How many machines can a yellow belt support?

A yellow belt moves 15 items per second. The number of machines depends on the item's consumption rate. For example, it can support 48 Stone Furnaces smelting Iron Plates.

Does this calculator support Factorio Space Age?

Yes, our calculator includes the new Turbo belts (60 items/s) and allows for custom machine speeds and module configurations suitable for Space Age content.

Factorio Manifold Calculator | Optimize Your Factory Layouts

Q: What is a manifold in Factorio?

A manifold is a linear arrangement of machines where a single belt runs alongside them, and splitters or inserters pull resources directly from the line in sequence. It contrasts with a balanced splitter tree.

Configuration

Belt Type

Quick Recipe (Optional)

Consumption (items/s)

Item Stack Size

Number of Machines (Optional) If set, we'll check if the belt can support them.

Analysis Results

- Max Machines

- Total Consumption (i/s)

- Est. Warmup Time

- Belt Efficiency

Manifold Visualization

Green = 100% Satisfied | Yellow = Partial | Red = Starved

Enter parameters and click Calculate to see the visualization.

About the Factorio Manifold Calculator

Welcome to the ultimate Factorio Manifold Calculator. Whether you are a seasoned engineer optimizing a megabase or a new player trying to figure out why your last furnace isn't running, this tool is designed for you. Unlike standard ratio calculators that assume perfect distribution, our tool simulates the linear "manifold" flow common in most bus-based factories.

What is a Manifold?

In Factorio, a "manifold" refers to a design pattern where machines are placed in a line and fed by a single belt running alongside them. Splitters or inserters pull resources off the main line one by one. This is often easier to build than a perfect splitter tree (balancer) but comes with a downside: the last machines in the line have to wait for the belt to fill up (warmup time) and will starve if the input isn't sufficient.

How to Use This Tool

Select Belt Type: Choose from Yellow, Red, Blue, or the new Space Age Turbo belts.
Input Consumption: Enter how many items per second a single machine consumes. You can use the presets for common scenarios like smelting.
Analyze: The tool calculates exactly how many machines your belt can support before running dry.
Visualize: See a visual representation of your production line to identify exactly where the bottleneck occurs.

Tips for Efficient Factories

1. Oversupply is Key: In a manifold, it's often better to slightly oversupply the belt or under-build machines to ensure the last machine gets resources, especially if latency is an issue.

2. Warmup Times: Manifolds can take a long time to reach 100% efficiency because the first machines will "hog" resources until their internal buffers are full. Our calculator estimates this time based on stack size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Manifold vs. Balancer: Which is better?

Manifolds are more compact and easier to expand. Balancers ensure equal distribution immediately but take up more space. For most smelting and assembly lines, manifolds are preferred once the belt is saturated.

Does this work for Space Age expansion?

Yes! We have added support for the new Turbo Transport Belts (60 items/s) introduced in Factorio: Space Age.

Why are my last machines blinking?

This usually means your belt throughput is insufficient to feed the entire line. Use the calculator above to find the maximum number of machines your current belt tier can support.