getting started
Build and Commission Your First Sandustry Automated Line
Automation should remove repeated carrying without removing your ability to understand the factory. The first useful line is deliberately small: one stable feed, one transformation, separate output destinations, and enough access to observe and recover it.
Early Access · commissioning workflow · Checked 2026-08-22
Choose a process you already understand
Run the manual version several times and identify the material before processing, the condition that changes it, the desired result, and every other output. Automation cannot repair an unclear process; it only repeats it faster. If the manual result varies, reduce the batch and isolate the reaction until you can explain the difference. Use the official Wiki to verify current names, not to skip observation.
Draw the interface
Mark where input enters, the maximum safe input buffer, the processing boundary, each output exit, and maintenance access. Keep the drawing simple enough to compare with the live module. A defined interface prevents the transport layer from being buried inside the machine geometry. It also lets you replace a conveyor, launcher, or chamber without redesigning the entire base.
Automate supply at a low rate
Connect a limited source rather than the largest store. The first automated test should fail cheaply. Watch whether material arrives across the intended capture area, piles on one side, bridges an opening, or enters faster than the process clears it. If the input buffer climbs, stop supply and inspect downstream before increasing machine count. Capacity is proven by sustained flow, not the first successful burst.
Give every output capacity
Prepare the desired collector and byproduct buffer before starting. Make their full states visible from the normal walkway. A forgotten byproduct can stop the valuable output while the player blames the input. Route overflow to isolation rather than back to raw feed. If an output has no confirmed use, store a small amount separately and dispose of nothing based only on old demo advice.
Install safe controls
You need a normal stop that does not require digging through the module. Isolate the feed and any fluid supply independently when practical. Test the effect of power loss or a stopped transport stage. The safe state should contain material and preserve access. Label the shutdown order in the blueprint notebook so recovery does not depend on remembering a sequence during a spill.
Run four failure tests
Test missing input, full output, excess input, and save/reload separately. Preserve the failed state long enough to find the first abnormal buffer or boundary. Clear downstream capacity before excavating a packed input. Restart at reduced supply and confirm the module returns to sustained output. A design that works only from a freshly empty state is not yet automated; it is a timed demonstration.
Measure sustained throughput
After commissioning, clear temporary test material and time a longer normal run. Record accepted output per minute, uptime assumptions, and the exact layout version. Repeat once. Enter the slower result in the production planner. If two observations differ widely, the line is not ready to scale; inspect delivery bursts, buffer levels, and simulation state before trusting an average.
Duplicate the module, not the mystery
Copy the smallest boundary that passed all tests, including its buffers and controls. Do not copy only the visually impressive machine core. Connect the duplicate through defined input and output interfaces, then measure the combined line because shared supply can become the next bottleneck. Keep one module isolated enough to test future patches without risking full production.
Define the first line's service level
Choose a realistic service target such as completing a measured batch without manual carrying, keeping both outputs below warning lines, and restarting through normal controls within a recorded interval. Run the line several times across a normal play session rather than observing only construction. Log every intervention and classify it as supply, processing, collection, contamination, or access. A line that reaches the target only because the player clears a hidden pocket every few minutes is not yet automated. Use the intervention log to select the next change, then repeat the same service test. This creates a clear finish condition and prevents endless expansion from disguising a module that never became reliable.
Sources and evidence notes
- Sandustry on Steam ↗
Tier 1 · Early Access retail store listing. Official identity, release state, features, platforms, and requirements
- Official Sandustry Wiki ↗
Tier 1 · Current official community wiki. Named materials, buildings, and documented game systems
- Sandustry Official FAQ ↗
Tier 1 · Pinned Early Access FAQ and support discussion. Current support topics, features, and reporting guidance