Transport network: Difference between revisions

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[[File:transport-belt-intro-3.jpg|300px|thumb|Transport belts being used to move iron ore from a mining drill to an inserter, which is then placing the ore into a furnace]]
[[File:transport-belt-intro-3.jpg|300px|thumb|Transport belts being used to move iron ore from a mining drill to an inserter, which is then placing the ore into a furnace]]
The Transport network consists of
The Transport network consists of
* [[Belt transport system]], which are
* [[Belt transport system]]
** [[Transport belts]], [[Splitters]] and [[Underground belts]],
** [[Transport belts]]
* [[Inserters]] and
**[[Splitters]]
**[[Underground belts]]
* [[Inserters]]
* [[Chests]]
* [[Chests]]


It includes also the concept [[Storage]], which is used for example in [[Railway network/Train station]] and there is a high relation to the [[Logistic network]].
The Transport Network is the primary means of moving items from one area to another. It is an essential component of any factory in the game.
 
The [[Belt transport system]] is used to direct and control the flow of items around your factory. They are one of the core elements in Factorio! [[Inserters]] place or remove items from belts, chests and production facilities. [[Chests]] can be used to store completed items or as a buffer in your production line.  
 
In most of the cases inserters must be used to place or remove things from the transport belts. However [[Mining drill]]s place items they produce directly on to the transport belt - as you can see in the example on the right.






== [[Belt transport system]] ==


== [[Belt transport system]] ==
The [[Belt transport system]] is the main transport means in a base. It consists of 3 elements:
The [[Belt transport system]] contain three different types, namely
* [[Transport belts]]
* [[Transport belts]],
* [[Underground belts]]
* [[Underground belts]] and
* [[Splitters]]
* [[Splitters]],
These come in 3 tiers of varying speed:
which differs only in their speeds:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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== [[Inserters]] ==
== [[Inserters]] ==
[[File:transport-belt-two-lines-4.jpg|thumb|300px|Inserters hard at work]]
[[File:transport-belt-two-lines-4.jpg|thumb|300px|Inserters hard at work]]
Inserters will '''always place''' items on the '''far side''' of a belt, and will '''prefer''' to take items from the '''closest side'''.
Inserters will always place items on the far side of a belt, and will prefer to take items from the closest side.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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[[File:Transport-Belt-Storage.jpg|thumb|300px|Inserters storing extra iron ore in wooden chests.]]
[[File:Transport-Belt-Storage.jpg|thumb|300px|Inserters storing extra iron ore in wooden chests.]]
Chests are used to store [[Items|items]]. [[Chests]] contain [[Storage/Stack|stacks]], which compress the inserted items (in computer memory and so also in the game):
Chests are used to store [[Items|items]]. [[Chests]] [[Storage/Stack]] like items together:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Item !! Max [[Storages/Stack|stacks]] !! Description
! Item !! Max [[Storages/Stack|stacks]] !! Description

Revision as of 10:11, 7 May 2014

File:Transport-belt-intro-3.jpg
Transport belts being used to move iron ore from a mining drill to an inserter, which is then placing the ore into a furnace

The Transport network consists of

The Transport Network is the primary means of moving items from one area to another. It is an essential component of any factory in the game.


Belt transport system

The Belt transport system is the main transport means in a base. It consists of 3 elements:

These come in 3 tiers of varying speed:

Speed (tiles/second) Transport belts Underground belts Splitters Needed research
~1.8 Basic transport belt Basic underground belt Basic splitter none
~3.6 Fast transport belt Fast underground belt Fast splitter Logistics 2
~5.6 Express transport belt Express underground belt Express splitter Logistics 3

Learn more about the simulated physics of the belts, or how to optimize the flow of items.

Inserters

Inserters will always place items on the far side of a belt, and will prefer to take items from the closest side.

Item Max power Description
Burner inserter 180 W (burner) Most basic inserter, needs burning fuel.
Inserter.png
Inserter
13 W Basic electric inserter.
Long handed inserter 18 W Basic inserter able to grab Items from 2 tiles distance.
Fast inserter 30 W Working at double speed.
Smart-inserter.png
Smart inserter
40 W Able to connect to Circuit network and Logistic network, to specify working conditions. Can grab also specified item-types only.

Chests

File:Transport-Belt-Storage.jpg
Inserters storing extra iron ore in wooden chests.

Chests are used to store items. Chests Storage/Stack like items together:

Item Max stacks Description
Wooden chest 16 Basic storage chest.
Iron chest 32 Larger basic chest.
Steel chest 48 Basic chest with maximum capacity of 48 stacks.
Smart-chest.png
Smart chest
48 Connectable to Circuit network.
Active Provider chest 48 Used for Logistic network, Circuit network.
Passive Provider chest 48 Used for Logistic network, Circuit network.
Storage chest 48 Used for Logistic network, Circuit network.
Requester chest 48 Used for Logistic network, Circuit network.

Other entities with stacks

As said, stacks are needed to store items. Entities with stacks are

Storage

Storage is a concept, about storing enormous masses of items. Under normal circumstances, you don't need to store many items. Especially in the beginning game every item counts and that means, you should try to keep the ways short (belts store a serious amount of items) and don't use chests so much. Instead, you should keep the items in flow, pass them as fast as possible/affordable from production step to the next step to create higher leveled items, instead of storing it.

So, when speaking from storages, we mean concepts, which are really needed to keep the production in flow. Some of them work only together with Logistic network. Most used for:

See also