Tutorial:Transport use cases - Revision history

Cardinal: Links & style

2025-12-10T06:58:40Z

Links & style

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:58, 10 December 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Languages}}		{{Languages}}
	{{DISPLAYTITLE:What Transport for which case?\|noerror}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:What Transport for which case?\|noerror}}
	This page compares the three main [[transport]] methods: [[~~Belt~~ transport system]] (conveyor belts), [[railway]] (trains) and [[Logistic robot\|logistic robots]]. There are two more useful methods to transport items: the character's inventory and the [[car]]. (Especially the car has an extremely high capacity and can be used instead of trains. Of course you need to drive everything yourself; see the chapter about the car).		This page compares the three main [[transport]] methods: [[belt transport system]] (conveyor belts), [[railway]] (trains) and [[Logistic robot\|logistic robots]]. There are two more useful methods to transport items: the character's inventory and the [[car]]. (Especially the car has an extremely high capacity and can be used instead of trains. Of course you need to drive everything yourself; see the chapter about the car).

	The best choice depends on the context in which they are used. For example on the amount of resources you need to transport, or how far away they are.		The best choice depends on the context in which they are used. For example on the amount of resources you need to transport, or how far away they are.
Line 160:		Line 160:
	Belts simply take forever, and you may wind up with a lot of asset tied up with simply being 'in transit'. You should see items sitting on a belt as "non-useable storage". Backed up belts can be a good thing for buffer space, but long belts are just inefficient, or better: You lose the control over the other end, due to the long gap; the resources on the other side could be long depleted, but you see it only five minutes later.		Belts simply take forever, and you may wind up with a lot of asset tied up with simply being 'in transit'. You should see items sitting on a belt as "non-useable storage". Backed up belts can be a good thing for buffer space, but long belts are just inefficient, or better: You lose the control over the other end, due to the long gap; the resources on the other side could be long depleted, but you see it only five minutes later.

	The effort to squeeze out the last 20% of belt performance increases depending on distance and total amount and at some point the train will win. But in your central factory area the bots will never be beaten. On the other hand: in small areas, and for simple throughput of one type of item (iron ore to iron-plates for example) we can place some belts in parallel, which is cheap and efficient (uses no energy) and when using parallel belts can achieve enormous throughput. For later game, the [[fast transport belt]] is a good compromise between cost and efficiency, and the [[~~Express~~ transport belt]]s should be use only for short sections.		The effort to squeeze out the last 20% of belt performance increases depending on distance and total amount and at some point the train will win. But in your central factory area the bots will never be beaten. On the other hand: in small areas, and for simple throughput of one type of item (iron ore to iron-plates for example) we can place some belts in parallel, which is cheap and efficient (uses no energy) and when using parallel belts can achieve enormous throughput. For later game, the [[fast transport belt]] is a good compromise between cost and efficiency, and the [[express transport belt]]s should be use only for short sections.

	The amount of robots you need is directly dependent on the density you build. The central part of your factory should be dense, because not only throughput is important here, but also speed: How fast can an item be produced in total (including the transportation time).		The amount of robots you need is directly dependent on the density you build. The central part of your factory should be dense, because not only throughput is important here, but also speed: How fast can an item be produced in total (including the transportation time).
Line 166:		Line 166:
	== See also ==		== See also ==

	* [~~http~~://~~www~~.~~factorioforums~~.com~~/forum~~/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3948 Discussion about using conveyor belts vs. trains]. There are some interesting tips in this thread.		* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3948 Discussion about using conveyor belts vs. trains]. There are some interesting tips in this thread.
	* [~~http~~://~~www~~.~~factorioforums~~.com~~/forum~~/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=5478 More trains vs. longer trains]		* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=5478 More trains vs. longer trains]
	* [~~http~~://~~www~~.~~factorioforums~~.com~~/forum~~/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=5715 Deciding which items to re-make and which to keep on belts?]		* [https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=5715 Deciding which items to re-make and which to keep on belts?]
	~~{{Languages}}~~

Alanur99: /* Comparison of belts, trains and logistic robots */

2025-01-08T22:01:35Z