Compact Steel Factory Blueprint for Arknights Endfield
Steel production in Arknights: Endfield is a two‑axis problem: you must secure a steady stream of Sandleaf Powder and you must feed that powder plus refined Farium into a correctly balanced refining chain. The simplest way to think about the system is as a modular factory cell: one Sandleaf farm module that produces powder, one refining module that consumes powder and refined Farium to produce Steel, and a finishing module that converts Steel into either Steel Parts or Steel Bottles. Build one cell, test it, then duplicate it. The design philosophy is to keep each cell compact, to include small buffers between stages to absorb production spikes, and to make the power and belt routing predictable so you can copy the module without reworking connections.
The single module explained
A validated single module is the foundation of scaling. The module has three functional zones: the farm, the input staging, and the refining/finishing chain. The farm is a tight loop that uses a Seed Picker, a Planting Unit, and a Shredder to convert seeds into Sandleaf Powder continuously. The input staging area uses Depot Unloaders to accept refined Farium and Sandleaf Powder from your logistics network. The refining chain uses a Refining Unit to combine inputs into Steel, then routes that output into either a Fitting Unit for Steel Parts or a Molding Unit for Steel Bottles. A small Protocol Stash after the finishing machine prevents belt backups and gives you a place to tap production for storage or immediate use.
Start by placing the Seed Picker and Planting Unit close together so the return belt from the Planting Unit feeds directly back into the Seed Picker. This creates a self‑sustaining loop once you seed it. Add a Shredder on the Planting Unit’s secondary output to convert harvested leaves into Sandleaf Powder. Route the powder to a Depot Unloader configured to accept powder only. Place two Depot Unloaders nearby for refined Farium; these should be set to accept Farium only and feed into the same staging belt as the powder unloader. From the staging belt, feed into a Refining Unit. After the Refining Unit, place a Fitting Unit or Molding Unit depending on whether you want Steel Parts or Steel Bottles. Add a Protocol Stash after the finishing machine to collect output and avoid belt congestion.
Step‑by‑step placement and initial setup
Begin with a small cleared area roughly the size of a compact depot. Place the Seed Picker first, then the Planting Unit so the Planting Unit’s output belt returns to the Seed Picker. Add the Shredder adjacent to the Planting Unit’s secondary output. Connect the Shredder output to a short belt that leads to a Depot Unloader set to accept Sandleaf Powder. Place two Depot Unloaders for refined Farium near the powder unloader so you can route all three inputs into a single Refining Unit without crossing belts. Place the Refining Unit so its input ports align with the three depot outputs; this reduces belt weaving and prevents jams. Attach the Fitting or Molding Unit to the Refining Unit’s output and finish with a Protocol Stash. Power the entire cell with one or two electric pylons placed to cover every machine; avoid placing pylons where they block depot access.
When you first start the module, manually seed the Seed Picker with one Sandleaf seed to bootstrap the farm. Confirm the Planting Unit is producing leaves and that the Shredder is converting them into powder. Check that the Depot Unloaders are configured correctly and that the Refining Unit shows both inputs arriving. If the Refining Unit is receiving only one input, trace the belts back to the depots and confirm the unloader settings.
Balancing inputs and identifying bottlenecks
In practice, refined Farium is the most common bottleneck. The farm can be duplicated cheaply, but Farium production often requires more complex upstream chains or dedicated resource allocation. Monitor the Refining Unit’s input meters: if powder is abundant but Farium is scarce, add more Farium production or dedicate additional Depot Unloaders to Farium so the refining chain never waits. Conversely, if Farium is abundant but powder is scarce, duplicate the farm module or add a second Shredder to the Planting Unit’s secondary output.
Another common imbalance is finishing throughput. If you want Steel Parts faster, route the entire steel output into the Fitting Unit and pause any Molding Unit. If you need Steel Bottles, do the opposite. Splitting the output between both finishing machines is possible but halves the per‑product throughput unless you duplicate the refining chain.
Throughput math and planning targets
Understanding production rates helps you plan how many modules you need. Measure the output of a single module over a fixed interval—say, ten minutes—and extrapolate. If one module produces X Steel per minute and you need Y Steel per hour, divide Y by X and round up. Remember to account for upstream losses and downtime; add a 10–20% buffer to your module count to avoid shortages during maintenance or when you repurpose machines.
