Ore Factory Squad Automation Guide
Automate Ore Factory Squad factories with conveyors, smelters, warehouse robots, and throughput planning for four-player co-op squads.
Why Automation Matters
Manual ore hauling works for the first contracts in Ore Factory Squad, but factory automation separates squads that meet deadlines from those constantly sprinting crates. Conveyors move ore from Modular Mining Lift exits through crushers and smelters into storage without player intervention. Once belts run continuously, miners underground feed contract boards upstairs while builders expand parallel lines.
Automation is cooperative — one misaligned splitter can starve an entire smelter row. Treat factory design as shared infrastructure with agreed naming or zoning: north wing for Iron, south wing for Copper, and so on. The factory layout guide shows grid patterns that scale to four active players without collision chaos.
This page focuses on system thinking. Pair it with the conveyor automation guide for belt mechanics and the machines reference for per-building stats.
Basic Processing Chains
A minimal chain: raw ore crate or lift dump → conveyor → crusher (if required) → smelter → output bin. Crushers convert some ore types to smelter-compatible forms — check machine tooltips before skipping. Smelters output ingots at fixed rates; stacking five smelters on one belt without input capacity creates idle machines and wasted power.
Add splitters when one mining shaft produces mixed ore. Route Copper left and Iron right early so downstream assemblers receive pure inputs. Merger tiles recombine lines before warehouse loading zones served by forklifts. Test each segment by pausing mining briefly and watching which bin fills — bottlenecks glow through empty downstream belts.
Use the production calculator to estimate profit per ore type before scaling machine counts. Numbers beat guesswork when Gold smelting ties up belts needed for Iron contract spikes.
Power, Placement, and Throughput
Machines need flat foundations within property build zones. Conveyors snap to orthogonal grids with elevation ramps for mezzanine layouts. Keep main trunk lines straight — every unnecessary turn adds slight delay that compounds on long distances from deep lifts.
Place smelters near lift exits to minimize travel time from underground bursts. Warehouse robots and delivery pallets belong closer to city-facing roads for truck loading. Avoid building under future property expansion pads marked on the deed map; moving machines refunds partially but wastes session time.
Throughput math is simple: if miners supply ten ore units per minute and smelters consume eight, bins overflow unless you add belts to secondary processors or sell excess via flexible contracts. When overflow happens, do not panic-delete — reroute with splitters or add temporary storage crates.
Warehouse Robots and Late Automation
Warehouse robots pick finished goods from designated pallets and stage them for contract verification. Program robot routes after static conveyors stabilize — changing belt paths every ten minutes confuses pathing and causes idle robots. Dedicate one player during robot setup to walk routes manually before enabling auto mode.
Robots shine when multiple contract types run concurrently: one lane stages Copper ingots, another Iron plates, a third Gold bars. Link robot output zones to the warehouse terminal scanner so turn-ins require only confirmation, not hand-carrying every ingot across the yard.
Mid-game expansion often pairs robots with trucks on the city warehouse map. Read that page for delivery zone timing and staging bay limits.
Co-op Automation Workflow
Split automation tasks: Builder plans layout, Miner feeds shafts, Operator watches belt monitors and contract timers, Driver handles surface logistics. Rotate each hour so everyone learns troubleshooting — when ore stops, the operator traces backward from empty smelter to stalled lift.
Before major refactors, stash active contract goods in labeled bins. Demolishing a conveyor mid-delivery can void timed bonuses. Use voice chat to announce "factory pause" during refactors so miners do not flood rubble into dismantled intake points.
When automation stabilizes, pursue harder contracts from the contracts guide and scale properties via the property expansion guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many smelters do I need per mining shaft?
Start with one smelter per active ore type on that shaft. Watch bins for ten real minutes: constant overflow means add smelters or slow mining; constant emptiness means add miners or reduce smelters. Mixed ore shafts need splitters before smelter rows.
Why did my conveyor stop moving ore?
Common causes: full output bin, disconnected segment after edit, wrong ore type entering a specialized machine, or lift not depositing to the intake crate. Walk the line from sink to source. Each machine has input/output arrows — reverse belts happen to every new squad once.
When should I buy warehouse robots?
Buy robots when you run two or more simultaneous contract types and manual crate carrying exceeds five minutes per delivery cycle. Robots need stable pallet locations — finalize conveyor endpoints first.
Can automation run while all players are underground?
Yes, if belts, smelters, and lift deposits are configured. Surface machines process while miners dig. Someone must eventually turn in contracts topside unless robots and warehouse links are fully automated to the terminal.
Does automation differ between demo and full game?
The demo introduces conveyors, basic smelters, and simple storage. The full release adds more machine tiers, warehouse robots, multi-property routing, and advanced splitters. Core belt logic remains the same — skills transfer directly.