Official Factorio Wiki - User contributions [en]

User:Tau

2026-04-17T16:24:33Z

Tau: added words

'''Hello There!'''
general kenobi!

I am Tau and I play. I made this account so I could add the cool findings I found while playing factorio that I thought everyone should know about.

Quality mixed with Speed Form Discussion:
https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?t=133358

User:Tau

2026-04-17T16:18:35Z

Tau: added link

Quality mixed with Speed Form Discussion:
https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?t=133358

Quality

2026-04-17T16:14:21Z

Tau: /* Using quality modules with speed modules */ added clarification regarding more than one speed module

{{Languages}}
{{About/Space age}}
[[File:Any quality.png|right]]
'''Quality''' is a feature of the [[Space Age]] expansion. It introduces four higher quality levels for all items, structures and equipment with improved attributes. The goal of quality is to allow vertical factory upgrading as alternative to expansion in size. Items of higher quality are created by chance when using quality modules in the producing structure. When Space Age itself is enabled, the two highest quality tiers require technology not available on Nauvis. Different buildings and items can have different attributes that can be upgraded. When hovering over something, the attributes that will be upgraded with quality will be marked with a blue diamond ([[File:Quality info.png]]) in the tooltip.

While players are required to own Space Age to access this feature, quality is a separate mod, and can be activated independent of most Space Age content.

== Quality tiers ==
There are 5 quality tiers in vanilla gameplay, with tier strength in brackets:
* [[File:quality_normal.png|15px]] Normal (0)
* [[File:quality_uncommon.png|15px]] Uncommon (1)
* [[File:quality_rare.png|15px]] Rare (2)
* [[File:quality_epic.png|15px]] Epic (3)
* [[File:quality_legendary.png|15px]] Legendary ('''5''')

Note that legendary quality represents a 2-tier improvement over epic.

== Technologies ==
Certain tiers of quality cannot be created until they have been researched.
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Research !! Base Game !! {{SA}} Space Age !! Unlocks
|-
| {{icontech|Quality module (research)|}} [[Quality module (research)]]
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}} x 300
| {{icon|Time|30}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}} x 500
| [[File:quality_uncommon.png|32px]] [[File:quality_rare.png|32px]]
|-
| {{icontech|Epic quality (research)|}} [[Epic quality (research)]]
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}} x 5000
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}}{{icon|Space science pack}}{{icon|Agricultural science pack}} x 5000
| [[File:quality_epic.png|32px]]
|-
| {{icontech|Legendary quality (research)|}} [[Legendary quality (research)]]
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}}{{icon|Space science pack}} x 5000
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}}{{icon|Space science pack}}{{icon|Metallurgic science pack}}{{icon|Electromagnetic science pack}}{{icon|Agricultural science pack}}{{icon|Cryogenic science pack}} x 5000
| [[File:quality_legendary.png|32px]]
|-
|}

== Quality effects ==
The currently known effects of each level of quality are as follows:
* +30% health
* +30% crafting speed
* +30% robot limit (rounded down)
* +1 robot recharge slot for [[personal roboport]]s (both tiers, but not [[roboport]]s)
* +30% robot recharge rate (all roboports)
* +30% positive module effects (rounded down to the nearest 0.1% for [[quality module]]s, rounded down to the nearest 1% for non-quality modules)
* +10% turret range
* +10% weapon range
* +1 tile reach and +2 wire reach on power poles
* +1 equipment grid size (both dimensions)
* +30% chest inventory size (rounded down)
* +30% increased ammo damage
* +30% inserter rotation speed
** The power consumption of inserters is defined as energy per angle of turn. A 30% faster inserter can turn 30% more angles in a given space of time, so it consumes 30% more energy.
* -16.67% (1/6) resource drain on miners and [[pumpjack]]s
** This is multiplicative with [[productivity]]
* +30% [[solar panel]] output
* +100% (+5 MJ) capacity on accumulators
* +30% capacity on [[personal battery|personal batteries]] (all three tiers)
* +30% output rate on [[boiler]]s, [[steam engine]]s, [[steam turbine]]s, [[accumulator]]s (also affects input rate), and [[nuclear reactor]]s
** Note that consumption and pollution are also increased at the same rate
* +30% reach and efficiency for lightning [[lightning rod|rods]] and [[lightning collector|collectors]]
* -16.67% (1/6) power consumption on [[beacon]]s
* +1 to both continuous coverage distance and exploration coverage distance in [[radar]]s
* +100% durability on consumable items ([[repair pack]]s, [[science pack]]s)
* +5% fork chance on the [[tesla turret]] and tesla ammo for the tesla gun
* [[Asteroid collector]]s:
** +5% arm speed
** +1 arm
** +10% active power consumption per arm and +10% drain
** +2 collection area size (both dimensions)
** +5 storage size

These effects are per quality strength and additive: a Legendary (5 tier-levels) [[Productivity module 3]] (base +10% productivity) would grant 25% productivity.

Some buildings only get increased health, with no special effect. Examples are:
*Buildings related to [[circuit network]]s and [[rail signal]]s
*[[Transport belt]]s
*[[Pipe]]s
*[[Wall]]s
*[[Locomotive|Trains]]
*[[Cargo wagon]]s

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Quality effects
! Item !! Effect !! [[File:quality_normal.png|15px]] Normal !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|15px]] Uncommon !! [[File:quality_rare.png|15px]] Rare !! [[File:quality_epic.png|15px]] Epic !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|15px]] Legendary

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:assembling_machine_1.png|15px]] [[Assembling machine 1]] || Health || 300 || 390 || 480 || 570 || 750
|-
| Crafting speed || 0.5 || 0.65 || 0.8 || 0.95 || 1.25

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:assembling_machine_2.png|15px]] [[Assembling machine 2]] || Health || 350 || 455 || 560 || 665 || 875
|-
| Crafting speed || 0.75 || 0.975 || 1.2 || 1.425 || 1.875

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:assembling_machine_3.png|15px]] [[Assembling machine 3]] || Health || 400 || 520 || 640 || 760 || 1000
|-
| Crafting speed || 1.25 || 1.625 || 2 || 2.375 || 3.125

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:construction_robot.png|15px]] [[Construction robot]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250
|-
| Max flying reach || 571m || 1152m || 1728m || 2305m || 3457m
|-
| Energy capacity || 3MJ || 6MJ || 9MJ || 12MJ || 18MJ

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:inserter.png|15px]] [[Inserter]] || Health || 150 || 195 || 240 || 285 || 375
|-
| Energy consumption || 15.1kW || 19.51kW || 23.92kW || 28.33kW || 37.15kW
|-
| Rotation speed || 302°/s || 393°/s || 484°/s || 575°/s || 756°/s

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:fast_inserter.png|15px]] [[Fast inserter]] || Health || 150 || 195 || 240 || 285 || 375
|-
| Energy consumption || 59.3kW || 76.94kW || 94.58kW || 112kW || 148kW
|-
| Rotation speed || 864°/s || 1123°/s || 1382°/s || 1642°/s || 2160°/s

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:laser_turret.png|15px]] [[Laser turret]] || Health || 1000 || 1300 || 1600 || 1900 || 2500
|-
| Range || 24 tiles || 26.4 tiles || 28.8 tiles || 31.2 tiles || 36 tiles

|-
| rowspan="1" | [[File:pipe.png|15px]] [[Pipe]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:roboport.png|15px]] [[Roboport]] || Health || 500 || 650 || 800 || 950 || 1250
|-
| Energy consumption || 2.1MW || 2.7MW || 3.3MW || 3.9MW || 5.1MW
|-
| Robot recharge rate || 4 x 500kW || 4 x 650kW || 4 x 800kW || 4 x 950kW || 4 x 1.25MW

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:small_electric_pole.png|15px]] [[Small electric pole]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250
|-
| Supply area || 5x5 || 7x7 || 9x9 || 11x11 || 15x15
|-
| Wire reach || 7.5 tiles || 9.5 tiles || 11.5 tiles || 13.5 tiles || 17.5 tiles

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:wooden_chest.png|15px]] [[Wooden chest]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250
|-
| Storage size || 16 || 20 || 25 || 30 || 40

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:iron_chest.png|15px]] [[Iron chest]] || Health || 200 || 260 || 320 || 380 || 500
|-
| Storage size || 32 || 41 || 51 || 60 || 80

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:steel_chest.png|15px]] [[Steel chest]] || Health || 350 || 455 || 560 || 665 || 875
|-
| Storage size || 48 || 62 || 76 || 91 || 120
|}

== Creating high-quality items ==

There are two ways to create an item with above normal quality: The player must either use ingredient items of the same quality, or use quality modules for a random chance of a higher-quality item.

=== Quality ingredients ===
Recipes that consume items have variations for each quality that the items might take. When setting such a recipe in a production unit, an ingredient quality must be selected. For these variations, the set of ingredients required is the same, except that all item ingredients must have the specified quality. Recipes that consume only fluids do not have quality variations. If they produce items, those items will be normal quality unless affected by quality modules. Recipes that fill or empty [[barrel]]s and recipes that produce the same item they consume ([[kovarex enrichment process]] and [[fish breeding]]) do not accept quality modules.

Item ingredient quality requirements are exact, not minimum. For example, one can not combine uncommon [[iron plate]]s with rare [[battery|batteries]] to make an [[accumulator]] of any quality. One must therefore ensure that high-quality items do not clog up belts and starve production units of lower-quality items.

