Maximum useful furnace length

[Gecko]

Hi,
I was wondering how many electric furnaces (with and without modules) you need to fill an Express belt via fast inserters, or if it is even possible to fill it completely with just two opposing rows of furnaces due to density problems.

[KatherineOfSky]

https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/4ac9rq/belt_to_furnace_ratios/

Also, fast inserters don't make a difference on output unless you are using speed modules, since the processing time is quite long for smelted materials.

[Gecko]

One comment linked http://i.imgur.com/y8mpc9C.png to fix the density issue. If I get that correctly, one would still have to merge the two tracks with a splitter at the end. In that case, wouldnt something like http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/275102315856249177/6F27837A218E955EBC1F534DB1D21481B6242652/ also do the trick, except it's easier?

[KatherineOfSky]

Originally posted by Gecko:

One comment linked http://i.imgur.com/y8mpc9C.png to fix the density issue. If I get that correctly, one would still have to merge the two tracks with a splitter at the end. In that case, wouldnt something like http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/275102315856249177/6F27837A218E955EBC1F534DB1D21481B6242652/ also do the trick, except it's easier?

The problem with the "easier" solution you referenced is compression. When inserters place down items, they wait for a FULL open space. If the items are just a hair "off", it will not put them down, and before you know it, they will be just waiting forever to place the item.

With the 0.13 update, sideloading now works to add full compression... belts push items in from the sides, jiggling the products on the main line around. In my latest factory that I'm playing for my YT series, I'm experimenting with this solution:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=763513910


This is MUCH cheaper resource-wise than the splitters + undergrounds, and seems to compress the belt fully. I'm still observing it to see if it is the best fix for this problem.

[Gecko]

Yea I realize that the two tracks coming down in the middle won't be fully compressed. But I meant if one was to use Express instead of Fast belt for those two, then build x furnaces to get them relatively full on both sides each, and then at the END of the furnace line just plonk a splitter down to merge those two. Kinda like https://wiki.factorio.com/index.php?title=File:Express_transport_belt_fulldensity.gif except with, well, furnaces instead of chests :P

That should do the trick, right?

[KatherineOfSky]

Well, it depends what "good enough" means to you. Yes, it will get production moving. However, I like to min-max in a lot of my builds, mostly because I build very large factories, and having compressed belts where no space is wasted is pretty important me.

The cool thing about Factorio is that there is so much room for leeway for what works and not!

[Gecko]

Yep :)
https://dropfile.to/NpHZfxH here, I slapped this together in sandbox mode really quick. Looks like it kinda works though.

[Gecko]

It actually works perfectly. When using 36 furnaces with speed modules the two belts in front of the splitter even staunch a bit over time, because you need between 35 and 36 furnaces in theory.

[Gecko]

Now I just wonder if placing a Rebalancer AFTER the splitter would make any sort of difference :T

[KatherineOfSky]

Originally posted by Gecko:

Now I just wonder if placing a Rebalancer AFTER the splitter would make any sort of difference :T

It's always wise to balance after any production line. Either the output may become one-sided or the inputs will take from one side and then unbalance the belt.

[Gecko]

Alright, thank you :)
Just hope that this doesn't decompress the belt again.

[KatherineOfSky]

A standard single-line balancer uses side-loading, so it will compress the belt properly.

[The Chaotic Coder]

I usually find that a line of 72 pairs of furnaces is too long to fit the available space (especially with the 3-tile-wide electrics) so I just split it into two sets of 36. Then at the end take the two half-full belts, put them into a splitter, and side-load the outputs. Full compression and lane balancing all at once.

If I'm doing more than one blue belt (let's say 4 belts of iron) then I do eight 36-furnace rows, put them into an 8-belt balancer, and then side-load the outputs into 4 fully compressed belts.

[Gecko]

Originally posted by jchardin64:

I usually find that a line of 72 pairs of furnaces is too long to fit the available space (especially with the 3-tile-wide electrics) so I just split it into two sets of 36. Then at the end take the two half-full belts, put them into a splitter, and side-load the outputs. Full compression and lane balancing all at once.

If I'm doing more than one blue belt (let's say 4 belts of iron) then I do eight 36-furnace rows, put them into an 8-belt balancer, and then side-load the outputs into 4 fully compressed belts.

What kind of an 8-belt balancer do you use?

[The Chaotic Coder]

Originally posted by Gecko:

What kind of an 8-belt balancer do you use?

Like this one:

https://www.reddit.com/r/factorio/comments/3nmzl3/8_to_8_belt_balancers_with_the_minimum_amount_of/

But with blue belts of course. Then I take each pair of outputs and side-load them together to get 4 fully balanced belts.

[KatherineOfSky]

The one linked in the comments there is a little tidier: http://imgur.com/vQeo63x