Objective: Automate Blue Science Pack Production

Automate Chemical Science Pack production in Factorio. This guide covers setting up sulfur, advanced circuits, and engine units for blue science.

Congratulations, Engineer! You've mastered Red and Green Science, and now it's time to tackle the next major hurdle: Blue Science Packs, officially known as Chemical Science Packs. This tier introduces fluid mechanics, advanced crafting recipes, and significantly expands your factory's footprint. Automating Blue Science is crucial for unlocking advanced technologies like Logistics Robots, Electric Furnaces, and more efficient production modules.

Understanding the Blue Science Pack Recipe

Each Blue Science Pack requires three distinct ingredients, each representing a more complex production chain than previous science packs:

• Advanced Circuits (2 per pack)
• Engine Units (2 per pack)
• Sulfur (1 per pack)

These are crafted in an Assembly Machine 2 or 3. For a sustainable factory, aim for an initial target of 45 Blue Science Packs per minute (SPM). This rate, combined with 45 Red and 45 Green SPM, will allow you to research most technologies at a reasonable pace without overbuilding early on.

Step-by-Step Automation Guide for Blue Science Packs

Phase 1: Securing Crude Oil and Basic Oil Processing

The most critical new element for Blue Science is Sulfur, which is derived from Crude Oil. This is a fundamental prerequisite and often the first major bottleneck.

1. Locate Oil Patches: Scout your map for crude oil deposits. These are typically found further away from your starting location than iron and copper.
2. Set Up Oil Extraction:
   • Place Pumpjacks on each oil well.
   • Connect Pumpjacks with Pipes to transport the crude oil.
   • Consider using Storage Tanks near the oil fields to buffer production, especially if your processing facility is far away.
   • Transport crude oil to your main base area using Pipelines (for shorter distances) or Trains (for longer distances and higher throughput). Trains are highly recommended for any significant oil operation.
3. Build a Basic Oil Processing Facility:
   • Research Oil Processing.
   • Construct Oil Refineries. Start with at least 3-5 for a 45 SPM target.
   • Connect crude oil input to the refineries.
   • The Basic Oil Processing recipe will produce:
     • Heavy Oil
     • Light Oil
     • Petroleum Gas
   • Store each fluid type in separate Storage Tanks. Petroleum Gas is your primary output for Sulfur and Plastic.

Phase 2: Sulfur Production Chain

Sulfur is crafted directly from Petroleum Gas and Water.

1. Research Sulfur Processing: Unlock the recipe.
2. Build Chemical Plants: Place Chemical Plants dedicated to Sulfur production. You'll need approximately 2-3 Chemical Plants for 45 SPM.
3. Input Petroleum Gas and Water:
   • Pipe Petroleum Gas from your Oil Refineries to the Chemical Plants.
   • Pipe Water from a nearby lake or ocean using Offshore Pumps and a pipeline network.
4. Output Sulfur: The Chemical Plants will produce Sulfur. Transport this via belt to your Blue Science assembly area.

Phase 3: Advanced Circuit Production Chain

Advanced Circuits (often called "Red Circuits") are a significant step up in complexity, requiring three inputs.

Advanced Circuit Recipe:

• Electronic Circuits (2 per Advanced Circuit)
• Plastic Bars (2 per Advanced Circuit)
• Copper Cable (4 per Advanced Circuit)

You will need approximately 10-12 Assembly Machine 2s dedicated to Advanced Circuit production for 45 Blue SPM.

