High throughput smelter

Circuit-free solutions of basic factory-design to achieve optimal item-throughput.
Involving: Belts (balancers, crossings), Inserters, Chests, Furnaces, Assembling Devices ...
Optimized production chains. Compact design.
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Circuit-free solutions of basic factory-design to achieve optimal item-throughput
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Bauer
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High throughput smelter

Post by Bauer »

I optimized my design published in this thread.
There were issues with the throughput and the output belt compression.
5 to 4 smelter.jpg
5 to 4 smelter.jpg (167.08 KiB) Viewed 6329 times
EDIT: There was a bug in the BP. Fixed it an updated the string below.


Last edited by Bauer on Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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KAA
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by KAA »

Hi! Thanks for this tuning! I tested it and it really works well. I stacked it to 32 output lines, 2 trains x 16 lines and it's quite small and very stable.

The only thing I cannot understand is why you are saying about 5 RED belts input.

In case I run 5 RED belts I'm getting gaps.
I'm NOT getting gaps if I run 3 express blue belts and two fast red belt of input. Is it expected or am I doing something wrong?
2021-04-27 13_48_19-Factorio 1.1.32.png
2021-04-27 13_48_19-Factorio 1.1.32.png (1.88 MiB) Viewed 5878 times
This is important for me cause loading of blue belt takes more space and extends input lines size comparing to red belts so it matters.
Will appreciate your comment.

Also, in the topic you are referencing to there is a discussion on a blue belt of steel that is also an interest of mine. But no suitable solution.
So, I figured out the following solution for compressed blue belt of steel:
- Use 64 steel furnaces instead of 60 in the initial topic to achieve compressed steel belt output.
- Use iron ore and not plates that is my preferable approach as I do not need to have dedicated ore>steel furnaces and complicated logistics.
- Use 4 blue ore belts only as an input.
- Plain as hell - no circuitry, blue belts only, no splitters.
- 4 sections, last furnace in section sometimes idle by lack of input but that needs to be done for excess steel that covers gaps.

I'll leave it here:
- for the people who seek steel and iron setups of the similar size to build together.
- for the advices, because this in probably not perfect and I'd like to see on how it can be improved.
Sorry for posting not it own thread, just think it can be useful here together with this great 4 belts design considering they are similar scale so can be combined.

So, this setup gives full compressed blue belt of steel with no gaps (tested for a couple of hours).
BUT ONLY AFTER all ore input lines will get filled AND NOT UNTIL THEN. Which takes about 5-7 minutes.
2021-04-27 14_03_59-Factorio 1.1.32.png
2021-04-27 14_03_59-Factorio 1.1.32.png (2.52 MiB) Viewed 5878 times
Feel free to test it, use it, and comment.
2021-04-27 14_02_12-Factorio 1.1.32.png
2021-04-27 14_02_12-Factorio 1.1.32.png (1.59 MiB) Viewed 5878 times
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Bauer
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by Bauer »

Theoretically, 5 red belts are sufficient.
5x30 x 1.2 = 180 = 4x45

It works perfectly as it is in my factory. I can only speculate. Maybe an orientation thing (N-S or W-E) or about the placement on chunks, which influences the order in which inserters work.

I suggest a work around: If you have to use 3 blue belts (maybe only 1 or 2?), then there must be a backup at one or both the two remaining red belts. Use 5 red belts as and use blue splitters in the red belts with prio to the red belt. Thus insert the backup of the red belts into the others using blue belts only from this splitter. Of course, you first have to figure out what red belt has backup (by adding that blue splitter and observing whether there is a backup on the "open" side) and which one of "your" blue inputs needs a tiny bit more.
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KAA
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by KAA »

I found a mistake in my setup - I used iron for test and missed these places:
2021-04-28 22_31_49-Factorio 1.1.32.png
2021-04-28 22_31_49-Factorio 1.1.32.png (2.3 MiB) Viewed 5769 times
2021-04-28 22_31_22-Factorio 1.1.32.png
2021-04-28 22_31_22-Factorio 1.1.32.png (1.08 MiB) Viewed 5769 times

But still, after fixing I have the following picture:
2021-04-28 22_32_15-Factorio 1.1.32.png
2021-04-28 22_32_15-Factorio 1.1.32.png (5.71 MiB) Viewed 5769 times
It's always one belt only but no pattern.
I did some math and I did not find mistakes - 51 beaconed furnace needed, 50 of 370%, 1 a little more, that is the first one with 420% here.

But maybe I missed something else - more circuitry, inserter ratios, old BP, filters on splitters? Do you have any ideas?
From what I see now this setup should definitely work with red belts input.
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Bauer
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by Bauer »

Thanks for your remarks.I revisited the design and found some minor bugs.
There's also a mayor bug in the first post: Works only for copper ore correctly because circuit conditions referred to copper ore.
It takes quite long to run stable but works now in all orientations (hopefully).

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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by Bauer »

Can't find it, but I think there was an ore-to-steel monster by Dave (?).
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by DaveMcW »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk8h60VwcRo

That was made back when blue belts could only carry 40/s, so it could be even longer now.
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KAA
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by KAA »

Hi Bauer,
I'm glad I helped. For me, now your design works just perfect in all possible combinations including both Sandbox and my FreePlay scenario.

I've just completed 3-hour building of remote copper & iron smelteries for 2 trains x16 blue belts output each using your previous design yesterday, and now I'm in the need of rebuilding it with this new design because the old one is not perfect anymore. Nice )))

Anyway, thanks for this new one. It even looks, I dunno.... more straight, more accurate, I would say.
And this logic adjustment... from iron/copper to 'anything'... that's so obvious. I should have been proposed this to you...
Thanks!

Offtopic question - from your point of view, are there any thoughts on my steel addition to your design? Is it something, or is it something "people-should-never-do" ? ))
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Bauer
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by Bauer »

KAA wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 10:30 pm Offtopic question - from your point of view, are there any thoughts on my steel addition to your design? Is it something, or is it something "people-should-never-do" ? ))
It's a nice design. I like it (and copied to it my library).
It's quite expensive on blue undergrounds, though. ;-)
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KAA
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by KAA »

Oh, thanks! It so good to know somebody uses your creations!
Undergrounds - yeah, I tried to avoid middle section it but this is the simplest way I found to make it size-close to yours.
Still, many undergrounds can be replaced.

Large amounts of ground belts still stress me when I see it because of the times when undergrounds were more UPS-friendly. Some mental trauma ))))
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Bauer
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Re: High throughput smelter

Post by Bauer »

KAA wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 8:48 pm Oh, thanks! It so good to know somebody uses your creations!
Undergrounds - yeah, I tried to avoid middle section it but this is the simplest way I found to make it size-close to yours.
Still, many undergrounds can be replaced.

Large amounts of ground belts still stress me when I see it because of the times when undergrounds were more UPS-friendly. Some mental trauma ))))
lol...
Once the factory is up, undergrounds are no issue any more. People should just be warned that these designs (including mine) are not light on resources.
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