As fluids do not possess any quality, they are exempt from ingredient quality requirements; the same [[lubricant]] can be used to create [[electric engine unit]]s of any quality.

=== Quality modules ===
{{Main|Quality module}}
[[File:quality_module_animated.png|64px|right]]'''Quality modules''' allow crafting machines to produce items of a higher quality than their ingredients. Each module adds a quality chance to a machine, depending on its tier and quality. See the following table for all quality chances:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! {{Diagonal split header|Module|Quality}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
|-
! {{Icon|quality_module}}
| +1% || +1.3% || +1.6% || +1.9% || +2.5%
|-
! {{Icon|quality_module_2}}
| +2% || +2.6% || +3.2% || +3.8% || +5%
|-
! {{Icon|quality_module_3}}
| +2.5% || +3.2% || +4% || +4.7% || +6.2%
|}

When working out the odds of improving quality, a machine starts with the sum of the quality chance of all its modules. When the machine produces an item, it performs a random roll with that chance to succeed. If it succeeds, the product is upgraded 1 level from its ingredients. If the product was upgraded, the machine repeats this process, now with a constant 10% chance of passing, rolling and upgrading until a roll fails.

When using quality ingredients as an input, the base quality is the quality of the recipe. You can only use items with the same quality as input.

Quality modules are only required to ''improve'' quality, crafting will always give the base quality of the used items. Additionally, the odds of improving from a given base quality is the same as improving the same number of tiers from Normal quality.

Where Q is quality chance, the following tables present expected outputs for each level of research.
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+ {{icontech|Quality module (research)|}} [[Quality module (research)]]
!{{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]
| 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 1/10
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]]
| - || 1 - Q || Q
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]
| - || - || 1
|}
</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+ {{icontech|Epic quality (research)|}} [[Epic quality (research)]]
!{{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]
| 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 9/100 ||Q * 1/100
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]]
| - || 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 1/10
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]
| - || - || 1 - Q || Q
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]
| - || - || - || 1
|}
</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+ {{icontech|Legendary quality (research)|}} [[Legendary quality (research)]]
!{{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]
| 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 9/100 ||Q * 9/1000 || Q * 1/1000
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]]
| - || 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 9/100 || Q * 1/100
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]
| - || - || 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 1/10
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]
| - || - || - || 1 - Q || Q
|-
! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]
| - || - || - || - || 1
|}
</div>

==== Examples ====
<div style="display:inline-block; margin-right:20px; vertical-align:top;">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ 2× {{Icon|quality_module_2|[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]}} → Q = 4%
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]]
| 96% || 3.6% || 0.4%
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]]
| - || 96% || 4%
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
| - || - || 100%
|}
</div><div style="display:inline-block; margin-right:20px;">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ 4× {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]}} → Q = 10%
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]]
| 90% || 9% || 0.9% || 0.09% || 0.01%
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]]
| - || 90% || 9% || 0.9% || 0.1%
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
| - || - || 90% || 9% || 1%
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]]
| - || - || - || 90% || 10%
|-
! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
| - || - || - || - || 100%
|}
</div><div style="display:inline-block; margin-right:20px;">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
|+ 4× {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]}} → Q = 24.8%
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]]
| 75.2% || 22.32% || 2.232% || 0.2232% || 0.0248%
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]]
| - || 75.2% || 22.32% || 2.232% || 0.248%
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
| - || - || 75.2% || 22.32% || 2.48%
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]]
| - || - || - || 75.2% || 24.8%
|-
! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
| - || - || - || - || 100%
|}
</div>

==== Optimal module usage ====
{{Main|Tutorial:Quality upcycling math}}

It is optimal to improve quality on the lead-up to the target output item due to the [[recycler]] only giving back 25% of the input items, except for cases where the chosen item has a productivity research available, in which case looping through a recycler is optimal and has no added material cost (ignoring fluids).

The following tables summarize the number of normal crafts (rounded up) needed to produce 1 legendary output using ideal ratios of quality module 3s to productivity module 3s, with 4 matching quality module 3 in the recycler.

It is important to emphasize that these ratios maximize return per input material. If input capacity isn't a concern and the goal is speed rather than material efficiency, then switch out productivity modules for quality modules as needed. Beware, however, that in many cases material inefficiency nearly keeps pace with the legendary output rate.

<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="border: 2px solid; text-align:center;"
! Max Modules !! Base Prod. !! No. of {{Icon|productivity_module_3|[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]}} !! No. of {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]}} !! Crafts
|-
| 2 || 0% || 0 || 2 || 891
|-
| 3 || 0% || 0 || 3 || 533
|-
| 4 || 0% || 1 || 3 || 342
|-
| 4 || 50% || 0 || 4 || 97
|-
| 5 || 50% || 1 || 4 || 67
|-
| 8 || 0% || 4 || 4 || 70
|}</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="border: 2px solid; text-align:center;"
! Max Modules !! Base Prod. !! No. of {{Icon|productivity_module_3|[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]}} !! No. of {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]}} !! Crafts
|-
| 2 || 0% || 0 || 2 || 608
|-
| 3 || 0% || 1 || 2 || 356
|-
| 4 || 0% || 1 || 3 || 212
|-
| 4 || 50% || 1 || 3 || 62
|-
| 5 || 50% || 2 || 3 || 40
|-
| 8 || 0% || 5 || 3 || 34
|}</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="border: 2px solid; text-align:center;"
! Max Modules !! Base Prod. !! No. of {{Icon|productivity_module_3|[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]}} !! No. of {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]}} !! Crafts
|-
| 2 || 0% || 0 || 2 || 309
|-
| 3 || 0% || 1 || 2 || 153
|-
| 4 || 0% || 2 || 2 || 80
|-
| 4 || 50% || 3 || 1 || 25
|-
| 5 || 50% || 4 || 1 || 14
|-
| 8 || 0% || 8 || 0 || 7
|}</div>
For example, suppose legendary T3 modules are available and the goal is to produce legendary [[File:Processing_unit.png|link=Processing unit|20px]] processing units. If each electromagnetic plant producing epic quality or below has 4 legendary [[File:productivity_module_3.png|link=Productivity module 3|20px]] productivity module 3 and 1 legendary [[File:quality_module_3.png|link=Quality module 3|20px]] quality module 3, and the electromagnetic plant with the legendary recipe has 5 legendary [[File:productivity_module_3.png|link=Productivity module 3|20px]] productivity module 3, then on average an input of 280 normal [[File:Electronic_circuit.png|link=Electronic circuit|20px]] electronic circuits and 28 normal [[File:Advanced_circuit.png|link=Advanced circuit|20px]] advanced circuits is expected to produce 1 legendary [[File:Processing_unit.png|link=Processing unit|20px]] processing unit.

===== Derivation =====
Derivation of the tables above was as follows: Starting with 1 set of common ingredients, with an assembly quality chance of Q and total productivity bonus of P, the statistical expected number of product is as follows:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
| (1 + P) * (1 - Q) || (1 + P) * (Q * (100 - 10-1))|| (1 + P) * (Q * (10-1 - 10-2)) || (1 + P) * (Q * (10-2 - 10-3)) || (1 + P) * (Q * 10-3)
|-
| (1 + P) * (1 - Q) || (1 + P) * Q * 9/10 || (1 + P) * Q * 9/100 || (1 + P) * Q * 9/1000 || (1 + P) * Q * 1/1000
|}

In a similar vein, the same calculations can be done for recycling products, except that there is, in effect, -75% productivity bonus, where only a quarter of the items are returned.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
| (1 + -0.75) * (1-Q) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * (100 - 10-1)) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * (10-1 - 10-2)) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * (10-2 - 10-3)) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * 10-3)
|-
| 0.25 * (1-Q) || 0.25 * Q * 9/10|| 0.25 * Q * 9/100 || 0.25 * Q * 9/1000 || 0.25 * Q * 1/1000
|}

For example, recycling an uncommon ingredient with a Q of 25%:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
| style="background:#424242" | [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]] || - || 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.005625 || 0.000625
|}

Combining these results allows a 'Transition Matrix' to be developed (see the Wikipedia article [[Wikipedia:Stochastic matrix|Stochastic matrix]]) which after iteration can generate the expected number of legendary products from 1 set of common ingredients via matrix multiplication. An example matrix for P of 50% and Q of 25% for both recycling and assembly is copied below. Note that since legendary products are the goal, they are not recycled.

{| class="wikitable" style="border:2px solid; text-align:center;"
! !! style="border-left:2px solid" | I[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
! style="border-left:2px solid" | P[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
|- style="border-top:2px solid"
! I[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 1.125 || 0.3375 || 0.03375 || 0.003375 || 0.000375
|-
! I[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 1.125 || 0.3375 || 0.03375 || 0.00375
|-
! I[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 1.125 || 0.3375 || 0.0375
|-
! I[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 1.125 || 0.375
|-
! I[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1.5
|- style="border-top:2px solid"
! P[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.005625 || 0.0005625 || 0.0000625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.005625 || 0.000625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.00625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.1875 || 0.0625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1
|}

To iterate this matrix (M) apply the matrix to itself. For example, M6 would indicate 6 iterations, corresponding to 3 crafting steps and 3 recycling steps. To see how much 1 ingredient set produces after a given iteration, x, multiply an input vector by Mx. The vector format follows that of the matrix labels, so with the table arranged as above, left multiply a row vector of ingredient(s) by the matrix. In order to see the expected product of 1 set of normal ingredients, the vector will have '1' in the first column and '0's everywhere else. Likewise, a set of uncommon ingredients will correspond to '1' in the second column of the vector.

