Laboratory belt loop

[amz3]

Héllo,

I a created a belt loop for my lab needs, but right now at level 3 where I need 3 kinds of science pack, it doesn't scale well. As you can see in the image the belt is full with red and green science pack.

My plan is to create a second belt loop to host the blue and purple science pack. What do you think? Is there a more efficient way to achieve science lab belt?

Thanks!

[BlakeMW]

A method to use a single belt is what I termed "Rainbow Belts", it's mainly designed for labs. Requires circuit network, but no combinators.

You can also just use a second belt and long-handed inserters, but a rainbow belt is cheaper and doesn't require remodelling.

[RocketManChronicles]

I never really understand why people have the science packs circling around in a loop. I usually just have a straight line of labs on either side of two belts, one carrying red and green, the other blue and purple. I use long-arm inserters and stack inserters to feed the labs. This layout just works as it can be expanded along the length as technology gets better (i.e. faster belts, stack inserter bonuses, etc).

[twepy]

The advantage of a looped belt over a straight line belt is in case of shortage in which there arent enough flasks produced it will give all labs continuously an almost chance to get a flask of the belt and keeps all labs running for a long as possible instead of having the last lab in the line "hoarding" all flasks and the other labs have to shutdown because there are no flasks in reach. In the latter the research speed starts dropping sooner then in first.

[AlyxDeLunar]

I've got to say, the most difficult-looking part of your setup is that you're shoehorning yourself into a contained area. Looking at that minimap you've got quite a bit of space you can use to bring yourself northward. If you move your labs north, you could surround them by belts. Then just produce red and green science away from the labs (like red science is right now) and feed them onto the belts. I think that would really help to simplify things.

[amz3]

I've got to say, the most difficult-looking part of your setup is that you're shoehorning yourself into a contained area.

I am trying to minimize space to avoid to run around to protect my base.

Thanks for the rainbow belt tip it looks like what I was looking for!

[Jupiter]

The advantage of a looped belt over a straight line belt is in case of shortage in which there arent enough flasks produced it will give all labs continuously an almost chance to get a flask of the belt and keeps all labs running for a long as possible instead of having the last lab in the line "hoarding" all flasks and the other labs have to shutdown because there are no flasks in reach. In the latter the research speed starts dropping sooner then in first.

How is that an advantage?? How does the fact that the last flasks are equally spread over your labs help you? In case of a shortage: solve it. The last flasks you had are probably long gone before you solved your shortage anyway, no matter how they are distributed.

[siggboy]

The advantage of a looped belt over a straight line belt is in case of shortage in which there arent enough flasks produced it will give all labs continuously an almost chance to get a flask of the belt and keeps all labs running for a long as possible instead of having the last lab in the line "hoarding" all flasks and the other labs have to shutdown because there are no flasks in reach. In the latter the research speed starts dropping sooner then in first.

This makes no difference to overall research speed, because you can not consume more flasks than you produce.
Running a looped belt for flasks makes no difference at all, but it certainly looks nice (and does waste some space, if that matters).

The belt is just a buffer of unused stuff (flask in this case), but a belt tile cannot buffer more than 8 flasks; so, at worst you'll have 8 unused flasks per belt at a time, that doesn't seem to be a big problem to me.

I am trying to minimize space to avoid to run around to protect my base.

Thanks for the rainbow belt tip it looks like what I was looking for!

The rainbow belt is fun, and Blake did a great job with the implementation, but it's not going to help you save space.

A looped belt uses more space than a straight belt (you have to loop it back somewhere, and that is basically wasted real estate, because it covers a distance twice).

[Kaguya]

A looped belt uses more space than a straight belt (you have to loop it back somewhere, and that is basically wasted real estate, because it covers a distance twice).

That's not really a waste of space if you have labs both sides of it through the whole run back as well, though.

[siggboy]

It's true, but it doesn't change the fact that the belt looping to feed labs doesn't solve an actual problem. You're certainly not going to SAVE any space, there's always going to be some overhead (at the corners, for example), and your research is not happening any faster either.

[mergele]

But you can research with the max speed until you run dry. If you are researching something that would be beneficial RIGHT NOW and you have enough science on the belt you get it a bit earlier, which can be an advantage. For example another quickbar, additional inventory slots or better electric poles which are usefull for the factory parts you are building to fix your science shortage.

Not that I loop the belts myself, just a possibility

[BlakeMW]

Rainbow belts do save space because you only need 1 belt instead of 2, for basic belt and any realistic number of labs. In fact a well designed rainbow belt will almost always be smaller than a non-rainbow belt setup which uses 2 belts, especially as the loopback section can use underground belts going under inserters.

[Bart]

Just build it like this. All these loops and rainbow belts are very fancy, but they just don't add much value. Keep it simple.

[amz3]

Indeed it's much simpler

[Shokubai]

Its a bit less efficient but I just skip the belts these days.

[5thHorseman]

Similarly, I tried this bifurcating science tree a little bit ago and at least for 15 science labs, it works fine. Haven't tried it with all science packs yet but I'm hopeful.

[Shokubai]

Similarly, I tried this bifurcating science tree a little bit ago and at least for 15 science labs, it works fine. Haven't tried it with all science packs yet but I'm hopeful.

Faster inserters and bigger stack sizes seem to help waste less in these setups.