Splitters divide one belt into up to three outputs. Mergers combine several belts into one. Together they are how you feed and balance every line.
Why this matters
Almost every factory problem is a splitting or merging problem. Used well, they keep every machine fed.
Step-by-step
- Place a splitter where a belt must branch.
- Set the splitter output for even or overflow splitting.
- Use mergers to combine leftover outputs.
- Feed each branch machine with its own splitter.
- Use overflow splitting to prioritize a line.
- Balance splits so no branch starves.
- Avoid looping outputs back to inputs.
Tips
- Overflow splitting prioritizes one line
- Mergers combine partial belts
- One splitter per branch avoids starvation
- Never loop a splitter into itself
Practical notes
Splitters and mergers solve almost every feeding problem, and the mode matters more than the placement. Overflow splitting prioritizes one line and sends the surplus to the second, which is how storage feeds work. Even splitting shares fairly but starves every branch equally when supply drops.
Use one splitter per branch to avoid starvation, and never loop an output back into an input. Mergers combine partial belts into one full one, which cleans up the tail of a production floor. The right mode turns a jam into a flow.
Never loop an output back into an input, or the belt never settles.
Overflow splitting is how storage feeds work without jamming the main line.
Common mistakes
- Looping splitters into themselves
- Starving branches with uneven splits
- Merging outputs into an input line
- Too many splits on one belt