn, New York factory an extensive range of custom architectural metalwork, primarily focusing on linear bar and perforated ventilation grilles, as well as decorative metal screens for indoor and outdoor use in residential and commercial properties.

The company CNC punches, laser profiles, waterjet cuts and fabricates aluminium, brass, bronze, steel, stainless steel and other materials having various finishes to create products that meet the aesthetic and functional requirements of its customers.

With such a wide variety of sheet metals to process, Architectural Grille wanted to streamline storage of its large inventory of materials, with an eye to optimising material flow and maintaining operator safety. For a solution it turned to KASTO.

A pair of tower storage systems, UNITOWER and KASTOecostore, was deemed to be the ideal solution to alleviate the previous, inefficient, manual storage arrangement that consumed considerable space and hindered ergonomic and economical handling. Anthony Giumenta senior, along with his sons Anthony and Stephen, had encountered KASTO’s storage products at a trade show, sparking their interest in an automated solution.

After an assessment of the diverse requirements in the Brooklyn factory, KASTO proposed the implementation of five tower storage systems. They comprise four 8-m tall KASTOecostore 3.0 units tailored for sheets of various sizes up to 1.5 x 3 m or 1.5 x 4 m), alongside one double-sided UNITOWER 2.0 dedicated to accommodating long stock from 1.8 to 6.4 m in length.

Managing Director Stephen Giumenta says: “With KASTO’s storage solutions, our logistics processes have significantly improved, enhancing both efficiency and safety at our workstations.”