Sandustry Aura Extractor Guide: What to Do With Auralite Crystals
Quick answer
Auralite Crystals are not mined by normal tools. Click the Aura Extractor, direct its nanobot swarm to the crystals, and let the swarm break them into Aura. In v0.5.6, the extractor can be removed after crystallization starts.
Quick answer
After you create Auralite Crystal, use the Aura Extractor. Click the extractor itself, then direct its nanobot swarm onto the forming crystal. Normal tools do not mine Auralite Crystals.
In v0.5.6, you can remove an Aura Extractor even after crystallization has started. Removed crystals are buffered and released as Auralite once the extractor is built again, so repositioning is less punishing than older Early Access advice suggested.
The chain is:
Florinol → Synthesizer → Aurixite → Shaker → Auralite → Aura Extractor → Auralite Crystal → nanobot swarm → Aura
What the Aura Extractor does
The Aura Extractor is a late-game device for turning Auralite into Aura. It attracts Auralite within its operating behavior, converts it into Auralite Crystal, then uses a controllable nanobot swarm to break the crystals down into Aura.
Aura is not a normal pile of material at the end. It is a progression currency, so the output behavior is different from Gold, Florinol, or Fluxite.
How to use the nanobot swarm
- Place the Aura Extractor near the Auralite production area.
- Let Auralite reach the extractor and begin forming crystals.
- Click the Aura Extractor itself.
- Move the swarm target onto an Auralite Crystal.
- Wait; crystal breakdown can feel slow at first.
- If you deselect the machine, click the extractor again to regain swarm control.
If nothing appears to happen, watch the crystal for a while before rebuilding the whole system. The swarm process is not instant.
Why the Aura Extractor is not working
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal will not break | Using player tools instead of nanobots | Click the extractor and direct the swarm |
| Swarm cannot be controlled | Extractor is not selected | Click the Aura Extractor again |
| Aura production is slow | Crystal processing takes time | Keep the swarm on target and avoid interrupting it |
| Auralite is hard to route | Extractor attraction affects nearby material handling | Build Shakers close to the extractor area |
| Extractor was moved after crystallization started | v0.5.6 buffers removed crystals | Rebuild the extractor and let it release the buffered Auralite |
Build placement advice
Do not put the Aura Extractor far away from the Auralite line. Official tips warn that the extractor's attraction can make conveyor and launcher handling awkward, so a nearby compact setup is easier to control.
Leave space around the extractor for:
- incoming Auralite;
- crystal growth;
- swarm targeting visibility;
- player access for reselection;
- future automation or Swarm Zoning unlocks.
Related guides
Sources
Mechanics checked against the official Aura Extractor, Auralite, Auralite Crystal, Aurixite, and current Steam discussion around Auralite Crystal progression. Extractor removal behavior checked against the official v0.5.6 Update #3 Steam changelog on 2026-09-05.
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