It is important to note that since the recycling step has a material loss of 75% most recycling loops will be well behaved and converge quickly.

Extreme productivity from research breaks this pattern and will prevent convergence, but this simply means that there is a positive material cycle, so 1 set of ingredients will produce infinite legendary crafts, on average. The closer the total productivity is to 400%, the slower the convergence of the matrix iteration and the higher you need to calculate x in Mx.


== Usage tips ==
=== Using quality to increase production ===
There are four ways in which quality can increase the output of a single production machine:
* Increasing the quality of the machine itself will improve its base crafting speed.
* Increasing the quality of [[speed module]]s will increase the effect of their speed improvements.
* Increasing the quality of [[productivity module]]s will increase their productivity bonus without reducing crafting speed. Since extra items obtained from the productivity bonus do not take extra time to produce, this will also increase the number of items produced over time.
* Increasing the quality of [[beacon]]s will increase their transmission efficiency. If they contain speed modules, then the effect of these modules is increased.

These four options share a powerful synergy, as they react multiplicatively with one another. This makes it possible to achieve very high production rates with very few machines when compared to only using normal quality items. For example, imagine a setup where [[electronic circuit]]s are made using one [[electromagnetic plant]] with five [[productivity module 3]]s, which is surrounded by 12 [[beacon]]s with two [[speed module 3]]s, each. With normal quality, this will achieve an output rate of almost 45 items per second (almost enough to saturate one non-layered [[express transport belt]]). However, if the electromagnetic plant and all beacons and modules have legendary quality, the output rate becomes slightly more than 600 items per second (enough to saturate two and a half [[turbo transport belt]]s with four layers of items). This is more than 13 times as many items as without quality.

It should be noted that quality beacons are the only one of these factors that may increase energy consumption over time, as the transmission effect is also applied to the energy cost of speed modules. However, this is offset or even negated by the reduced energy consumption of the beacons themselves (which is also affected by quality), especially with high beacon counts wherein the transmission effect is subject to diminishing returns. For speed modules, productivity modules, and the machine itself, only the speed increase, productivity bonus, and base crafting speed are affected, respectively.

The increased transmission effect of high-quality beacons is also notable because unlike when increasing the number of beacons, there are no diminishing returns for increasing their quality (aside from the exponentially increasing cost of producing those higher-quality beacons in the first place). This means that, despite a legendary beacon only being 1.66 times as powerful as a normal-quality beacon, one would need 0.36 times as many legendary beacons as normal ones to achieve the same effect. Aside from making more powerful beacon setups, this can also be used to save space by achieving the same effect with fewer beacons, thereby leaving more room for machines and belts.

Higher-quality machines are also particularly useful for producing quality items as, unlike speed modules, machine quality does not reduce the chance of increasing a product's quality.

=== Using quality to save space ===
Another use for quality is decreasing the amount of buildings needed to perform the same production. This is particularly useful in a [[space platform]], where small, compact designs are rewarded with increased speed, as well as needing fewer rockets to build the platform.

=== Using quality modules with speed modules ===
While speed modules inherently reduce the effectiveness of quality modules, there are cases where using a single speed module can increase the both the output rate of normal and quality items per unit of time (at the cost of more power consumption). This effect is best seen when using a single speed module in a beacon affecting a device with 4 quality modules installed: the increased output per unit time more than offsets the reduced quality % chance. This is a delicate balance though, as adding two speed modules to the beacon is almost always worse (though still better than no beacon at all).

=== Notes ===
* In the below circumstances, quality modules have no useful effects.
** Placed in a [[Rocket silo]]
** Placed in a [[Lab]] or [[Biolab]]
** Used with recipes that only output fluids (e.g [[holmium solution]])
* [[Barrel]]s cannot accept quality modules, most likely to stop quality upcycling with no loss.
* The [[Kovarex enrichment process]] recipe and [[raw fish|fish breeding]] cannot accept quality modules.

== Relevant Factorio Friday Facts ==
* [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-375 FFF 375 - Quality]
* [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-376 FFF 376 - Research and Technology]

== Achievements ==
{{Achievement|make-it-better}}
{{Achievement|look-at-my-shiny-rare-armor}}
{{Achievement|todays-fish-is-trout-a-la-creme}}
{{Achievement|crafting-with-quality}}
{{Achievement|my-modules-are-legendary}}
{{Achievement|no-room-for-more}}

== Trivia ==
* Quality is not technically exclusive to player-made entities; Though this does not occur naturally, quality is also allowed on enemies, asteroids, and even the [[player]] character.
** Some enemies with qualities above normal can even be created in regular sandbox gameplay: Big biters, behemoth biters, and big premature wriggler pentapods born from spoiled [[biter egg]]s, [[captive biter spawner]]s, and [[pentapod egg]]s inherit the quality of the spoiled items, with the latter two being possible to craft with quality modules. Furthermore, a starved captured biter spawner will retain its quality upon converting into a hostile biter spawner, with said quality even being inherited by the biters that it will spawn. Should these biters choose to expand, they may also create quality spitters and worms.

== History ==
{{history|2.0.7|
* Introduced in [[Space Age]]{{SA}} expansion.
}}

{{C|Main}}

Quality

2026-04-17T16:12:15Z

Tau: /* Usage tips */ Added subsection regarding using speed and quality modules at the same time. Maybe it should be moved to a different subsection and include the actual calculations (which I can provide)?

{{Languages}}
{{About/Space age}}
[[File:Any quality.png|right]]
'''Quality''' is a feature of the [[Space Age]] expansion. It introduces four higher quality levels for all items, structures and equipment with improved attributes. The goal of quality is to allow vertical factory upgrading as alternative to expansion in size. Items of higher quality are created by chance when using quality modules in the producing structure. When Space Age itself is enabled, the two highest quality tiers require technology not available on Nauvis. Different buildings and items can have different attributes that can be upgraded. When hovering over something, the attributes that will be upgraded with quality will be marked with a blue diamond ([[File:Quality info.png]]) in the tooltip.

While players are required to own Space Age to access this feature, quality is a separate mod, and can be activated independent of most Space Age content.

== Quality tiers ==
There are 5 quality tiers in vanilla gameplay, with tier strength in brackets:
* [[File:quality_normal.png|15px]] Normal (0)
* [[File:quality_uncommon.png|15px]] Uncommon (1)
* [[File:quality_rare.png|15px]] Rare (2)
* [[File:quality_epic.png|15px]] Epic (3)
* [[File:quality_legendary.png|15px]] Legendary ('''5''')

Note that legendary quality represents a 2-tier improvement over epic.

== Technologies ==
Certain tiers of quality cannot be created until they have been researched.
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Research !! Base Game !! {{SA}} Space Age !! Unlocks
|-
| {{icontech|Quality module (research)|}} [[Quality module (research)]]
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}} x 300
| {{icon|Time|30}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}} x 500
| [[File:quality_uncommon.png|32px]] [[File:quality_rare.png|32px]]
|-
| {{icontech|Epic quality (research)|}} [[Epic quality (research)]]
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}} x 5000
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}}{{icon|Space science pack}}{{icon|Agricultural science pack}} x 5000
| [[File:quality_epic.png|32px]]
|-
| {{icontech|Legendary quality (research)|}} [[Legendary quality (research)]]
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}}{{icon|Space science pack}} x 5000
| {{icon|Time|60}}{{icon|Automation science pack}}{{icon|Logistic science pack}}{{icon|Chemical science pack}}{{icon|Production science pack}}{{icon|Utility science pack}}{{icon|Space science pack}}{{icon|Metallurgic science pack}}{{icon|Electromagnetic science pack}}{{icon|Agricultural science pack}}{{icon|Cryogenic science pack}} x 5000
| [[File:quality_legendary.png|32px]]
|-
|}

== Quality effects ==
The currently known effects of each level of quality are as follows:
* +30% health
* +30% crafting speed
* +30% robot limit (rounded down)
* +1 robot recharge slot for [[personal roboport]]s (both tiers, but not [[roboport]]s)
* +30% robot recharge rate (all roboports)
* +30% positive module effects (rounded down to the nearest 0.1% for [[quality module]]s, rounded down to the nearest 1% for non-quality modules)
* +10% turret range
* +10% weapon range
* +1 tile reach and +2 wire reach on power poles
* +1 equipment grid size (both dimensions)
* +30% chest inventory size (rounded down)
* +30% increased ammo damage
* +30% inserter rotation speed
** The power consumption of inserters is defined as energy per angle of turn. A 30% faster inserter can turn 30% more angles in a given space of time, so it consumes 30% more energy.
* -16.67% (1/6) resource drain on miners and [[pumpjack]]s
** This is multiplicative with [[productivity]]
* +30% [[solar panel]] output
* +100% (+5 MJ) capacity on accumulators
* +30% capacity on [[personal battery|personal batteries]] (all three tiers)
* +30% output rate on [[boiler]]s, [[steam engine]]s, [[steam turbine]]s, [[accumulator]]s (also affects input rate), and [[nuclear reactor]]s
** Note that consumption and pollution are also increased at the same rate
* +30% reach and efficiency for lightning [[lightning rod|rods]] and [[lightning collector|collectors]]
* -16.67% (1/6) power consumption on [[beacon]]s
* +1 to both continuous coverage distance and exploration coverage distance in [[radar]]s
* +100% durability on consumable items ([[repair pack]]s, [[science pack]]s)
* +5% fork chance on the [[tesla turret]] and tesla ammo for the tesla gun
* [[Asteroid collector]]s:
** +5% arm speed
** +1 arm
** +10% active power consumption per arm and +10% drain
** +2 collection area size (both dimensions)
** +5 storage size

These effects are per quality strength and additive: a Legendary (5 tier-levels) [[Productivity module 3]] (base +10% productivity) would grant 25% productivity.

