Junction

Junction is a basic conveyor intersection block used to split, merge, or redirect item flow in Mindustry. It functions as a short piece of conveyor with a slightly higher throughput than a Titanium Conveyor, and it provides internal buffering that makes it useful for routing and simple buffering where Containers or more advanced transport are unavailable. Junctions appear in the tech tree as an early logistics component and are commonly used to manage item paths coming from multiple buildings or to prevent unintended insertion into adjacent belts.

A single Junction holds 6 items per input lane, meaning a two-way Junction can store 12 items total while they pass through. Its move speed is marginally greater than that of Titanium Conveyors, so it will not be the limiting factor when paired with other basic conveyors; however, anything faster than Titanium Conveyors — for example, Plastanium Conveyors or certain Duct configurations in mixed-tech environments — will create a downstream bottleneck at the Junction. Junctions can also be arranged to allow items to cross in opposite directions, though that is of limited practical use in most builds.

Practical uses and behavior:

• Junctions are ideal for placing adjacent to buildings that output items onto a nearby belt in order to intercept and prevent those outputs from accidentally entering your primary conveyor lines.
• Because each lane stores up to 6 items, a Junction can act as a small on-site stockpile when Containers or higher-tier storage are not available.
• Use Junctions to merge multiple low-throughput lines or to split a single line into several directions for simple sorting or distribution tasks.
• Be aware that pairing Junctions with faster transport (Plastanium Conveyors or Ducts) will reduce effective throughput; match speeds appropriately to avoid congestion.
• Junctions can be configured to let items pass in opposing directions at the same tile; this is possible but rarely optimal for complex logistics.
• Placement next to inserter-type outputs (buildings that eject items) can be used to ensure the output enters a specific line or is held temporarily.

Development and cost history (concise):

• Junctions were introduced early in the game’s history and have seen multiple cost adjustments across versions. The modern build cost is three Copper, following adjustments that raised and lowered costs in different builds and editions.
• At various points in development the Junction’s move speed and item capacity were made visible in the core database.

When designing conveyor networks, treat the Junction as a small-capacity, slightly faster-than-titanium router: excellent for early-game routing and limited buffering, but plan to replace or augment them when you require higher continuous throughput or larger storage.