Sorters
Overview
Sorters are the basic logistics building used to move items between 
Sorters come in three tiers, each with higher transport speed than the last. The Mk.I sorter moves 1.5 items per second, the Mk.II sorter moves 3 items per second, and the Mk.III sorter moves 6 items per second before bonuses. Mk.III also benefits from the Sorter Cargo Stacking bonus, which greatly increases throughput at higher levels. A sorter can span a maximum distance of three grid squares, with speed decreasing over longer placements.
Because sorters can be filtered, they are useful for running multiple item types over the same belt instead of dedicating one conveyor line per item. They are also useful on buildings with multiple outputs, such as Oil Refineries, where a filtered sorter can pull one product from a specific port without interfering with the other output. Faster sorters will unload a storage container before slower ones, so sorter tier affects practical priority as well as raw throughput.
- To apply a filter, select an installed sorter and click Filter on the control panel, then choose the item it should handle exclusively.
- To remove a filter, select the sorter and click the X next to the item icon.
- The Mk.III sorter can move multiple items per trip, which can cause jams if the input contains mixed item types; filtering prevents this.
- When feeding an assembler from storage or extracting several outputs from one facility, filtered sorters are the safest way to keep item flows organized.
Transport rate by placement distance:
- Mk.I: 1 grid square, 1.5 items/s; 2 grid squares, 0.75 items/s; 3 grid squares, 0.5 items/s
- Mk.II: 1 grid square, 3 items/s; 2 grid squares, 1.5 items/s; 3 grid squares, 1 item/s
- Mk.III: 1 grid square, 6 items/s; 2 grid squares, 3 items/s; 3 grid squares, 2 items/s
- Mk.III with Cargo Stacking bonus: 1 grid square, 12 to 36 items/s depending on level; 2 grid squares, 6 to 18 items/s; 3 grid squares, 4 to 12 items/s