Some buildings only get increased health, with no special effect. Examples are:
*Buildings related to [[circuit network]]s and [[rail signal]]s
*[[Transport belt]]s
*[[Pipe]]s
*[[Wall]]s
*[[Locomotive|Trains]]
*[[Cargo wagon]]s

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Quality effects
! Item !! Effect !! [[File:quality_normal.png|15px]] Normal !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|15px]] Uncommon !! [[File:quality_rare.png|15px]] Rare !! [[File:quality_epic.png|15px]] Epic !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|15px]] Legendary

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:assembling_machine_1.png|15px]] [[Assembling machine 1]] || Health || 300 || 390 || 480 || 570 || 750
|-
| Crafting speed || 0.5 || 0.65 || 0.8 || 0.95 || 1.25

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:assembling_machine_2.png|15px]] [[Assembling machine 2]] || Health || 350 || 455 || 560 || 665 || 875
|-
| Crafting speed || 0.75 || 0.975 || 1.2 || 1.425 || 1.875

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:assembling_machine_3.png|15px]] [[Assembling machine 3]] || Health || 400 || 520 || 640 || 760 || 1000
|-
| Crafting speed || 1.25 || 1.625 || 2 || 2.375 || 3.125

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:construction_robot.png|15px]] [[Construction robot]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250
|-
| Max flying reach || 571m || 1152m || 1728m || 2305m || 3457m
|-
| Energy capacity || 3MJ || 6MJ || 9MJ || 12MJ || 18MJ

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:inserter.png|15px]] [[Inserter]] || Health || 150 || 195 || 240 || 285 || 375
|-
| Energy consumption || 15.1kW || 19.51kW || 23.92kW || 28.33kW || 37.15kW
|-
| Rotation speed || 302°/s || 393°/s || 484°/s || 575°/s || 756°/s

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:fast_inserter.png|15px]] [[Fast inserter]] || Health || 150 || 195 || 240 || 285 || 375
|-
| Energy consumption || 59.3kW || 76.94kW || 94.58kW || 112kW || 148kW
|-
| Rotation speed || 864°/s || 1123°/s || 1382°/s || 1642°/s || 2160°/s

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:laser_turret.png|15px]] [[Laser turret]] || Health || 1000 || 1300 || 1600 || 1900 || 2500
|-
| Range || 24 tiles || 26.4 tiles || 28.8 tiles || 31.2 tiles || 36 tiles

|-
| rowspan="1" | [[File:pipe.png|15px]] [[Pipe]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:roboport.png|15px]] [[Roboport]] || Health || 500 || 650 || 800 || 950 || 1250
|-
| Energy consumption || 2.1MW || 2.7MW || 3.3MW || 3.9MW || 5.1MW
|-
| Robot recharge rate || 4 x 500kW || 4 x 650kW || 4 x 800kW || 4 x 950kW || 4 x 1.25MW

|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:small_electric_pole.png|15px]] [[Small electric pole]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250
|-
| Supply area || 5x5 || 7x7 || 9x9 || 11x11 || 15x15
|-
| Wire reach || 7.5 tiles || 9.5 tiles || 11.5 tiles || 13.5 tiles || 17.5 tiles

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:wooden_chest.png|15px]] [[Wooden chest]] || Health || 100 || 130 || 160 || 190 || 250
|-
| Storage size || 16 || 20 || 25 || 30 || 40

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:iron_chest.png|15px]] [[Iron chest]] || Health || 200 || 260 || 320 || 380 || 500
|-
| Storage size || 32 || 41 || 51 || 60 || 80

|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:steel_chest.png|15px]] [[Steel chest]] || Health || 350 || 455 || 560 || 665 || 875
|-
| Storage size || 48 || 62 || 76 || 91 || 120
|}

== Creating high-quality items ==

There are two ways to create an item with above normal quality: The player must either use ingredient items of the same quality, or use quality modules for a random chance of a higher-quality item.

=== Quality ingredients ===
Recipes that consume items have variations for each quality that the items might take. When setting such a recipe in a production unit, an ingredient quality must be selected. For these variations, the set of ingredients required is the same, except that all item ingredients must have the specified quality. Recipes that consume only fluids do not have quality variations. If they produce items, those items will be normal quality unless affected by quality modules. Recipes that fill or empty [[barrel]]s and recipes that produce the same item they consume ([[kovarex enrichment process]] and [[fish breeding]]) do not accept quality modules.

Item ingredient quality requirements are exact, not minimum. For example, one can not combine uncommon [[iron plate]]s with rare [[battery|batteries]] to make an [[accumulator]] of any quality. One must therefore ensure that high-quality items do not clog up belts and starve production units of lower-quality items.

As fluids do not possess any quality, they are exempt from ingredient quality requirements; the same [[lubricant]] can be used to create [[electric engine unit]]s of any quality.

=== Quality modules ===
{{Main|Quality module}}
[[File:quality_module_animated.png|64px|right]]'''Quality modules''' allow crafting machines to produce items of a higher quality than their ingredients. Each module adds a quality chance to a machine, depending on its tier and quality. See the following table for all quality chances:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! {{Diagonal split header|Module|Quality}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
|-
! {{Icon|quality_module}}
| +1% || +1.3% || +1.6% || +1.9% || +2.5%
|-
! {{Icon|quality_module_2}}
| +2% || +2.6% || +3.2% || +3.8% || +5%
|-
! {{Icon|quality_module_3}}
| +2.5% || +3.2% || +4% || +4.7% || +6.2%
|}

When working out the odds of improving quality, a machine starts with the sum of the quality chance of all its modules. When the machine produces an item, it performs a random roll with that chance to succeed. If it succeeds, the product is upgraded 1 level from its ingredients. If the product was upgraded, the machine repeats this process, now with a constant 10% chance of passing, rolling and upgrading until a roll fails.

When using quality ingredients as an input, the base quality is the quality of the recipe. You can only use items with the same quality as input.

Quality modules are only required to ''improve'' quality, crafting will always give the base quality of the used items. Additionally, the odds of improving from a given base quality is the same as improving the same number of tiers from Normal quality.

Where Q is quality chance, the following tables present expected outputs for each level of research.
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+ {{icontech|Quality module (research)|}} [[Quality module (research)]]
!{{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]
| 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 1/10
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]]
| - || 1 - Q || Q
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]
| - || - || 1
|}
</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+ {{icontech|Epic quality (research)|}} [[Epic quality (research)]]
!{{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]
| 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 9/100 ||Q * 1/100
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]]
| - || 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 1/10
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]
| - || - || 1 - Q || Q
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]
| - || - || - || 1
|}
</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+ {{icontech|Legendary quality (research)|}} [[Legendary quality (research)]]
!{{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]
| 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 9/100 ||Q * 9/1000 || Q * 1/1000
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]]
| - || 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 9/100 || Q * 1/100
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]
| - || - || 1 - Q || Q * 9/10|| Q * 1/10
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]
| - || - || - || 1 - Q || Q
|-
! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]
| - || - || - || - || 1
|}
</div>

==== Examples ====
<div style="display:inline-block; margin-right:20px; vertical-align:top;">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ 2× {{Icon|quality_module_2|[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]}} → Q = 4%
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]]
| 96% || 3.6% || 0.4%
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]]
| - || 96% || 4%
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
| - || - || 100%
|}
</div><div style="display:inline-block; margin-right:20px;">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ 4× {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|16px]]}} → Q = 10%
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]]
| 90% || 9% || 0.9% || 0.09% || 0.01%
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]]
| - || 90% || 9% || 0.9% || 0.1%
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
| - || - || 90% || 9% || 1%
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]]
| - || - || - || 90% || 10%
|-
! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
| - || - || - || - || 100%
|}
</div><div style="display:inline-block; margin-right:20px;">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
|+ 4× {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]}} → Q = 24.8%
|-
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|32px]]
| 75.2% || 22.32% || 2.232% || 0.2232% || 0.0248%
|-
! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|32px]]
| - || 75.2% || 22.32% || 2.232% || 0.248%
|-
! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|32px]]
| - || - || 75.2% || 22.32% || 2.48%
|-
! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|32px]]
| - || - || - || 75.2% || 24.8%
|-
! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|32px]]
| - || - || - || - || 100%
|}
</div>

==== Optimal module usage ====
{{Main|Tutorial:Quality upcycling math}}

It is optimal to improve quality on the lead-up to the target output item due to the [[recycler]] only giving back 25% of the input items, except for cases where the chosen item has a productivity research available, in which case looping through a recycler is optimal and has no added material cost (ignoring fluids).

The following tables summarize the number of normal crafts (rounded up) needed to produce 1 legendary output using ideal ratios of quality module 3s to productivity module 3s, with 4 matching quality module 3 in the recycler.

