Item Source

Item Source is a block that emits items onto conveyors but cannot by itself saturate the highest-speed conveyors. It is commonly encountered when maps or scenarios need a steady supply of specific resources without relying on production chains. When used with high-throughput belts such as Plastanium Conveyors or Surge Conveyors, a single-sided output from an Item Source will not reach those belts' maximum throughput; to obtain full bandwidth the block must output on two adjacent sides whose outputs are later merged into a single lane.

Because Item Source cannot produce enough flow through one face to fill a Plastanium or Surge Conveyor alone, layouts that expect maximum belt utilization require routing both of the Source’s active outputs into a combiner or a converging pair of belts. Typical implementations place the Item Source between two parallel belts or orient it so its two output faces feed separate lanes that are then joined with a merge tile or with a short run of conveyors that converge into one. This doubles the effective output and allows the downstream Plastanium/Surge lane to reach its advertised throughput.

Practical notes and considerations:

• An Item Source must have its two output faces connected to conveyors that are merged to achieve the maximum single-lane throughput of Plastanium or Surge Conveyors. A single-side connection will bottleneck those belts.
• When planning compact factories, leave space for the short merging section; naive single-lane hookups will underutilize high-tier belts.
• Use a pair of parallel belts coming out of the Item Source, then merge them with a standard belt-join pattern to feed a single high-speed lane.
• Monitor the direction and orientation of the Source so both outputs align with the intended merge path; improper orientation will waste potential throughput.

Item Source is primarily a distribution/starting-point block rather than a production block; its main limitation and operational requirement is the need for dual outputs merged to reach the maximum transport rate offered by the fastest conveyors.