Bigger chests?

[drNokard]

Hi,
should bigger chests (2x2, 3x3, 2x3) be a thing?
They would be useful to store excess production.
ATM this is what I do, but it is not beuatiful nor practical (let's not mention wagons).

Screenshot from 2021-03-29 13-53-49.png (183.41 KiB) Viewed 4438 times

[DaveMcW]

If you have excess production, just let your machines stop working. There is no reason to fill chests with items you can't use.

[Mastermindx]

There is no reason to fill chests with items you can't use.

Actually, there is. If you have an irregular production, demand for specific component will vary greatly. Having a "buffer" allows to have a smaller factory that can satisfy the average demand without becoming supply constrained instead of requiring a bigger factory that need to satisfy peak demand.

This is why I store my military science and production science in chest. Since many research requires only 1 of the 2, that means that in a 1k spm, you can get away with a production of 500 spm for each military and production science and not be bottlenecked (Assuming sufficient buffer).

[T-A-R]

Bigger vanilla chests are not a thing, neither is excess production. The awnser lies in finding balance between supply and demand.

No chest will be big enough to utilize two output belts out from 1 input belt in a continuous matter. (example: making science packs) With a second input lane there is no more need for the chests.
In stead of buffering the main belt, consider minimizing buffers and placing the buffer chests only at assemblers which produces in bursts. (example: roboports/belts/inserters etc.)

However if you want feedback on the buffer for the niche cases where they feel useful (which often isn't a regular vanilla run); you could increase capacity by multiplying chests/inserters. To fully fill a belt you need three inserters per lane of the belt.
Splitters with priority settings in front and behind the buffer could help reduce useless inserter activity.

Herecy.png (349.13 KiB) Viewed 4343 times

[Pi-C]

Hi,
should bigger chests (2x2, 3x3, 2x3) be a thing?

There are mods that provide such chests. Bio Industries, for example, has them in sizes 2x2, 3x3, and 6x6. (Personally, I think 6x6 is too large for a chest, it would be more fitting if they were themed as a ware house, but that's just about appearance.)

[disentius]

For burst purposes, you want to empty the buffer faster than it fills.
One way to do that is this:

2021-03-30 16_06_22-Factorio 1.1.30.png (177.17 KiB) Viewed 4240 times

[drNokard]

Actually, there is. If you have an irregular production, demand for specific component will vary greatly. Having a "buffer" allows to have a smaller factory that can satisfy the average demand without becoming supply constrained instead of requiring a bigger factory that need to satisfy peak demand.

I couldn't have said it in a better way.
Sometimes there's over-production, sometimes "over-demand". I am huge fan of buffers, I always make one between products.

[drNokard]

Bigger vanilla chests are not a thing, neither is excess production. The awnser lies in finding balance between supply and demand.

No chest will be big enough to utilize two output belts out from 1 input belt in a continuous matter. (example: making science pack production) With a second input lane there is no more need for the chests.
In stead of buffering the main belt, consider minimizing buffers and placing the buffer chests only at assemblers which produces in bursts. (example: roboports/belts/inserters etc.)

However if you want feedback on the buffer for the niche cases where they feel useful (which often isn't a regular vanilla run); you could increase capacity by multiplying chests/inserters. To fully fill a belt you need three inserters per lane of the belt.
Splitters with priority settings in front and behind the buffer could help reduce useless inserter activity.
Herecy.png

Do you see how huge that thing is?
Anyway, I don't knwo how other people play, but in my runs, a stabilized production is always useful. Maybe it's because I expand one section at a time, or maybe because I "grow organic" and never do a Bus Belt, but I never get a "balanced" productio (and I like it that way, with things that run everywhere, even tho it's not a real Spaghetti factory).
This is what I mean, I don't know if I can explain myself clearly, I am sorry

Screenshot from 2021-03-30 20-27-21.png (1.34 MiB) Viewed 4212 times

[drNokard]

For burst purposes, you want to empty the buffer faster than it fills.
One way to do that is this:
2021-03-30 16_06_22-Factorio 1.1.30.png

My input and output are connected, so it's not necessary, what isn't grabbed from inserters will simply run down the line

[T-A-R]

Yes it is huge. To simulate bigger capacity. Lategame a array of yellow storage chests would be much more compact.