Ore Factory Squad Machines Reference
Every major Ore Factory Squad machine: crushers, smelters, assemblers, Modular Mining Lift modules, and warehouse robots explained.
Processing Machine Overview
Machines transform mined ore into contract-ready goods in Ore Factory Squad. Conveyors feed inputs; buildings process on timers; outputs exit to belts or bins for forklifts and trucks. Power and footprint vary by tier — cramming machines without co-op walkways fails late game when warehouse robots need service access.
Unlock order generally follows contract difficulty: basic smelters first, crushers when recipes demand them, assemblers for multi-input goods, lift modules for depth, warehouse robots for staging automation.
Placement controls are on the building and placement page; system design on conveyor automation.
Crushers and Smelters
Crushers break specific raw ores into granules or chunks smelters accept — skipping crushers when required stalls belts with red error states. Feed crushers from lift dumps or dedicated mining shafts via splitters.
Smelters convert eligible inputs into ingots at fixed rates. Multiple smelters on one belt need sufficient input ore per minute — monitor empty smelters as a sign to slow mining or add upstream splitters. Copper smelters teach timing; Iron and Gold smelters punish imbalanced lines harder.
Use the production calculator to estimate margin before duplicating smelter rows for Gold.
Assemblers and Advanced Crafting
Assemblers combine ingots or components into higher-tier contract goods. They introduce multi-input routing — merge belts carefully and label zones in co-op voice chat. Assembler jams often trace to one missing Iron plate while Copper floods a merger.
Advanced recipes appear on contract boards mid-game. Pre-build empty assembler bays during Iron profitability spikes so you can slot machines immediately when new recipes unlock.
Resource inputs are listed on the ores and resources page.
Modular Mining Lift Modules
Lift modules are machines installed in vertical shafts connecting underground bins to surface conveyors. Upgrade modules increase speed, stop count, or cargo capacity depending on tier. Treat the lift as part of the machine roster, not just a map feature — it consumes maintenance attention like smelters.
Shaft design interacts with lift modules — widen landings for co-op passage before buying top-tier speed upgrades that outpace miner fill rates.
Detailed mining integration appears in the mining guide.
Warehouse Robots and Support Structures
Warehouse robots automate pallet pickup from fixed conveyor endpoints to contract staging zones. They require stable paths — reconfiguring belts daily resets robot learning time in some builds. Program routes after layouts stabilize.
Lighting, power relays, and storage bins classify as support structures rather than processors but matter for achievement checks and co-op safety underground.
City-side warehouse integration is mapped on city and warehouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What machine should I build first?
Build a smelter fed by your first conveyor from the Modular Mining Lift. Add crushers only when recipes require them.
Why is my smelter idle?
Wrong ore type, empty input belt, or full output bin. Trace backward from smelter intake to lift deposit.
When do warehouse robots unlock?
Mid-game after stable smelter output and multi-contract workflow. Exact cash and deed requirements vary — check in-game shop after Iron profitability.
Can machines process Gold and Copper on one belt?
Only with splitters routing each ore to compatible smelters. Mixed input into one smelter type usually fails.
Do machines work offline in co-op?
While the host world runs, machines process whether players are underground or surface. Host must keep session active.