Inserters
Basics
Inserters are the fundamental structure of a factory. They take an item from behind it and place it in front of it. Inserters can pick up items off the ground, off a transport belt, or from any object that can hold items (eg. chest, furnace), and place them onto the ground, on a transport belt, or into any object that can hold items.
Inserter mechanics
Inserters will act differently depending on what they are moving items to/into so as not to monopolize all of the items being picked up and allow other machines and inserters on the same transport belt to have items. [1]
- Boilers/Burner Items: Inserters will only place up to 5 pieces of coal into a boiler, burner inserter, or furnace before stopping.
- Assembly Machines: Inserters will place up to twice the items needed to make one of the specified item.
- Transport belts: Inserters will always place the item on the further lane.
Types
| Item | Total raw | Max power | Speed | Range | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
180 W (burner) | 1 | 1 | Only inserter using Fuel. |
 |
|
12.6 W (electric) | 1 | 1 | Standard inserter. |
| |
|
18 W (electric) | 1 | 2 | Only inserter with higher range. |
| |
|
31.5 W (electric) | 2 | 1 | Basic faster inserter. |
| |
|
40 W (electric) | 2 | 1 | Inserter configurable for which Items to move. Removed in 0.7.2. See Smart inserter. |
 |
|
44.1 W (electric) | 2.4 | 1 | Only inserter connectable to Circuit networks and with configurable working condition. |
Special behavior
- Inserters/Interaction with other Entities
- Research:Item Cargo Size Update: works only for transport from stack to stack
- Inserters:Focus/Grep-Points
- Inserters/Priority
[TODO: a picture, where two inserters grep the same point] This picture shows two inserters pointing at the same tile.
Good question: When an item is placed into the focus of the inserters, which inserter will take it?
Answer: The first placed inserter.
This behavior can be used for many tricks:
- Assembly1 produces wheels. Inserter1 gives it to assembly2 (which produces belt) or inserter2 puts the wheel into a chest or another assembly. The function is then: First produce belts, if you have enough then store wheels (or give it to the third assembly).
[more examples with pic]
- Storages/Sorting (extended filtering)