Research and power
Factory Expansion
Expansion works best when it solves a visible resource or production bottleneck. Planning access, storage, and transport…
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Factory Expansion
Unmined terrain near the current base where scanner or map readings indicate a needed resource.
Before you go
- A scanner and a chosen resource need
- A workable mining route to the target
- Storage and transport appropriate to the target
- Required mining equipment and power for automation
Farming steps
- Review your buffers and choose the material that is limiting a current production goal.
- Use the scanner or map to find a candidate deposit or vein for that material.
- Check the target's elevation and whether it is an ordinary deposit or a vein drill point.
- Plan an access corridor that keeps a return route open and reaches the target level.
- Excavate carefully until the target face or drill point is accessible.
- Place a buffer and establish a conveyor or other route toward the factory before scaling extraction.
- Add the appropriate miner and power connection, then test delivery into storage.
- Choose a site for its usable access and output route as well as its resource reading.
- Preserve enough room for belts and service access before filling the area with machinery.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeat expansion when a new material shortage justifies another site. Each site requires its own target check, access route, and output test.
Common mistakes
- Expanding without a specific material need can produce stock you cannot use; start with an observed shortage.
- Building extraction before planning transport can strand output underground; prepare the conveyor or hauling route early.
- Confusing an ordinary deposit with a vein point leads to incorrect placement; confirm the target type before choosing equipment.
When to stop or switch
Stop expanding when the new source delivers enough to relieve the selected bottleneck. Improve transport or processing first if the deposit produces faster than the factory can accept.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.