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Trying to wrap my head around sorting and organizing
I'm wanting to build a huge refinery addition to my base where I can smelt multiple ores all at once in dedicated refineries (about 9 total), then dump them back into a "catch-all" storage for both raw ore and finished ingots.

I thought I could get away with a dedicated input for each ore with the output coming out of the refineries going into a single pipe with a single sorter set to "Drain All" to pull the finished ingots out of all refineries into the storage area.

Alas, I had backflow from the refinery that I started up first, which bled into other refineries and had them refine the first ore that got to it, instead of the input side. The most obvious fix for that would be to have individual sorters to pull the ingots out of each refinery to stop backflow, but that will add a lot of PCU and cost more materials in survival.

My question is, has anybody found out if there is a better way of avoiding backflow? Or am I supposed to put a sorter on each refinery "outlet" to avoid unwanted crossflow?

Here's a few screenshots of what I'm trying to do. I know this is only 6, but I figured I would test it out in a creative world before I go all in with my survival save. The first one shows the top pipe, which is input, the second is the output. Yes, all refineries have yield mods on them.

Input
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3826834720

Output Piping
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3826835243

In addition, I'm thinking of trying to figure out a way to toggle priorities for one bank to focus entirely on any ores that take longer to refine, such as Gold, Cobalt and the like. Iron and Stone seems like it refines the fastest, so I would probably ignore that.

I've got a feeling that I'm just going to have to nip it and use individual sorters to act as one way valves for the output.
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Showing 1-12 of 12 comments
Glow
13 hours ago 
The cheapest way? I mostly used 4 refineries. Two separate lines: one for Fe, Si, and Ni, Ag and another for Au, Co, Pt, and Ur. I arrange the ore in a container in a specific sequence, calculated according to my needs - for example: 20k kg of Au, 10k kg of Co, then 20k kg of Au again. The most time-consuming part was figuring out the build order, timeline and the required quantities. I don’t even use sorters or scripts anymore.
#1
ShadedMJ
12 hours ago 
Dedicated refineries (one for each ore) is an incredible waste no matter what. Refinery for only platinum will spend most of its time not being used (not having platinum ore) or have a huge backlog that will take forever (having platinum ore).

I use methods similar to Glow. One or more cargo containers in an ordered line (Ore 1, Ore 2, Ore 3) with similar ore examples, and other cargo containers as needed with random ore. If I feel like it, one or more sorters to pull ingots out into ingot storage.

If I'm excessively picky or frequently gone, ingot storage has sorters to pull each ingot type out into individual ingot storage containers.
#2
RetroACE135
8 hours ago 
Originally posted by ShadedMJ:
Dedicated refineries (one for each ore) is an incredible waste no matter what. Refinery for only platinum will spend most of its time not being used (not having platinum ore) or have a huge backlog that will take forever (having platinum ore).

I use methods similar to Glow. One or more cargo containers in an ordered line (Ore 1, Ore 2, Ore 3) with similar ore examples, and other cargo containers as needed with random ore. If I feel like it, one or more sorters to pull ingots out into ingot storage.

If I'm excessively picky or frequently gone, ingot storage has sorters to pull each ingot type out into individual ingot storage containers.

So do you think it would be better to have them set to pairs or banks with sorters to mass refine specific ore on demand?

I'm really floating the idea of using sorters and buttons to create a "shift" for refineries to swap between what ingots I need on demand. Each bank set up on 6-9 sorters that feeds into them, then buttons to choose which ore I want or need refined at that time. I've found that even with Gold, about 3 refineries are able to refine the amount needed to make 120 superconductors in short time. I haven't tried it with any other ore.

I'm wanting to do this to try out acquisition contracts and such.
#3
ShadedMJ
6 hours ago 
My suggestion is what Glow and I said before. It might need some block restructuring though.

I have the closest cargo container to the refineries called "Large Cargo Container XO1" and all the refineries will pull from there first. If I want a particular ore to have priority I put it first in that container. Other ore containers are XO2-XO9 or more numbers. In the inventory screen I search for XO and see the XOs in order and rearrange the ore. On the other half of inventory is a search for REF to see all the refineries and I can take out those ores and put them in the XO2-XO9 and refinery will pull from XO1.
#4
Captain Canard
6 hours ago 
Originally posted by RetroACE135:
I'm wanting to build a huge refinery addition to my base where I can smelt multiple ores all at once in dedicated refineries (about 9 total), then dump them back into a "catch-all" storage for both raw ore and finished ingots.
Why? It's a sincere question - what is the problem you are trying to solve?
#5
RetroACE135
2 hours ago 
Originally posted by Captain Canard:
Why? It's a sincere question - what is the problem you are trying to solve?
Like I said, I'm trying to build a huge refinery section to allow for quick refining of ores en mass to haul for Acquisition Contracts and trading with Stations.

