Factorio Forums

Out of fuel despite holding a burnable item and items passing by on the belt. Progressively more inserters get stuck like this the longer it runs.

Burner inserters are too slow for blue belts unless the items are backed up so they aren't moving most of the time. They use up all their energy chasing after items that they don't manage to catch up to before they move onto the next belt tile.

Regular speed electric inserters are also too slow for blue belts and can waste energy in the same way, they just don't stop working because they're always supplied with energy from the power grid.

This is just a result of the fact that inserters are modelled as grabbing items at specific positions and moving with a finite speed, instead of just "sucking" items off belts by magic. It makes the animation look good, but has this non-obvious result.

Switching to yellow belts and letting it get backed up did nothing. As you can see in the original image, the inserters not stuck like this have no problem grabbing the items. Manually adding fuel to a stuck inserter fixes it immediately.

kerdeyosto wrote: Sat Dec 28, 2024 4:18 pm Switching to yellow belts and letting it get backed up did nothing. As you can see in the original image, the inserters not stuck like this have no problem grabbing the items. Manually adding fuel to a stuck inserter fixes it immediately.

They are not stuck, the are out of fuel because you placed them on a belt that was too fast. Replace or refuel them and they will work on yellow belt.