Setting Up Your First Assembler

Prerequisites

You need an Assembler block, a Basic Machine Hull to anchor your machine line, and a power and item logistics chain. Craft Analog Circuit Board and Analog Circuit from your early ingots, then combine them into Analog Circuit for control logic. Build Arithmetic Logic Unit and AND Gate components for the more advanced recipes the Assembler handles.

Power and Feedstock

Run Aluminum Cable from your generator to the Assembler. Feed items in through an Item Input Hatch and pull outputs from an Item Output Hatch. For fluids, use a Fluid Input Hatch and Fluid Output Hatch. Route everything with Black Item Pipe and Black Fluid Pipe, and buffer with an Aluminum Barrel or Aluminum Tank.

Operating the Assembler

Place the Assembler adjacent to its hatches and casings. Insert Analog Circuit and the required plates, gears, or dusts. The Assembler consumes recipes that would otherwise be tedious by hand, including shaped crafting and forge_hammer outputs. Use an Automatic Trash Can on any overflow line so byproducts like Tiny Dust do not clog your pipes.

When you need higher throughput, swap Basic hatches for Advanced Item Input Hatch, Advanced Item Output Hatch, Advanced Fluid Input Hatch, and Advanced Fluid Output Hatch, and upgrade the hull to Advanced Machine Hull. This lets the same Assembler handle larger batches without rebuilding the layout.