It is important to emphasize that these ratios maximize return per input material. If input capacity isn't a concern and the goal is speed rather than material efficiency, then switch out productivity modules for quality modules as needed. Beware, however, that in many cases material inefficiency nearly keeps pace with the legendary output rate.

<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="border: 2px solid; text-align:center;"
! Max Modules !! Base Prod. !! No. of {{Icon|productivity_module_3|[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]}} !! No. of {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|16px]]}} !! Crafts
|-
| 2 || 0% || 0 || 2 || 891
|-
| 3 || 0% || 0 || 3 || 533
|-
| 4 || 0% || 1 || 3 || 342
|-
| 4 || 50% || 0 || 4 || 97
|-
| 5 || 50% || 1 || 4 || 67
|-
| 8 || 0% || 4 || 4 || 70
|}</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="border: 2px solid; text-align:center;"
! Max Modules !! Base Prod. !! No. of {{Icon|productivity_module_3|[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]}} !! No. of {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|16px]]}} !! Crafts
|-
| 2 || 0% || 0 || 2 || 608
|-
| 3 || 0% || 1 || 2 || 356
|-
| 4 || 0% || 1 || 3 || 212
|-
| 4 || 50% || 1 || 3 || 62
|-
| 5 || 50% || 2 || 3 || 40
|-
| 8 || 0% || 5 || 3 || 34
|}</div>
<div style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:top; margin-right:20px;">
{| class="wikitable" style="border: 2px solid; text-align:center;"
! Max Modules !! Base Prod. !! No. of {{Icon|productivity_module_3|[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]}} !! No. of {{Icon|quality_module_3|[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|16px]]}} !! Crafts
|-
| 2 || 0% || 0 || 2 || 309
|-
| 3 || 0% || 1 || 2 || 153
|-
| 4 || 0% || 2 || 2 || 80
|-
| 4 || 50% || 3 || 1 || 25
|-
| 5 || 50% || 4 || 1 || 14
|-
| 8 || 0% || 8 || 0 || 7
|}</div>
For example, suppose legendary T3 modules are available and the goal is to produce legendary [[File:Processing_unit.png|link=Processing unit|20px]] processing units. If each electromagnetic plant producing epic quality or below has 4 legendary [[File:productivity_module_3.png|link=Productivity module 3|20px]] productivity module 3 and 1 legendary [[File:quality_module_3.png|link=Quality module 3|20px]] quality module 3, and the electromagnetic plant with the legendary recipe has 5 legendary [[File:productivity_module_3.png|link=Productivity module 3|20px]] productivity module 3, then on average an input of 280 normal [[File:Electronic_circuit.png|link=Electronic circuit|20px]] electronic circuits and 28 normal [[File:Advanced_circuit.png|link=Advanced circuit|20px]] advanced circuits is expected to produce 1 legendary [[File:Processing_unit.png|link=Processing unit|20px]] processing unit.

===== Derivation =====
Derivation of the tables above was as follows: Starting with 1 set of common ingredients, with an assembly quality chance of Q and total productivity bonus of P, the statistical expected number of product is as follows:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|+
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
| (1 + P) * (1 - Q) || (1 + P) * (Q * (100 - 10-1))|| (1 + P) * (Q * (10-1 - 10-2)) || (1 + P) * (Q * (10-2 - 10-3)) || (1 + P) * (Q * 10-3)
|-
| (1 + P) * (1 - Q) || (1 + P) * Q * 9/10 || (1 + P) * Q * 9/100 || (1 + P) * Q * 9/1000 || (1 + P) * Q * 1/1000
|}

In a similar vein, the same calculations can be done for recycling products, except that there is, in effect, -75% productivity bonus, where only a quarter of the items are returned.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
| (1 + -0.75) * (1-Q) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * (100 - 10-1)) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * (10-1 - 10-2)) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * (10-2 - 10-3)) || (1 + -0.75) * (Q * 10-3)
|-
| 0.25 * (1-Q) || 0.25 * Q * 9/10|| 0.25 * Q * 9/100 || 0.25 * Q * 9/1000 || 0.25 * Q * 1/1000
|}

For example, recycling an uncommon ingredient with a Q of 25%:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
! {{Diagonal split header|Input|Output}} !! [[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|20px]] !! [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|20px]] !! [[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|20px]] !! [[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|20px]] !! [[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|20px]]
|-
| style="background:#424242" | [[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|16px]] || - || 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.005625 || 0.000625
|}

Combining these results allows a 'Transition Matrix' to be developed (see the Wikipedia article [[Wikipedia:Stochastic matrix|Stochastic matrix]]) which after iteration can generate the expected number of legendary products from 1 set of common ingredients via matrix multiplication. An example matrix for P of 50% and Q of 25% for both recycling and assembly is copied below. Note that since legendary products are the goal, they are not recycled.

{| class="wikitable" style="border:2px solid; text-align:center;"
! !! style="border-left:2px solid" | I[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]] !! I[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
! style="border-left:2px solid" | P[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]] !! P[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
|- style="border-top:2px solid"
! I[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 1.125 || 0.3375 || 0.03375 || 0.003375 || 0.000375
|-
! I[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 1.125 || 0.3375 || 0.03375 || 0.00375
|-
! I[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 1.125 || 0.3375 || 0.0375
|-
! I[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 1.125 || 0.375
|-
! I[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1.5
|- style="border-top:2px solid"
! P[[File:quality_normal.png|Normal|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.005625 || 0.0005625 || 0.0000625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_uncommon.png|Uncommon|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.005625 || 0.000625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_rare.png|Rare|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0.1875 || 0.05625 || 0.00625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_epic.png|Epic|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0.1875 || 0.0625
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! P[[File:quality_legendary.png|Legendary|10px]]
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| style="border-left:2px solid" | 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1
|}

To iterate this matrix (M) apply the matrix to itself. For example, M6 would indicate 6 iterations, corresponding to 3 crafting steps and 3 recycling steps. To see how much 1 ingredient set produces after a given iteration, x, multiply an input vector by Mx. The vector format follows that of the matrix labels, so with the table arranged as above, left multiply a row vector of ingredient(s) by the matrix. In order to see the expected product of 1 set of normal ingredients, the vector will have '1' in the first column and '0's everywhere else. Likewise, a set of uncommon ingredients will correspond to '1' in the second column of the vector.

It is important to note that since the recycling step has a material loss of 75% most recycling loops will be well behaved and converge quickly.

Extreme productivity from research breaks this pattern and will prevent convergence, but this simply means that there is a positive material cycle, so 1 set of ingredients will produce infinite legendary crafts, on average. The closer the total productivity is to 400%, the slower the convergence of the matrix iteration and the higher you need to calculate x in Mx.


== Usage tips ==
=== Using quality to increase production ===
There are four ways in which quality can increase the output of a single production machine:
* Increasing the quality of the machine itself will improve its base crafting speed.
* Increasing the quality of [[speed module]]s will increase the effect of their speed improvements.
* Increasing the quality of [[productivity module]]s will increase their productivity bonus without reducing crafting speed. Since extra items obtained from the productivity bonus do not take extra time to produce, this will also increase the number of items produced over time.
* Increasing the quality of [[beacon]]s will increase their transmission efficiency. If they contain speed modules, then the effect of these modules is increased.

These four options share a powerful synergy, as they react multiplicatively with one another. This makes it possible to achieve very high production rates with very few machines when compared to only using normal quality items. For example, imagine a setup where [[electronic circuit]]s are made using one [[electromagnetic plant]] with five [[productivity module 3]]s, which is surrounded by 12 [[beacon]]s with two [[speed module 3]]s, each. With normal quality, this will achieve an output rate of almost 45 items per second (almost enough to saturate one non-layered [[express transport belt]]). However, if the electromagnetic plant and all beacons and modules have legendary quality, the output rate becomes slightly more than 600 items per second (enough to saturate two and a half [[turbo transport belt]]s with four layers of items). This is more than 13 times as many items as without quality.

It should be noted that quality beacons are the only one of these factors that may increase energy consumption over time, as the transmission effect is also applied to the energy cost of speed modules. However, this is offset or even negated by the reduced energy consumption of the beacons themselves (which is also affected by quality), especially with high beacon counts wherein the transmission effect is subject to diminishing returns. For speed modules, productivity modules, and the machine itself, only the speed increase, productivity bonus, and base crafting speed are affected, respectively.

The increased transmission effect of high-quality beacons is also notable because unlike when increasing the number of beacons, there are no diminishing returns for increasing their quality (aside from the exponentially increasing cost of producing those higher-quality beacons in the first place). This means that, despite a legendary beacon only being 1.66 times as powerful as a normal-quality beacon, one would need 0.36 times as many legendary beacons as normal ones to achieve the same effect. Aside from making more powerful beacon setups, this can also be used to save space by achieving the same effect with fewer beacons, thereby leaving more room for machines and belts.

Higher-quality machines are also particularly useful for producing quality items as, unlike speed modules, machine quality does not reduce the chance of increasing a product's quality.

=== Using quality to save space ===
Another use for quality is decreasing the amount of buildings needed to perform the same production. This is particularly useful in a [[space platform]], where small, compact designs are rewarded with increased speed, as well as needing fewer rockets to build the platform.

