Transport network

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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 Transport belts, Splitters, Underground belts, Inserters and Storages.

Transport belts, underground belts and splitters are used to direct and control the flow of items around your factory. 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 drills place items they produce directly on to the transport belt - as you can see in the example on the right.



Transport belts

The Transport belts where the first elements of this class of entities, so the whole class is called so, even if the Underground belts and Splitters work quite differently. ("moving ground" might hit the meaning better)

Transport belts Underground belts Splitters Speed (tiles/second) Needed research
Basic transport belt Basic underground belt Basic splitter ~1.8 none
Fast transport belt Fast underground belt Fast splitter ~3.6 Logistics 2
Express transport belt Express underground belt Express splitter ~5.6 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 Inserter working at double speed.
Smart-inserter.png
Smart inserter
40 W Inserter able to connect to Circuit network and specify work conditions.

Storages

A storage is used to store items. Many things can be used to store items: Furnaces, assemblies and any entity, that has stacks, like cars, but even the belts or the Ground can be seen as storage. But in conjunction with the Transport network we mean the most efficient way, which is using Chests:

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.
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.

See also Storages.