Processing unit

Processing unit is an advanced intermediate item used in late-game production. It is crafted from advanced circuits, electronic circuits and sulfuric acid and is required for high-tier recipes. The production chain for Processing units typically places the bottleneck on the supply of advanced circuits and sulfuric acid, so careful balancing of those inputs is essential for sustained output.

The standard ratios used to plan Processing unit factories are commonly calculated assuming Assembling machine 3 running at full speed without Modules or beacon support. Under that assumption, a minimal-ratio layout can be derived that keeps all assembler and machine counts whole numbers; intermediate products that are assumed to be abundant in-factory may be omitted from such ratio tables. Sulfuric acid is produced in Chemical plants and must be continuously supplied to the Processing unit assemblers. The recipe considerations are based on the normal-mode recipe.

• Use Assembling machine 3 as the baseline for per-machine production rates when planning; tables and ratio guides are typically published with that machine and no Modules or beacon support.
• Advanced circuits and electronic circuits are the immediate component items; ensure their own production lines are scaled appropriately and feed directly into Processing unit assemblers.
• Sulfuric acid must be produced in Chemical plants and piped or otherwise delivered to assemblers; prioritize uninterrupted chemical production to avoid stalls.
• Adding Modules and beacon setups will change the per-machine output and required ratios; re-calculate assembler counts if using speed, productivity or efficiency Modules or beacons.
• Ratio tables and blueprints often omit intermediate subcomponents if those are assumed stocked or produced elsewhere in the factory; verify that any omitted inputs are actually available at the planned throughput.

When designing a Processing unit section of a factory, plan for continuous input of circuits and sulfuric acid, decide whether to boost output with Modules and beacons, and recalculate all machine counts when changing assembler types or module/beacon configurations.