Is there a way to store half of production?

[Ikit Claw]

I'm making 240 copper wires, I have two constructors producing cables and together they produce 120. Instead of making two more is there a way to send 120 of the copper wires produced into storage?

[Suzaku]

Set up a splitter. Splitters evenly split items based on the number of belts connected (provided there is space available on the belts). If you connect 2 belts, half goes down one of them, half goes down the other.

[Ikit Claw]

Originally posted by Suzaku:

Set up a splitter. Splitters evenly split items based on the number of belts connected (provided there is space available on the belts). If you connect 2 belts, half goes down one of them, half goes down the other.

Alright, It never felt like splitters split evenly but I'm pretty sure I was doing something wrong. Thank you!

[Suzaku]

Keep belt speed in mind. If you pump 240 wire into a splitter, and one of the belts is a mk1 (which has a speed of 60 parts/min), then you'll see the majority of items still going down the other belt assuming it can handle that much supply flow.

[marcusaddamsson]

While you can make storage units, I mostly try to stay away from storing anything that I don't have to. Once they're down and full, they can be a hassle to remove/move again (short of hooking up a sink and waiting for it to drain).

Instead, I just 'raid' the makers to get the mats I need: once the cable maker is full, wire will just stack up in to the wire maker... so if you have two stalled/full cable makers, you will have four full stacks of those mats (wire & cable) to use as you will. If you start storing things, it takes longer for belts to back up, etc.

That said, one of the first things I do when I start a game up is load up a storage unit with concrete. :)

[YetiChow]

Originally posted by marcusaddamsson:

While you can make storage units, I mostly try to stay away from storing anything that I don't have to. Once they're down and full, they can be a hassle to remove/move again (short of hooking up a sink and waiting for it to drain).

Instead, I just 'raid' the makers to get the mats I need: once the cable maker is full, wire will just stack up in to the wire maker... so if you have two stalled/full cable makers, you will have four full stacks of those mats (wire & cable) to use as you will. If you start storing things, it takes longer for belts to back up, etc.

That said, one of the first things I do when I start a game up is load up a storage unit with concrete. :)

Just remember that in an ideal scenario, or when it's a new recipe being made for the first time, there won't be a stalled line to plunder from -- while you're not wrong, there are absolutely some niches where it's useful to divert overflow into storage rather than come up with a use for it straight away.

The other thing worth noting is that long belts which are filled with parts are technically a kind of waste -- wasted effort on parts that aren't being used, wasted space and temporarily wasted materials (all of which should really fall under "opportunity cost" rather than strict waste.) Sure, it's the effort of the computer not the player that's being wasted; but there is some merit to storing things away (knowing you'll increase in demand for them later) and having them ready to go when that time to ramp up does come. Having those components in containers rather than makers/belts doesn't stop them being that kind of wasted space; but it does make them much easier to reclaim when you want them! This is especially true if you suddenly want to create a new complex part (e.g. unlocking a new elevator component for the first time) in a hurry -- rather than figuring out how to feed a bunch of makers for your new part, or re-purposing some old line and putting up with a trickle of your critical research component, you can just rely on your built-up surplus to feed a new dedicated section of factory for that "unlock" critical item -- and then tear that section down and build something else for the next such item.

[Mist of Majora]

Your question has already been answered, but thought I'd add something else in case it helps you out in your planning.

Instead of splitting it evenly, you'll later unlock an... upgraded splitter (I'll avoid the minor spoilers of its details just in case, though it should be easy to look into this and/or unlock it if you're interested) that will give you an 'overflow' option. Basically, the splitter can be triggered once you have a full belt, to start moving items to another side of your choosing. So you could, for example, direct items on a belt to go into storage, and upon the belt stopping when storage is full, it goes forward into feeding the copper wires forward to whatever production needs you had in mind.