“Sushi belts”—also known as mixed belts—allow multiple items to travel on the same conveyor line. While often avoided due to complexity, they can be incredibly efficient when used in the right context, especially in late-game factories or space-constrained layouts. This guide explains how and when to use them, along with practical setup tips.

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Why Use Sushi Belts?

✅ Efficient for Multi-Item Logistics

• Great for transporting mixed resources to Awesome Sinks or buffer storage.
• Reduces the need for one belt per item when quantities are low.

✅ Space Optimization

• Combine up to 4 different items on a single belt to reduce spaghetti conveyors.
• Useful in compact or vertical factory designs.

✅ Perfect for Low-Volume Items

• Ideal for items like space elevator components, which have low throughput needs but use multiple input types.

✅ Streamlined Production for Variety

• Useful in multi-output or multi-input production lines, where each machine only uses a small share of resources.

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Challenges of Sushi Belts

⚠️ Saturation & Deadlocks

• High-throughput items (e.g., screws) can flood the belt, blocking other materials.
• Fix with Smart Splitters to prevent choke points.

⚠️ Not for All Machines

• Machines with a single-input slot (e.g., Smelters, Constructors) can’t use mixed belts effectively.
• Better suited for Assemblers or Manufacturers with multiple inputs.

⚠️ Requires Mid-to-Late Game Tech

• Smart Splitters (via Caterium research) and Tier 3+ belts are essential.
• Mark 4 belts (480 items/min) or higher are recommended for most sushi systems.

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Best Use Cases for Sushi Belts

🔹 1. Smart Storage & Overflow Management

• Gather mixed overflow from multiple sources.
• Route to storage hubs or sinks using Smart Splitters with Overflow logic.

🔹 2. Compact Multi-Item Production Lines

• When producing items like computers, modular engines, or AI limiters, a sushi belt can carry shared inputs efficiently.

🔹 3. Dynamic Manifolds (Smart Manifolds)

• Use smart splitters to dynamically distribute materials based on availability.
• Great for adaptive factories with variable input needs.

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How to Build a Smart Sushi Belt

🧠 Step 1: Calculate Total Throughput

• Add up the items per minute for each type to ensure they stay within belt capacity.
• Example: Mark 4 belt = 480 items/min.

🧠 Step 2: Keep High-Volume Items Separate

• Screws, wire, copper sheets, etc., should use dedicated belts.
• Sushi belts work best for inputs under ~60 items/min each.

🧠 Step 3: Use Smart Splitters for Control

• Place Smart Splitters at each machine or input point.
• Configure:
  • Left: Specific item
  • Right: Next item
  • Overflow: Everything else to Sink or buffer

🧠 Step 4: Add Sinks for Overflow

• Always include Awesome Sinks at the end of each sushi belt loop.
• This prevents system jams if any item saturates the belt.

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Example Setup: Producing Computers

Inputs per Computer:

• 10 Circuit Boards
• 9 Cables
• 18 Plastic
• 52 Screws

Recommended Layout:

• Dedicated Belt for Screws
• Sushi Belt for Circuit Boards, Plastic, and Cables
• Smart Splitters at Manufacturer: Route each input to the correct port
• Overflow to Sink: Handles excess and prevents backup

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Final Thoughts

Sushi belts aren’t for every setup—but when used properly, they can drastically reduce clutter, optimize layouts, and save materials and space. Use them for low-throughput, multi-item production lines or smart overflow systems. Just be sure to pair them with Smart Splitters and keep volume-balanced to avoid backups.

Would you like a visual diagram or a cheat sheet version for factory use?