Satisfactory is a tree. Ore becomes ingot, ingot becomes part, part becomes component. The item database makes that tree readable before you place a belt. This guide shows how to think in chains and lists real item names drawn from the game’s 150-item dataset so you can recognise them as you build.
Chain thinking
Every item has inputs and an output rate. Match those rates with splitters or the line starves and the whole factory slows. Do not skip tiers — each tier unlocks the machines that make the next tier possible, so build in order and keep the chain unbroken.
Plan the end first
Decide the final part, then work backward. A backward plan avoids a half-built spaghetti base. For the Space Elevator, the end parts are Smart Plating, Versatile Framework, Modular Engine, and the phase 4-5 project parts — start those lines early (see the Space Elevator parts guide).
Real items by where they sit in the chain
These are real names from the 150-item dataset, grouped by chain position:
- Raw resources: Copper Ore, Caterium Ore, Bauxite, Coal, Leaves, Beryl Nut, Alien Remains, Aluminum Scrap, Alien DNA Capsule, Alien Protein, Alien Power Matrix
- Ingots and fluids: Copper Ingot, Caterium Ingot, Aluminum Ingot, Compacted Coal, Aluminum Casing, Alclad Aluminum Sheet
- Early parts: Automated Wiring, Cable, Concrete, Black Powder, Circuit Board, Cooling System, Copper Powder
- Mid components: AI Limiter, Adaptive Control Unit, Computer, Battery, Empty Canister
- Late-game project parts: Assembly Director System, Magnetic Field Generator, Thermal Propulsion Rocket, Nuclear Pasta, Biochemical Sculptor, AI Expansion Server, Ballistic Warp Drive
- Tools and equipment: Chainsaw, Blade Runners, Beacon, Color Cartridge, Boom Box, FICSIT Coupon, Flower Petals, Hard Drive
Stack sizes that matter for logistics
A few real stack sizes from the dataset show how differently items move:
| Item | Stack size | Logistics note |
|---|---|---|
| Beacon | 100 | Common marker, stacks well |
| Color Cartridge | 200 | Bulk-dye item, large stack |
| FICSIT Coupon | 500 | AWESOME Shop currency, huge stack |
| Flower Petals | 500 | Biomass input, huge stack |
| Hard Drive | 100 | MAM research, medium stack |
| Boom Box | 1 | One-off equipment, no stacking |
Big stacks mean fewer trips between far-apart production steps; small stacks (the Boom Box, at 1) are tools you carry, not items you ship on belts.
Trace the chain
Open any item and follow what feeds it upward. That single habit replaces hours of guessing and prevents a blocked build later. Treat the item database as a design tool: open an item, read what feeds it, and you have the skeleton of a factory already drawn.