Troubleshooting · Anti-Jam Architecture
In Sandustry's granular particle physics engine, scaling from early single-product lines to composite factories almost always triggers catastrophic interlocking deadlocks. When heterogeneous materials like Wet Seed, Florin gas, Burnt Residue, and Stratacore cross paths, simple back-pressure halts entire factory wings. Learn the physics of multi-material jams, the 60-second triage protocol, and the Magialisk 4-Gate buffer standard.
Quick answer
Factory deadlocks in Sandustry almost always result from one of three physics interactions: 1) Floating Wet Seeds jamming conveyor intake ceilings in wet zones, 2) Buoyant Florin gas creating vapor blocks in gravity chutes, or 3) Residue accumulating downstream and halting 25-block Kinetic Press drops. To fix a deadlocked factory: immediately pause raw inputs, clear the downstream exit chute first, maintain a 3-tile vertical ceiling above main bus belts, and install 4-Gate overflow recirculation loops with Advanced Filters.
01
Sandustry's physics simulation calculates discrete collisions for every individual sand grain, ore chunk, and fluid droplet. In starter single-product lines, belts run continuously because items easily stack and glide.
The moment a factory scales into composite automation—bringing Wet Seeds into water bays, venting Florin gas near falling ore chutes, or funneling Shaker Residue toward a Kinetic Press—materials with conflicting densities, buoyant lifts, and terminal velocities collide. A single stalled byproduct creates backward pressure, causing an entire megabase wing to freeze within minutes.
02
When a running factory suddenly halts, panicked players often dismantle input hoppers or erase conveyor loops, compounding the disorder. Follow the proven 60-second triage protocol:
Step 1: Pause raw intake drills and water pumps to halt fresh particle volume. Step 2: Trace downstream along the conveyor bus to the terminal output machine (Kinetic Press collector, Florinol battery, or smelter hopper). Step 3: Clear the single clogged pixel at the discharge port. Step 4: Watch upstream conveyor lines unfreeze in reverse order. Step 5: Install an overflow bypass before resuming intake.
03
Codified in Steam Guide 3791773800 by veteran engineer Magialisk, the 4-Gate Architecture prevents multi-material deadlocks by design rather than emergency intervention.
Gate 1 (Intake Metering): Enforce a 3-tile vertical ceiling to ensure 30+ items/sec flow without friction. Gate 2 (Whitelist Sorter): Advanced Filters isolate designated outputs onto parallel sub-belts. Gate 3 (Overflow Relief): Full hopper buffers spill surplus items onto an auxiliary bypass belt. Gate 4 (Recirculation Loop): Diverted items return to a holding silo or secondary incinerator, guaranteeing infinite loop elasticity.
04
Consult the diagnostic matrix below to match your factory's visual symptoms with verified root physical causes and permanent architectural remedies.
| Failure Scenario | Physical Root Cause | Emergency Triage | Permanent Architecture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Seed Hopper Jam | Density 100 causes seeds to float above conveyor roof in wet zones | Dredge pooled water from conveyor trench | Mount dry feed conveyor 1 tile above water line; use vertical Seed Shower |
| Florin Vapor Lock | Buoyant gas ascends, exerting upward pressure on falling gravity solids | Break open top ceiling tile to vent trapped gas | Enclose chamber and run overhead suction pipes to a dedicated Condenser |
| Kinetic Press Stall | Burnt residue pile <25 blocks deep or stopped pixels block intake rim | Bounce resting pixels off rim with angled Launcher | Install side-facing 45° Launchers Mk 1 to clear short drops automatically |
| Amethelis Freeze Lock | Steam exhaustion or cold ambient tiles freeze slurry inside transit pipes | Apply direct Flamethrower fire to melt blockage | Enclose pipe channels in insulating Basalt tiles and install Thermal Buffers |
| Stratacore Surge Jam | Vein surge exceeds downstream Precision Laser processing speed (15-20/min) | Pause drill input and clear queue | Stage ore through a 3-tile gravity silo with a 1-tile metered choke gate |
Questions answered
Factories stop when a downstream byproduct cannot discharge, causing granular particles to back-stack across upstream splitters. Most common causes are full Residue chutes, floating Wet Seeds blocking hopper ceilings, or unvented Florin gas.
Wet Seeds have neutral buoyancy in Water (density 100). If water pools in a conveyor channel, seeds float upward and jam against solid ceilings. Drain excess water into a lower sump or use a Seed Shower waterfall curtain instead.
Florin is buoyant and exerts upward pressure against falling solids in enclosed shafts. Install a ceiling Pipe or Liquid Vent at the top of the shaft to draw Florin away into a Condenser, ensuring open air for falling sand.
It is an engineering pattern where every processing cell features: 1) an input gate with 3-tile clearance, 2) an Advanced Filter whitelister, 3) an overflow bypass spillway to divert surplus items, and 4) a return recirculation loop to prevent belt deadlocks.
Maintain a minimum of 3 tiles of open vertical headroom above main conveyor lines. 1-tile ceilings scrape off stacked particles and reduce belt throughput from ~30+ items/sec down to only 12 items/sec.
Stratacore extraction yields approximately 15-20 chunks per minute. Sizing more than 1 Prefabulator and 2 Precision Lasers per vein will leave downstream machines starved for inputs. Buffer chunks in a 3-tile gravity silo before processing.
Evidence notes
These are useful player examples, not official specifications.
