Buffering Layouts vs. Just-In-Time/100% Efficient Layouts

[Aven]

Is it personal preference? Does one method win out over the other? I see advantages and disadvantages to both, but I am curious what the masses use.

[PersonIDK]

I use manifolds which is what I assume you mean by Buffering layouts. It's just a lot easier to build and takes up way less space. The machines all run at 100% efficiency anyway (as long as my math is correct), it just takes a little bit more time to start up while everything balances out.

[sansee]

I've always subscribed to buffering+manifold every step of the way since I started playing because the container need no startup time unlike miners and the others, but recently I've buffered a lot more than I used to.

Like my screw factory right now; it makes straight from iron into screws, 50 each and a total of 250 into each "buffer zones". I have 5 of these. Since I buffer them heavily I take out 2x as much since the industrial container have 2 output (I "guestimated" 250 each line).

So far it works really well for both plates (5 lines) and frames (5 lines) and those buffers again gets full long before the screws are empty since time is a factor in the equation here.

The only disadvantage I see so far is that it takes a little more space for a few more containers. I'll see how it goes when entering the late stages of the game.

[Maehlice]

Can you explain what you mean by those two layouts?

[Grandaddypurple]

For a long time I've advocated for what you call just-in-time load balancing on this forum, until I got to higher tiers where the amount of raw materials go through the roof and it's just not possible to load balance without having an ENORMOUS footprint with just mergers and splitters.
If the math isnt too much of a hassle, I'll gladly load balance the higher tier stuff that you'll need in manufacturers because it takes a long time for them to buffer in a manifold system, but still.

[Aven]

Originally posted by Maehlice:

Can you explain what you mean by those two layouts?

A very simplified example of a buffering layout would be a 120 ore/s miner feeding a row of four smelters with a splitter in front of each that splits one line into the smelter and another into the splitter next to it. So, the first smelter gets 60 ore/m, the second gets 30, the third 15, the fourth 15. While the first two smelters run at full production the entire time, the third and fourth smelters won't hit full production until the previous smelters have capped their storage of waiting ore. Once the first three smelters are all full of ore, the entire line becomes 100% efficient.

A very simplified example of a 100% efficiency layout would be that same 120 ore/s miner feeding a row of four smelters exactly 30 ore each, with a group of splitters breaking out the resources into exactly what each smelter can process. No storage ever occurs except in the case of power disruption, and lines move continuously with no waiting for resources and no stoppages because of full buffers. The line is 100% efficient the entire time.

These are very basic examples, and these principles would be applied to the entire production line.

[Grandaddypurple]

Originally posted by Aven:

...

Yep. For future reference, in Satisfactory your first example is known as a manifold system, and your second example as a load balancing system (as you might have read already in this thread)

[Bobucles]

Load balancing is a meme and there's no real reason to do it. Set up a line of machines, run a long belt behind it, and spam splitters. It's quick, it's effective and it works for just about any setup.

[JustSmile]

In Factorio balancers are invaluable, but due to different mechanics I just don't see a need for them in Satisfactory. On top of that, the lack of a simple 2>2 splitter/merger makes building them a MAJOR pain in the ass.

[Maehlice]

Originally posted by Grandaddypurple:

Originally posted by Aven:

...

Yep. For future reference, in Satisfactory your first example is known as a manifold system, and your second example as a load balancing system (as you might have read already in this thread)

This.

Manifolds are king.

And FWIW: both are capable of 100% efficiency, so your second example is a bit of a misnomer regardless.