To smelt steel in Factorio, you must process iron plates within a furnace. This transformation converts five iron plates into a single steel plate. This fundamental process is crucial for advancing through the game, as steel is a vital component for more advanced structures, technologies, and production chains.
The Smelting Process Explained
Smelting steel in Factorio involves a straightforward but scalable process:
- Input Material: The primary ingredient is Iron Plate. You will need five iron plates for every one steel plate produced.
- Required Building: A Furnace is essential. Factorio offers different types of furnaces:
- Stone Furnace: Available early game, requires fuel (e.g., coal, wood) to operate.
- Steel Furnace: A faster version of the Stone Furnace, also requires fuel.
- Electric Furnace: Late-game option, faster and doesn't require fuel, but needs electricity. It also produces no pollution directly, unlike fuel-powered furnaces.
- Fuel/Power:
- Fuel-powered furnaces (Stone, Steel): Require a continuous supply of burnable fuel like coal, solid fuel, or rocket fuel.
- Electric furnaces: Require a constant supply of electricity from your power grid.
- Automation: To efficiently smelt steel on a large scale, you will need to automate the input of iron plates and fuel (if applicable), and the output of steel plates using Inserters and Transport Belts.
Setting Up a Steel Smelting Array
A common and highly efficient method for setting up steel production utilizes a conventional smelting system design:
- Central Output Belt: Dedicate a transport belt in the center to carry the finished steel plates away.
- Two Rows of Furnaces: Place furnaces in two parallel rows, one on each side of the central output belt.
- Input Belts: Supply iron plates to each row of furnaces using dedicated input belts running alongside them.
Steps to Build a Basic Setup:
- Place Furnaces: Lay down a line of furnaces (e.g., Stone Furnaces) for your first row. Leave space for an input belt beside them and an output belt opposite them.
- Input Iron: Place a transport belt adjacent to your furnace row. Use Inserters to pick iron plates from this belt and place them into each furnace.
- Provide Fuel (for Stone/Steel Furnaces): If using fuel-powered furnaces, you'll need another input method for fuel. This can be done by either:
- Having a second inserter for each furnace picking fuel from a separate belt.
- Using a "shared" input belt where both iron and coal are on the same belt (requires more complex inserter logic or careful belt management).
- Alternatively, for smaller setups, manually placing fuel.
- Output Steel: On the other side of your furnaces (towards the center where your output belt will be), place Inserters to pick the smelted steel plates from the furnaces and place them onto the central output belt.
- Second Row: Repeat steps 1-4 for the second row of furnaces, mirroring the first row on the opposite side of the central output belt. This creates a symmetrical and highly productive setup.
This configuration ensures a continuous flow of materials and maximizes throughput for your steel production.
Key Components for Steel Smelting
To summarize the essential components for a steel smelting operation:
| Component | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Plates | Raw material for steel production. | 5 Iron Plates = 1 Steel Plate. |
| Furnace | Building where iron is smelted into steel. | Stone, Steel, or Electric Furnaces. |
| Fuel | Powers Stone/Steel Furnaces. | Coal, Solid Fuel, Rocket Fuel (Electric Furnaces use power). |
| Inserters | Automate loading/unloading of materials. | Basic, Fast, Long-handed inserters are commonly used. |
| Transport Belts | Move materials efficiently. | Used for input (iron, fuel) and output (steel). |
| Power Poles | Supply electricity to Electric Furnaces and inserters. | Essential for automated systems. |
Scaling Your Steel Production
As your factory expands, your demand for steel will increase significantly. Consider these tips for scaling:
- Upgrade Furnaces: Transition from Stone Furnaces to Steel Furnaces for increased smelting speed, and eventually to Electric Furnaces to eliminate fuel logistics and manage pollution more effectively.
- Expand Smelting Arrays: Build more furnace lines as described above, or extend existing ones.
- Optimized Belt Systems: Ensure your input iron belts and output steel belts can handle the volume. Upgrade to faster belt types (red, blue) as needed.
- Beacon Support: For late-game Electric Furnace setups, use Beacons filled with Speed Modules to dramatically increase smelting speed over a large area, further optimizing space and resources.
By following these guidelines, you can establish a robust and scalable steel production line to fuel your Factorio factory's growth.