=== Using quality modules with speed modules ===
While speed modules inherently reduce the effectiveness of quality modules, there are cases where using a single speed module can increase the both the output rate of normal and quality items per unit of time (at the cost of more power consumption). This effect is best seen when using a single speed module in a beacon affecting a device with 4 quality modules installed: the increased output per unit time more than offsets the reduced quality % chance.

=== Notes ===
* In the below circumstances, quality modules have no useful effects.
** Placed in a [[Rocket silo]]
** Placed in a [[Lab]] or [[Biolab]]
** Used with recipes that only output fluids (e.g [[holmium solution]])
* [[Barrel]]s cannot accept quality modules, most likely to stop quality upcycling with no loss.
* The [[Kovarex enrichment process]] recipe and [[raw fish|fish breeding]] cannot accept quality modules.

== Relevant Factorio Friday Facts ==
* [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-375 FFF 375 - Quality]
* [https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-376 FFF 376 - Research and Technology]

== Achievements ==
{{Achievement|make-it-better}}
{{Achievement|look-at-my-shiny-rare-armor}}
{{Achievement|todays-fish-is-trout-a-la-creme}}
{{Achievement|crafting-with-quality}}
{{Achievement|my-modules-are-legendary}}
{{Achievement|no-room-for-more}}

== Trivia ==
* Quality is not technically exclusive to player-made entities; Though this does not occur naturally, quality is also allowed on enemies, asteroids, and even the [[player]] character.
** Some enemies with qualities above normal can even be created in regular sandbox gameplay: Big biters, behemoth biters, and big premature wriggler pentapods born from spoiled [[biter egg]]s, [[captive biter spawner]]s, and [[pentapod egg]]s inherit the quality of the spoiled items, with the latter two being possible to craft with quality modules. Furthermore, a starved captured biter spawner will retain its quality upon converting into a hostile biter spawner, with said quality even being inherited by the biters that it will spawn. Should these biters choose to expand, they may also create quality spitters and worms.

== History ==
{{history|2.0.7|
* Introduced in [[Space Age]]{{SA}} expansion.
}}

{{C|Main}}

Module

2026-04-17T16:04:27Z

Tau: /* Usage tips */ added paragraph regarding filling with quality modules with a sentence on the edge case of a single speed module.

{{Languages}}
[[File:modules_preview.png|right]]'''Modules''' are items used to enhance existing buildings' capabilities. They are expensive, require appropriate [[research]], and are produced slowly, but can eventually greatly improve the efficiency of a factory.

Quick usage summary:
*For more products per second a speed module should be used.
*For more products per input resource a productivity module should be used.
*For more products per watt of energy an efficiency module should be used (except in rare cases when productivity modules are also used - then a speed module might be better).
*For higher [[quality]] products, quality modules should be used, and they should not be paired with speed modules, whether directly in the machine or in [[beacon]]s.

Note that changing a machine's energy consumption directly affects how much pollution the machine generates. This is the case because the pollution production rate is directly linked to the machine's energy consumption, so this applies even when power is produced in a pollution-free way.

== Types of modules ==
There are three types of modules in ''Factorio'', each with 3 tiers of effect. Higher tiers have stronger effects but are more expensive. Note that the machine's properties (speed, energy consumption and pollution) cannot be reduced below 20% of the original value.

=== Speed module ===
{{Main|Speed module}}
Speed modules increase the speed and energy consumption of a machine.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Module !! Speed bonus !! [[Electric system|Energy]] consumption !! {{SA}} [[Quality]]
|-
| {{Icon|Speed module}} || {{Quality|+20%|+26%|+32%|+38%|+50%}}
|| +50% || -1%
|-
| {{Icon|Speed module 2}} || {{Quality|+30%|+39%|+48%|+57%|+75%}}
|| +60% || -1.5%
|-
| {{Icon|Speed module 3}} || {{Quality|+50%|+65%|+80%|+95%|+125%}}
|| +70% || -2.5%
|-
|}

Advantages & Disadvantages:

* Increases speed of machine. 
* If used with productivity modules, it can increase the efficiency of the machine in terms of items produced per joule (or items produced per pollution generated). 
* Increases energy use per cycle (exceptions exist). 
** Increased energy usage means increased pollution generation (pollution depends on power usage). 
* {{SA}} Reduced chance of producing quality items. 

----

=== Productivity module ===
{{Main|Productivity module}}

Productivity modules provide a [[productivity]] improvement to a machine when placed inside item-producing buildings and [[lab]]s. Each time the machine finishes crafting the recipe it is set to, an amount is added to the bar equal to the percentages of the productivity modules inside the machine. When the bar reaches 100%, an extra set of products is immediately generated without consuming any resources.

Productivity modules cannot be used for every recipe. They can generally only be used in recipes that make an [[:Category:Intermediate_products|intermediate products]]. If you have productivity modules in a machine and you change the recipe to one which cannot accept them (manually or via the [[circuit network]], the machine will eject the modules.

Intermediate recipes which cannot accept productivity modules include (but are not limited to):

* [[barrel]] filling and emptying.
* Producing [[barrel]]s from steel.
* [[Steam condensation]]{{SA}} (likely to prevent loops that can generate more water than put into them).

The non-intermediate product recipes can accept productivity modules are:

* [[Stone brick]]
* [[Concrete from molten iron]]{{SA}} (but not the standard [[concrete]] recipe).
* Artificial [[Artificial jellynut soil|jellynut]] and [[Artificial yumako soil|yumako]] soils
* Overgrowth [[Overgrowth jellynut soil|jellynut]] and [[Overgrowth yumako soil|yumako]] soils

Productivity modules cannot be placed in [[beacon]]s.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Module !! [[Productivity]] bonus !! [[Electric system|Energy]] consumption !! Speed !! [[Pollution]] multiplier
|-
| {{Icon|Productivity module}} || {{Quality|+4%|+5%|+6%|+7%|+10%}}
|| +40% || -5% || +5%
|-
| {{Icon|Productivity module 2}} || {{Quality|+6%|+7%|+9%|+11%|+15%}}
|| +60% || -10% || +7%
|-
| {{Icon|Productivity module 3}} || {{Quality|+10%|+13%|+16%|+19%|+25%}}
|| +80% || -15% || +10%
|-
|}

Advantages & Disadvantages:

* Creates an additional free item occasionally. 
* Increases energy use per cycle. 
* Increases pollution generated. 
* Slows the machine. 

----

=== Efficiency module ===
{{Main|Efficiency module}}

Efficiency modules reduce the required electricity to run the machine. The lowest amount of energy that efficiency modules can be used to achieve is 20% of the machine's base energy usage.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Module!! [[Electric system|Energy]] consumption
|-
| {{Icon|Efficiency module}} || {{Quality|-30%|-39%|-48%|-57%|-75%}}
|-
| {{Icon|Efficiency module 2}} || {{Quality|-40%|-52%|-64%|-76%|-100%}}
|-
| {{Icon|Efficiency module 3}} || {{Quality|-50%|-65%|-80%|-95%|-125%}}
|-
|}

Advantages & Disadvantages:

* Reduces energy use per cycle. 
** Decreased energy usage means decreased pollution generation (pollution depends on power usage). 
* Cannot lower energy usage below 20%. 
* If used with productivity modules, sometimes the efficiency gain is lower than what a speed module could achieve. 

=== Quality module ===
{{Main|Quality module}}
{{About/Space age}}
Quality modules increase the chance of items being produced in higher qualities, which in turn grant bonuses which makes items and buildings work more efficiently. Higher quality items have a lesser chance of being created. Note that quality modules themselves can be made with higher qualities, which further increases the chance of higher quality products being made.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Module !! [[Quality]] bonus !! Speed
|-
| {{Icon|Quality module}} || {{Quality|+1%|+1.3%|+1.6%|+1.9%|+2.5%}}
|| -5%
|-
| {{Icon|Quality module 2}} || {{Quality|+2%|+2.6%|+3.2%|+3.8%|+5%}}
|| -5%
|-
| {{Icon|Quality module 3}} || {{Quality|+2.5%|+3.2%|+4%|+4.7%|+6.2%}}
|| -5%
|-
|}

Advantages & Disadvantages:
* Can provide higher quality items. 
* Quality modules themselves can have higher quality. 
** Modules with higher qualities have larger bonuses, further increasing the chance of better items being made. 
* Slightly decreases speed of buildings. 
* Not all higher quality items have bonuses. 

== Usage tips ==
As a rule, the effects of multiple modules are '''additive, not multiplicative''', meaning they don't have diminishing returns (except that consumption is capped to -80%), so if an assembler is making 2 items per second, adding one speed module 3 (+50% speed) will increase item production by 1/s, and a second speed module 3 will increase production by another 1/s. Consumption modifiers work the same way, for example if a machine is consuming 180kW, the first efficiency module 1 will reduce energy use by 54kW, the second will also reduce energy use by 54kW. There is no difference between putting two speed module 1's in one machine and two efficiency module 1's in a second machine, compared to putting one of each in both machines - in both cases the total items produced per second and average energy required per item is identical.

There is however synergy between productivity modules and speed modules, productivity modules reduce crafting speed which lowers the production rate of items and increases the energy consumed per item, the speed bonus from speed modules increases production rate of items and lowers the energy consumed per item - in fact when dealing with productivity modules, the reduction in energy consumption from the increased speed from speed modules can be greater than the increased energy consumption. For detailed calculations on the synergy between productivity modules and speed modules refer to [http://www.factorioforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5705 this discussion] as well as [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=59989 this warning].