If I can, I'd like to have it work where I could hit a button on a control panel to "order" which ore I want to refine into ingots on demand, instead of just letting the refineries pull things automatically. Like if I am smelting too much iron and need nickel, I could just go to my refinery section and push a filter/sorter button instead of searching in a cargo container to reorder inventory. I'm also trying to figure out how to smelt at least 2 (maybe even 3) different ores at the same time.

The more I think about it, the more I think having a bank of 2-3 refineries with 6 sorters set to whitelist each ore on the input would be best. Then I could have them all focus on specific ores instead of spreading out across 9 different ores.

I'll see if I can make a mockup in Creative real quick and screenshot what I am talking about. I think I might be on to something that might work like I want it to.
#6
woodsguide
2 hours ago 
shot in the dark....

inbox > bank of sorters(one for each ore) > bank of refineries> sorter(whitelist ingot) > inbox

set up a button panel to turn all sorters off, and to turn each ore sorter on.
#7
ShadedMJ
1 hour ago 
Originally posted by RetroACE135:
...hit a button on a control panel to "order" which ore I want to refine ...
Button enabling sorters would probably be best, but be prepared for the refineries to already be full of ore you don't want and it may take considerable time for that to clear.
#8
Captain Canard
1 hour ago 
Originally posted by RetroACE135:
Like I said, I'm trying to build a huge refinery section to allow for quick refining of ores en mass to haul for Acquisition Contracts and trading with Stations.
I've never really had this problem. I play on a server where refineries run 24x7 whether I'm logged in or not, so I just mine everything in excess, let the refineries do their thing while I'm offline, and stockpile the processed metals so I always have enough for the aquisition contracts.

Are you storing ores without processing them? I don't see why else you would need a sorter, because if a contract calls for gold, you go mine gold and dump it into the empty refineries. Storing unprocessed ore is inefficient both in space and time. Now stockpiling metals, that's the way to go.

So yeah, I guess I'm still a bit confused to the "why" part, unless you're doing it just for fun, which I totally get.
#9
RetroACE135
1 hour ago 
Originally posted by woodsguide:
shot in the dark....

inbox > bank of sorters(one for each ore) > bank of refineries> sorter(whitelist ingot) > inbox

set up a button panel to turn all sorters off, and to turn each ore sorter on.

Yup! That's the idea I've got in mind. One button for each ore sorter to switch the selected one "on" and the others "off", with a master switch to turn everything off if I need to save power.

Repeat the same build for each bank of refineries that I want to run at the same time, but want to refine a different ore.

If I'm calculating it just right, that means it will take 10 sorters per bank of refineries. 9 for each ore, and one to pull ingots out of the refinery bank.
#10
RetroACE135
1 hour ago 
Originally posted by Captain Canard:
Originally posted by RetroACE135:
I've never really had this problem. I play on a server where refineries run 24x7 whether I'm logged in or not, so I just mine everything in excess, let the refineries do their thing while I'm offline, and stockpile the processed metals so I always have enough for the aquisition contracts.

Are you storing ores without processing them? I don't see why else you would need a sorter, because if a contract calls for gold, you go mine gold and dump it into the empty refineries. Storing unprocessed ore is inefficient both in space and time. Now stockpiling metals, that's the way to go.

So yeah, I guess I'm still a bit confused to the "why" part, unless you're doing it just for fun, which I totally get.
Oh, I'm all for the fun, but thought it would be a good idea to build it that way in case I ever play on a server that does heavy trading and such. also, I thought some acquisition requirements requested unprocessed ores, and just wanted to keep a decent stockpile on hand if one ever came up, but I could be misremembering.
#11
Captain Canard
1 hour ago 
Well, to answer the question (likely already answered), I'd just have a sorter for each type of ore, all in parallel, feeding the refineries (also in parallel), with a single sorter going in the opposite direction that whitelists metals but not ores, set to pull. Connect your buttons to turn on or off the sorter(s) of the ore(s) you wish to feed to the refineries, and there you go.

While you're at it, it's good to separate ores from ingots via two or more cargo containers (you'll already have the sorters in place). Though if you want to access all of that through just one connector, that does introduce a bit more complication. But if you have a separate mining ship from your cargo hauling ship, then two connectors (one for each) is the logical choice.
#12
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Date Posted: Oct 25 @ 2:04am
Posts: 12
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