1. Electronic Circuits (Green Circuits): Ensure you have a robust supply of Electronic Circuits. This is a foundational component for almost everything. If your current production is struggling, expand it now.
   • Requires Iron Plates and Copper Cable.
2. Plastic Bar Production:
   • Research Plastics.
   • Build Chemical Plants for Plastic Bar production. You'll need about 2-3 Chemical Plants for 45 SPM.
   • Input Petroleum Gas (from your oil refinery) and Coal (from a mining outpost).
   • Output Plastic Bars onto a belt.
3. Copper Cable Production:
   • Requires Copper Plates.
   • Crafted in Assemblers. These are usually placed directly next to the Advanced Circuit assemblers to save belt space, as Copper Cable is used in large quantities and doesn't stack well.
4. Assemble Advanced Circuits:
   • Feed Electronic Circuits, Plastic Bars, and Copper Cable into your dedicated Advanced Circuit Assemblers.
   • Output the Advanced Circuits onto a belt towards your Blue Science assemblers.

Phase 4: Engine Unit Production Chain

Engine Units are another multi-step component, requiring Steel, Gears, and Pipes.

Engine Unit Recipe:

• Steel Plate (1 per Engine Unit)
• Iron Gear Wheels (1 per Engine Unit)
• Pipe (2 per Engine Unit)

You will need approximately 7-8 Assembly Machine 2s for Engine Unit production for 45 Blue SPM.

1. Steel Plate Production:
   • Requires Iron Plates (5 Iron Plates smelt into 1 Steel Plate).
   • Smelted in Furnaces (Stone, Steel, or Electric). Ensure you have a dedicated and sufficient supply of Steel.
2. Iron Gear Wheel Production:
   • Requires Iron Plates (2 Iron Plates craft into 1 Iron Gear Wheel).
   • Crafted in Assemblers. These are often placed directly next to the Engine Unit assemblers.
3. Pipe Production:
   • Requires Iron Plates (1 Iron Plate crafts into 10 Pipes).
   • Crafted in Assemblers. Like Copper Cable and Iron Gear Wheels, these are often produced on-site.
4. Assemble Engine Units:
   • Feed Steel Plate, Iron Gear Wheels, and Pipes into your dedicated Engine Unit Assemblers.
   • Output the Engine Units onto a belt towards your Blue Science assemblers.

Phase 5: Final Blue Science Pack Assembly

With all three complex ingredients now being produced, it's time to bring them together.

1. Place Blue Science Assemblers: Construct Assembly Machine 2s or 3s for the final Blue Science Pack production. For 45 SPM, you'll need approximately 7-8 Assemblers.
2. Belt in Ingredients: Use belts and inserters to feed Advanced Circuits, Engine Units, and Sulfur into these assemblers.
3. Output Blue Science Packs: The finished Blue Science Packs should be belted to your Labs. Remember, Labs consume all available science packs, so ensure your Red and Green Science are also being fed into the same lab network.

Common Pitfalls and Pro-Tips

• Fluid Management: Oil processing introduces fluids, which can be tricky. Use Storage Tanks to buffer fluids and prevent blockages. Consider cracking excess Heavy Oil to Light Oil, and excess Light Oil to Petroleum Gas, using Advanced Oil Processing (unlocked later) to ensure a steady supply of Petroleum Gas.
• Power Consumption: Oil Refineries, Chemical Plants, and the sheer number of assemblers for Blue Science will significantly increase your power demand. Be prepared to expand your power generation (more Steam Engines, or transition to Solar/Nuclear).
• Space Requirements: Blue Science production chains are sprawling. Plan for ample space, especially around your oil processing facility.
• Belt Throughput: Pay attention to belt saturation. Advanced Circuits and Engine Units require a lot of base materials, so ensure your input belts (especially for Iron and Copper) can handle the demand.
• Modular Design: Consider building each component (Sulfur, Plastic, Advanced Circuits, Engine Units) as a self-contained module. This makes expansion and troubleshooting much easier.
• Early Train Usage: If your oil fields are distant, don't shy away from setting up a basic train network for crude oil early. It's a skill you'll need to master eventually.

Automating Blue Science is a major milestone in Factorio. It demands careful planning, efficient resource management, and a good understanding of fluid mechanics. Once established, you'll unlock a vast array of powerful technologies that will propel your factory towards the ultimate goal: launching a rocket!