Filling the device with '''speed modules''' is useful when a resource is infinite but the amount of resource pools is low. The best example would be '''oil deposits'''. Another good place to use speed modules would be for assembly machines which make products that take a long time to make, for example engine units. Using speed modules allows more compact setups, because one machine can provide materials to more consumers than normal. If used together with productivity modules, they can also increase efficiency (in terms of items produced per watt or per pollution generated) of a machine.

Filling devices with '''productivity modules''' is recommended when resources are scarce. An example would be more advanced products not being produced enough due to bottlenecks. It will take longer and more energy, but the overall amount of products per time will be higher. Productivity is especially useful in recipes that consume a lot of resources per second such as [[electronic circuit]]s, as this will result in a lot of free items being created and quickly cover the cost of the module. Also by saving the need to mine ore, smelt plates and process intermediates for those free items the additional energy cost can be easily covered.

Filling devices with '''efficiency modules''' is recommended for electric furnaces as these use a lot of power. Note that making higher level efficiency modules are not worth it in terms of power saved vs materials used to build a [[solar panel]] setup with same power output so the only incentive is to further reduce pollution or space utilization. Modules are also able to control [[pollution]], as '''pollution depends also on [[Electric system|energy]] usage'''. So reducing a machine's energy usage by 40% with a efficiency module 2 will also reduce its pollution by 40%. Beware as this also works vice versa! Also note that if you're using productivity modules, a speed module can sometimes provide better efficiency gains due to the fact that the machine will now be producing much more items per second. Efficiency modules also generally don't work well in beacons.

Filling devices with '''quality modules''' is recommended for maximizing the total quality items per unit of time. Note that while speed modules inherently reduce the effectiveness of quality modules, there are cases where using a single speed module can increase the both the output rate of normal and quality items per unit of time (at the cost of more power consumption).

=== Quality{{SA}} and module scaling ===
Getting modules of higher [[quality]] improves the benefits of the modules but not their drawbacks. Modules of sufficiently high quality can eclipse at least some of their drawbacks.

'''Speed modules''' make machines faster, which effectively makes them act like more machines of the same type. But they also cause them to increase power consumption, and this increase is higher than the speed increase. So speed modules can make machines act as if there were more machines, but they consume more power than the equivalent number of un-moduled machines.

Quality changes things.

Because a higher quality speed module provides a higher speed bonus, but not higher power consumption, it is possible to reach a break-even point where the speed bonus is equal to or greater than the power penalty. [[Speed module]] 1s do not achieve this break-even point until legendary quality, when their 50% speed bonus exactly matches the 50% power penalty.

[[Speed module 2]]s also require legendary quality to surpass their power penalty, though since the speed bonus of 75% exceeds the power consumption of 60%, it effectively provides a small efficiency effect.

[[Speed module 3]]s reach this break even point at rare quality, with an 80% speed vs. 70% power.

'''Productivity modules''' have a similar break even point with regard to their speed penalty (though not their power penalty). Adding productivity to a process gives a de-facto speed increase in terms of the number of output products produced. The speed penalty of productivity modules offsets this de-facto speed increase. However, computing that break-even point is more complex.

5% productivity means that 5% more outputs are generated over a given space of time. So if a machine would have output 100 products in a given time, it outputs 105. A 5% speed penalty means the machine operates 5% slower. If a machine would have output 105 products in a given time, it only outputs 95% of that, which is not 100; it is 99.75.

[[Productivity module]] 1s have a 6% speed penalty. The minimum productivity bonus needed to overcome this speed penalty is 6.3%, which requires an epic prod 1 (though rare comes close). To offset the 10% speed penalty from a [[productivity module 2]], you need a productivity of at least 11.1%, which requires an legendary prod 2 (though epic comes very close). To offset the 15% speed penalty from a [[productivity module 3]], you need productivity of at least 17.6%, which requires an epic prod 3 (though rare comes very close).

'''Quality modules''' have unusual scaling for their quality bonuses due to how strong [[quality module 2]]s are. A rare quality module 2 has the same bonus as an uncommon [[quality module 3]]. And a legendary quality module 2 beats any non-legendary quality module 3. With the [[Space Age]] mod, quality module 3s require [[superconductor]]s, which makes acquiring quality versions of quality module 3s much more expensive than quality module 2s.

'''Efficiency modules''' have a similar scaling effect, though much more pronounced. An uncommon [[efficiency module]] 1 is almost as good as a common [[efficiency module 2]], and a rare eff1 nearly matches a common [[efficiency module 3]]. Quality versions of efficiency module 2s are usually nearly as good as eff3s of one step lower quality. Though getting quality versions of [[spoilage]] is much cheaper than superconductors ([[bioflux]] can mass-produce [[nutrients]], which can be [[recycler|recycled]] using quality modules to produce quality spoilage, with any lower quality spoilage being fed back into the recycler), so making quality efficiency module 3s is much easier than most other module 3s.

=== Examples of usage ===
[[Electric furnace]]s are huge power hogs at 180 kW per furnace. 1 basic efficiency module reduces it by 54 kW (−30%) – almost a [[solar panel]] worth of power. [[Electric mining drill]]s normally create 10 units of [[pollution]], using 3 basic efficiency modules on them reduces their pollution production by 80% to 2 units per minute.

Using productivity module 3s in the [[rocket silo]] reduces the total resource cost for 1 rocket launch by almost 30%, saving 26k copper ore per rocket launch.

== Achievements ==
{{Achievement|crafting-with-speed}}
{{Achievement|crafting-with-efficiency}}
{{Achievement|crafting-with-productivity}}
{{Achievement|crafting-with-quality}}

== See also ==
* [[Beacon]]
* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=59989 Speed modules are sometimes more efficient than Efficiencies]

{{ProductionNav|category=false}}
{{C|Production{{!}}#Module}}
{{C|Modules{{!}}#Module}}

Science pack

2026-04-17T15:56:23Z

Tau: changed wording regarding quality modules with speed/beacons: quality actually works better with a single speed module but worse with more modules/beacons

{{Languages}}
'''Science packs''' are items which are required by [[lab]]s to perform [[research]]. Researching [[technologies]] requires a certain number of different types of science packs, which is then multiplied by a certain value to get the tech cost.

For example, [[Physical projectile damage (research)|Physical projectile damage 3'']] requires one automation science pack and one logistic science pack and one military science pack to begin researching, but it needs this to be input into labs a total of 300 times, raising the research cost to 300 science packs each.

== Types of science packs ==
=== Base game ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Type !! Recipe !! Total raw
|-
| {{imagelink|Automation science pack}} || {{icon|Time|5}} + {{icon|copper plate|1}} + {{icon|iron gear wheel|1}} → {{icon|Automation science pack|1}} || {{icon|Time|5.5}} {{icon|iron plate|2}} {{icon|copper plate|1}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Logistic science pack}} || {{icon|Time|6}} + {{icon|Transport belt|1}} + {{icon|Inserter|1}} → {{icon|Logistic science pack|1}} || {{icon|Time|8.75}} {{icon|iron plate|5.5}} {{icon|copper plate|1.5}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Military science pack}} || {{icon|Time|10}} + {{icon|Piercing rounds magazine|1}} + {{icon|Grenade|1}} + {{Icon|Wall|2}} → {{icon|Military science pack|2}} || {{icon|Time|23}} {{icon|Iron plate|9}} {{icon|Copper plate|1}} {{icon|Steel plate|0.5}} {{icon|Coal|10}} {{icon|Stone brick|10}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Chemical science pack}} || {{icon|Time|24}} + {{icon|Sulfur|1}} + {{icon|Advanced circuit|3}} + {{icon|Engine unit|2}} → {{icon|Chemical science pack|2}} || {{icon|Time|52.5}} {{icon|Iron plate|6}} {{icon|Copper plate|15}} {{icon|Engine unit|2}} {{icon|Plastic bar|6}} {{icon|Sulfur|1}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Production science pack}} || {{icon|Time|21}} + {{icon|Rail|30}} + {{icon|Electric furnace|1}} + {{icon|Productivity module|1}} → {{icon|Production science pack|3}} || {{icon|Time|153.5}} {{icon|Iron plate|32.5}} {{icon|Copper plate|57.5}} {{icon|Steel plate|25}} {{icon|Plastic bar|20}} {{icon|Stone|15}} {{icon|Stone brick|10}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Utility science pack}} || {{icon|Time|21}} + {{icon|Processing unit|2}} + {{icon|Flying robot frame|1}} + {{icon|Low density structure|3}} → {{icon|Utility science pack|3}} || {{icon|Time|104.75}} {{icon|Iron plate|3}} {{icon|Copper plate|64.5}} {{icon|Steel plate|7}} {{icon|Plastic bar|15}} {{icon|Battery|2}} {{icon|Processing unit|2}} {{icon|Electric engine unit|1}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Space science pack}} || {{icon|Space science pack|1000}} per launched {{icon|Satellite}} || {{icon|Time|300}} {{icon|Iron plate|43.7}} {{icon|Copper plate|101.8}} {{icon|Steel plate|2.7}} {{icon|Plastic bar|19.9}} {{icon|Solid fuel|10.5}} {{icon|Sulfuric acid|15.5}}
|}


