Factorio Forums

Was experimenting a little to maximize the numbers of miners on a given resourcefield to gather ore the fastest possible way

To maximize mining speed you want to maximize miner density. Zig-zag belts waste space (and are slower!), and so do power lines.

In your example, for every 36 squares of miner there are 7 squares of conveyor and 1 square of power, so you've covered 82% of the ground with miners.

Here's a layout that covers 86%.

Yes, my problem was, how to place the power poles. I don't know why, but placing underground belts for making space for the poles didn't came onto my mind. So this was my solution to the "pole-problem", yours is of course better. Thanks for your input

sadly, I still prescribe to the 'low, slow' and steady' of lining them up by their mining radius, rather than their physical space. More longevity, same amount of resources, less power drain, less pollution.

But still.. an interesting discussion nonetheless.

Zourin wrote:sadly, I still prescribe to the 'low, slow' and steady' of lining them up by their mining radius, rather than their physical space. More longevity, same amount of resources, less power drain, less pollution.

Slower mining... if you don't have much resources you need to make it dense.

I think both of you arent using the most "efficient" way, instead of using belts, use provider chests

ficolas wrote:I think both of you arent using the most "efficient" way, instead of using belts, use provider chests

Please show me the arrangement with chests, which save more space Not possible as I tried.

I'll make a screenshot later when I can play, but on paper I can come up with a packing method that uses 3 miners, 2 provider chests, 1 power pole. So that's 27 squares of miner and 3 'wasted' squares, for a 90% efficiency.

yes please make a screenshot, I have tried ingame some combinations, but the geometry of the miners didn't allow any more dense geometry than the one posted by sparr (where one miner with 9 tiles needs one and a half other tile for transport+energy = 2 miners = 18 fields miner building and 3 fields for logistic) The pattern has to be of course repeatable in every direction somehow.

Also just came up with a method that packs in 19 mines, 15 provider chests, 1 substation, 5 empty spaces , which is only 88% efficient, so not as good as the method I mentioned above. I'll screenshot both soon.

Well, i have figured out some basic pattern, but I didn't manage to get the rules to make it a reliable repeatable pattern yet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessellation
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkettierung

Here's the 90% coverage layout. This is two copies of the basic unit. It tiles horizontally as pictured, and the vertical tiling can be flipped vertically and/or shifted horizontally.

sparr wrote:Here's the 90% coverage layout. This is two copies of the basic unit. It tiles horizontally as pictured, and the vertical tiling can be flipped vertically and/or shifted horizontally.

Albert says that you understood everything , that the universe has made a full circle, that Luke, he is your father and whatnot. (because of the arrows, you know )

BEAT MY
93,1% coverage

18 Miners =162 tiles and 12 tiles extra for chests and medium power pole. Simply repeatable in every direction. All miners are in power reach when pattern is extended (otherwise just add poles on the outside where needed).

EDIT my calculations are CRAP

BurnHard wrote:93,1% coverage
18 Miners =162 tiles and 12 tiles extra for chests and medium power pole.

No. 18 miners = 162 tiles, then you have 12 chests + 4 power poles + 2 empty spaces, so it's 162/180 which is 90%.

sparr wrote:

BurnHard wrote:93,1% coverage
18 Miners =162 tiles and 12 tiles extra for chests and medium power pole.

No. 18 miners = 162 tiles, then you have 12 chests + 4 power poles + 2 empty spaces, so it's 162/180 which is 90%.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!! i forgot to count the 6 yellow chests. what a shame. Gime me another day time

oo by adding Logistic Chests to the mix you are add 1 to 3 Roboports to this "The Roboport needs ~200 watts of energy when idle, but can use up to ~2000 watts when charging bots." (wiki)

Electric mining drill (90 w) 18 w with Modules

so is the energy cost wooth it

Any flaws in this design? I am here at 126/138= 91,3 %

14 miners, 10 chests, 2 power poles, no unused space

Looks good. I suspect that is the optimal solution for medium power poles. There *might* be a crazy tessellation using substations that is 1-2% better, but I doubt it.