When planning for Steel Parts or Steel Bottles, calculate the conversion rate from Steel to finished goods. If one Fitting Unit converts N units of Steel into parts per minute, and your refining chain produces M units of Steel per minute, then the number of finishing machines required is . Use this simple math to decide whether to duplicate the refining chain or to add finishing machines.
Power, spacing, and belt routing best practices
Power is often overlooked until you try to scale. Each module consumes a predictable amount of electricity; when you duplicate modules, place additional pylons proactively. Use pylons that cover multiple machines and avoid placing them where they block depot access or belt routing. Keep belts straight and minimize crossings; every crossing is a potential jam point. Use short belts between depots and the Refining Unit so you can visually confirm inputs are arriving. When copying the module, maintain the same relative positions for pylons and depots so the copied module works immediately.
Space is a premium in midgame bases. The compact module described here is intentionally tight. If you have extra room, add small Protocol Stashes between the farm and the depots and between the Refining Unit and the finishing machine. These buffers smooth production spikes and make troubleshooting easier because you can see where items are piling up.
Scaling strategy and replication
Once a single module runs reliably for several cycles, replicate it. Copy the module and paste it adjacent to the original, leaving a one‑tile gap for pylons and belt turns. Connect the new depots to your logistics network and ensure the refined Farium supply scales with the number of modules. If you have limited Farium, stagger module activation: run two modules at full power and keep others idle until you expand Farium production. This staged approach prevents resource starvation and keeps your base efficient.
When you have the resources, scale horizontally by adding identical modules. Horizontal scaling is simple and predictable. Vertical scaling—making a single module produce more by adding parallel Shredders or extra Refining Units—can be efficient in tight spaces but is harder to copy and troubleshoot. For most players, horizontal replication is the fastest path to thousands of units.
Output prioritization and dynamic routing
Your production needs will change. Sometimes you need Steel Parts for immediate construction; other times you need Steel Bottles for research or trade. Implement dynamic routing: use a primary finishing machine for the product you need most and keep a secondary finishing machine idle or in low‑priority mode. When your primary stock reaches a threshold, flip the routing so the secondary machine starts receiving steel. If the game supports programmable logic or priority settings on depots and machines, use those features to automate switching based on inventory levels.
If you want both products simultaneously, dedicate separate refining chains to each product. This is the cleanest solution because it avoids complex routing and ensures each product has a predictable throughput.
Common failure modes and how to fix them
The most frequent causes of production stalls are misconfigured Depot Unloaders, belt misalignment, power gaps, and insufficient refined Farium. If the Refining Unit shows only one input, check the depot settings first. Depot Unloaders often default to accepting multiple items; lock them to the specific resource you want. If belts are misaligned, rebuild the short segment between the depot and the Refining Unit; a single reversed belt can stop the entire chain. If machines lose power, inspect pylons and move them so they cover all machines. If Farium is the issue, temporarily pause secondary modules and funnel Farium to the active chains until you can expand Farium production.
Another subtle failure mode is belt congestion caused by downstream Protocol Stashes filling up. If your finishing machine is producing faster than your storage can accept, the stash will fill and backpressure will stall the chain. Add extra stash capacity or slow the finishing machine by toggling it off for short intervals.
Advanced layout variations
If you have extra space and want to optimize for throughput, consider a dual‑refiner layout: two Refining Units fed by a shared farm and multiple Farium depots. This increases steel output without duplicating the entire farm. Use a small splitter belt to distribute powder evenly between the two refiners. Add a balancing belt that evens out Farium distribution so neither refiner starves.
For players who prefer minimal footprint, a stacked layout places the farm above the refining chain with vertical belts connecting them. This saves horizontal space but complicates copying. Use stacked layouts only when you’re comfortable with belt routing and power placement.
If you want redundancy, build three modules and run two at full capacity while keeping one as a hot spare. If a module needs maintenance or you repurpose it, the spare can be activated instantly to maintain supply.
Resource management and logistics
Keep a close eye on refined Farium because it’s the limiting reagent in most steel recipes. Build dedicated Farium production lines or allocate a portion of your logistics network to Farium only. Use priority settings on depots to ensure Farium flows to steel modules before other consumers. If your logistics network supports scheduled deliveries, set recurring shipments of Farium to your steel depots.
For Sandleaf Powder, the farm is cheap to duplicate, so don’t overengineer it. Instead, focus on making the farm reliable: ensure the Seed Picker always has at least one seed and that the Planting Unit’s return belt is unobstructed. If you plan to scale to dozens of modules, consider building a centralized farm cluster that feeds multiple refining chains via a short conveyor trunk.