Or, broken down into the most basic components:
{| class="wikitable"
! Per 1 !! colspan="5" | Total raw
|-
| {{imagelink|Automation science pack}} || {{icon|iron plate|2}} || {{icon|copper plate|1}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Logistic science pack}} || {{icon|iron plate|5.5}} || {{icon|copper plate|1.5}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Military science pack}} || {{icon|iron plate|5.75}} || {{icon|copper plate|0.5}} || {{icon|coal|5}} || || {{icon|stone|10}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Chemical science pack}} || {{icon|iron plate|12}} || {{icon|copper plate|7.5}} || {{icon|coal|1.5}} || {{icon|crude oil|38.46}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Production science pack}} || {{icon|iron plate|52.5}} || {{icon|copper plate|19.17}} || {{icon|coal|3.33}} || {{icon|crude oil|68.38}} || {{icon|stone|11.67}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Utility science pack}} || {{icon|iron plate|33.33}} || {{icon|copper plate|49.83}} || {{icon|coal|3.83}} || {{icon|crude oil|106.84}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Space science pack}} || {{icon|iron plate|57.54}}    || {{icon|copper plate|101.79}} || {{icon|coal|9.95}}    || {{icon|crude oil|306.92}}
|}

=== ''Space Age'' ===
The ''[[Space Age]]''{{SA}} expansion adds five new types of science packs, and changes the recipe for [[space science pack]]. Each is only able to be crafted on a specific [[planets|planet]] or a [[space platform]]{{SA}}.

{| class="wikitable"
! Type !! Crafted on !! Made in !! Recipe !! Total raw
|-
| {{imagelink|Space science pack}} || {{icon|Space platform hub}} || {{icon|assembling machine}} {{icon|assembling machine 2}} {{icon|assembling machine 3}} || {{icon|Time|15}} + {{icon|carbon|1}} + {{icon|ice|1}} + {{icon|iron plate|2}} → {{icon|Space science pack|5}} || {{icon|Time|15}} + {{icon|carbon|1}} + {{icon|ice|1}} + {{icon|iron plate|2}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Metallurgic science pack|space-age=yes}} || {{icon|Vulcanus}} || {{icon|Foundry}} || {{icon|Time|10}} + {{icon|molten copper|200}} + {{icon|tungsten carbide|3}} + {{icon|tungsten plate|2}} → {{icon|Metallurgic science pack|1}} || {{icon|Time|10}} + {{icon|molten copper|200}} + {{icon|tungsten carbide|3}} + {{icon|tungsten plate|2}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Electromagnetic science pack|space-age=yes}} || {{icon|Fulgora}} || {{icon|Electromagnetic plant}} || {{icon|Time|10}} + {{icon|Accumulator|1}} + {{icon|Electrolyte|25}} + {{icon|Holmium solution|25}} + {{icon|Supercapacitor|1}} → {{icon|Electromagnetic science pack|1}} || {{icon|Time|10}} + {{icon|Accumulator|1}} + {{icon|Electrolyte|25}} + {{icon|Holmium solution|25}} + {{icon|Supercapacitor|1}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Agricultural science pack|space-age=yes}} || {{icon|Gleba}} || {{icon|Biochamber}} || {{icon|Time|4}} + {{icon|Bioflux|1}} + {{icon|Pentapod egg|1}} → {{icon|Agricultural science pack|1}} || {{icon|Time|4}} + {{icon|Bioflux|1}} + {{icon|Pentapod egg|1}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Cryogenic science pack|space-age=yes}} || {{icon|Aquilo}} || {{icon|Cryogenic plant}} || {{icon|Time|20}} + {{icon|Fluoroketone (cold)|6}} + {{icon|Ice|3}} + {{icon|Lithium plate|1}} → {{icon|Cryogenic science pack|1}} + {{icon|Fluoroketone (hot)|3}} || {{icon|Time|20}} + {{icon|Fluoroketone (cold)|6}} + {{icon|Ice|3}} + {{icon|Lithium plate|1}}
|-
| {{imagelink|Promethium science pack|space-age=yes}} || {{icon|Space platform hub}} || {{icon|Cryogenic plant}} || {{icon|Time|5}} + {{icon|Biter egg|10}} + {{icon|Promethium asteroid chunk|25}} + {{icon|Quantum processor|1}} → {{icon|promethium science pack|10}} || {{icon|Time|5}} + {{icon|Biter egg|10}} + {{icon|Promethium asteroid chunk|25}} + {{icon|Quantum processor|1}}
|}

Note that Agricultural science packs are subject to [[Spoilage mechanics|spoilage]]. Their freshness also reduces their science value.

== Creating science packs ==
The science packs and [[research]] are meant to guide players through the game by gradually increasing in complexity. At first the player has to create [[automation science pack]]s by hand to research automation. Then the next goal is to create automation and [[logistic science pack]]s automatically and to automatically feed the science packs into [[lab]]s. These science packs allow research of most of the basic [[technologies]].

If needed due to [[enemies]], the next step is to create [[military science pack]]s to allow unlock higher tier combat-oriented products. Unlike previous science packs, military science produces two packs per crafting cycle versus just one per cycle from automation/logistic.

Following military science, [[chemical science pack]]s should be created. This science pack incorporates a new 'raw' intermediary - [[plastic bar]]s necessitate the need to harvest and process [[crude oil]].

After chemical science, [[production science pack]]s are next. Production science packs are a fair jump in complexity, as the required products have quite a few different intermediaries. Production packs yield three packs per crafting cycle.

The final stage of automated research pack creation is [[utility science pack]]. Utility sciences packs are the most complex packs to make, requiring a large chain of intermediate products. Utility science packs, like previous production science packs, yield three packs per crafting cycle.

[[Space science pack]]s are yielded from launching [[satellite]]s via [[rocket silo|rocket]], and thus are difficult to automate effectively without massive resource-hungry bases. Unlike other science packs, space science packs are exclusively used to research repeating/infinite technologies - such as [[mining productivity (research)|mining productivity]] or [[physical projectile damage (research)|gun turret damage]].

The ratio needed to keep science production in sync is 5:6:5:12:7:7, or:
* 5 Automation science pack assemblers
* 6 Logistic science pack assemblers
* 5 Military science pack assemblers
* 12 Chemical science pack assemblers
* 7 Production science pack assemblers
* 7 Utility science pack assemblers

The list above assumes that all science packs are being produced by the same tier of assembling machine. For example, if using plain [[assembling machine 3]] then packs will be produced at 75 items per minute.

== Productivity module vs. quality module ==
[[Quality]]{{SA}} science pack decreases science pack drain, while production science outputs additional science packs from the same amount of input. Assuming that you are only using common ingredients and a single 1 tier module, and that all quality levels have been researched.

;[[Quality module]]{{SA}}
* '''0.9%''' chance to create at least 1 uncommon science pack, which lasts '''100%''' longer than normal (equivalent of 2 science packs).
* '''0.09%''' chance to create 1 rare science pack, which lasts '''200%''' longer than normal (equivalent of 3 science packs).
* '''0.009%''' chance to create 1 epic science pack, which lasts '''300%''' longer than normal (equivalent of 4 science packs).
* '''0.001%''' chance to create 1 legendary science pack, which lasts '''500%''' longer than normal (equivalent of 6 science packs).

Overall, this represents approximately '''1.1112%''' extra science for the same number of inputs.

;[[Module#Productivity module|Productivity module]]
* '''1''' extra product every '''25''' normal products.

This provides approximately '''4%''' extra science for the same number of inputs.

==== Comparison ====
* Productivity is more resource efficient, as it provides more science progress for the same amount of resources.
* Quality is more space/rocket efficient, as higher quality packs take up the same amount of space.
* Quality has a special effect on [[agricultural science pack]]s, as quality increases their spoil time. This means that a higher quality pack will not only have more science value, it will lose less of that value over the same time period as a lower one.
* In situations where the [[foundry]] isn't being used for casting copper or iron, inserting quality modules in mining drills and utilizing quality ores for making ingredients for science packs can be more resource-efficient if the bonus from mining productivity research exceeds +300%. This is much slower than using [[speed module]]s (which are antagonistic to quality), and requires designing a base around handling multiple quality levels.
** Casting metals with foundries is not compatible with this strategy, as ores are turned into molten metal which, as a fluid, doesn't retain quality. With productivity modules, foundries are more resource-efficient and faster for processing metals for science packs than furnaces smelting quality ores, but this requires importing [[calcite]], as neither [[Nauvis]] or [[Gleba]] (the two planets that commonly produce ores) have this as a local resource.

Do note that quality modules should not be combined with multiple [[speed module]]s or speed [[beacon]]s, while productivity modules can.

== Achievements ==
Creating science packs is directly connected to the following achievements:
{{Achievement|research-with-automation}}
{{Achievement|research-with-logistics}}
{{Achievement|research-with-chemicals}}
{{Achievement|research-with-military}}
{{Achievement|research-with-production}}
{{Achievement|research-with-utility}}
{{Achievement|research-with-space}}
{{Achievement|research-with-metallurgics}}
{{Achievement|research-with-electromagnetics}}
{{Achievement|research-with-agriculture}}
{{Achievement|research-with-cryogenics}}
{{Achievement|research-with-promethium}}
{{Achievement|rush-to-space}}

{{IntermediateNav|category=false}}
{{C|Intermediate products{{!}}#Science pack}}
{{C|Science packs{{!}}#Science pack}}