Testing and validation
Before you copy a module widely, run it for a sustained period—an hour if possible—to observe real behavior. Watch for intermittent stalls, power dips, and stash overflows. Validate that the finishing machine produces the expected number of parts or bottles per minute. If you see any irregularities, fix them before replicating the module; copying a flawed design multiplies the problem.
When validating, simulate peak demand by temporarily increasing Farium input or by toggling additional farms online. This stress test reveals bottlenecks that only appear under load.
Practical tips and small optimizations
Use short belts and direct connections to reduce the chance of jams. Keep pylons accessible so you can move them when copying modules. Label depots mentally or with in‑game markers so you don’t accidentally change their settings when expanding. If the game allows blueprint saving, save the module as a blueprint and name it clearly so you can paste it repeatedly. When copying, paste modules in a grid pattern to make power and belt routing predictable.
If you need to conserve space, rotate modules so their depots align with a central trunk belt. This reduces belt length and keeps the layout tidy. When you have spare power capacity, add a small battery or capacitor if the game supports it; this smooths short power dips during peak activity.
Common mistakes to avoid
Don’t assume the farm will always keep up; monitor it. Don’t route multiple resource types through a single unconfigured depot; lock depots to specific resources. Don’t copy a module without testing it first. Don’t ignore power scaling—modules that work fine individually can trip breakers or overload generators when multiplied. Finally, don’t split finishing outputs unless you have abundant steel; splitting reduces per‑product throughput and complicates troubleshooting.
Maintenance and long‑term operation
Plan for maintenance windows. Keep one module offline as a maintenance spare so you can upgrade or repair without halting production. Periodically check depot filters and belt orientations after major base changes. As you unlock late‑game machines or upgrades, revisit the module design: newer machines may offer faster conversion rates or smaller footprints that let you redesign the cell for even higher throughput.
When to expand versus when to optimize
If your current modules are starved for refined Farium, expand Farium production before adding more steel modules. If your modules are idle because of storage limits, expand storage or increase consumption by scheduling more builds or trades. If your modules are running but you need a different product mix, duplicate the refining chain and dedicate new copies to the alternate product rather than trying to split outputs from a single chain.
Final checklist before mass duplication
Confirm the Seed Picker has a seed. Confirm the Shredder produces Sandleaf Powder. Confirm Depot Unloaders are locked to the correct resources. Confirm the Refining Unit receives both inputs. Confirm the finishing machine produces the expected output. Confirm pylons power every machine. Confirm Protocol Stashes have room. Only after all checks pass should you copy the module.
FAQ
How many farms per refining chain should I run? Two farms per refining chain is a safe baseline. One farm can work but leaves little buffer; three farms are overkill unless you plan to run multiple refiners from the same farm cluster. Can I produce parts and bottles at the same time from one module? Technically yes, but it halves throughput for each product. For predictable supply, dedicate separate refining chains to each product. What’s the fastest way to reach 10,000 steel? Duplicate validated modules and scale refined Farium production first. With four to six modules and steady Farium, you can reach thousands overnight. Why does my Refining Unit show only one input? Check depot filters, belt orientation, and that the depots are not full or blocked. A reversed belt or misconfigured depot is the usual culprit. How do I prioritize parts over bottles? Route all steel to the Fitting Unit and pause the Molding Unit. Use priority settings on depots if available to automate this switch. Is there a compact blueprint I can copy? Yes—build the compact module described above, test it, then save it as a blueprint for rapid replication. Keep pylons and depots aligned so copies work immediately. What should I do if power becomes an issue when scaling? Add pylons and upgrade generators if available. Stagger module activation to avoid simultaneous peak draws. Consider adding a battery or capacitor if the game supports energy buffering. How do I avoid belt congestion? Use short direct belts, add Protocol Stashes as buffers, and avoid crossing belts. If congestion persists, add a small splitter and balancing belt to even out flow.
This guide gives you a complete, repeatable approach to building an efficient steel production line in Arknights: Endfield. Start with the compact module, validate it, then duplicate and scale while watching refined Farium supply and power. Prioritize one finished product when you need it urgently, and dedicate separate chains when you need both. With careful balancing, modest buffering, and a staged scaling plan, you’ll convert seeds into thousands of Steel Parts and Steel Bottles reliably and predictably.
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