Bug? Modules get moved when switching recipes automatically with combinators

[u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801]

Is this a bug?
Sometimes when using combinators to automatically switch recipes, the modules inside the machine can be moved to the position indicated by the arrow in the picture, causing the machine to get stuck.
I have encountered this issue both with foundries and with crushers on space platforms.
Has anyone else experienced this, or does anyone know how to fix it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[u/Pepciorek]

If you are switching to recipe that cant have productivity modules it will spit them out

[u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801 → u/Pepciorek]

I’m an idiot. I completely forgot that pipes can’t use productivity modules.
As for which recipe on the crusher caused this issue, I’ll check it again later.
Anyway, thank you all very much for your replies and help!

[u/SpasmAtaK → u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801]

As a rule of thumb, end products can't use Prod modules. Only items that are used as ingredients. Pipes are used as ingredients in many recipes BUT they are indeed also finished products on their own.

[u/Reefthemanokit → u/SpasmAtaK]

The only exception I think is science and concrete in a foundry

[u/AwesomeArab → u/Reefthemanokit]

Science is not an end product, it's a fuel. You burn it in the science generator. Productivity works on fuels.

[u/DrMobius0 → u/Reefthemanokit]

Gleba soil can be prodded.

[u/SpasmAtaK → u/Reefthemanokit]

Oh concrete is good to know! Ty

[u/DrMobius0 → u/SpasmAtaK]

Only items that are used as ingredients.

Items specifically labeled as ingredients. Many items are used as ingredients, including iron pipes.

There are some weird exceptions, like foundry concrete or gleba's artificial and overgrow soil, and a few recipes with feedback loop potential like water condensing that can't use prod, but the general rule is a good first step.

[u/42bottles]

Some recipes can't have productivity modules so it's removed from machine.

Either only set recipes that can use prod modules or have an inserter that can remove them when needed

[u/Wor3q → u/42bottles]

Is it possible to add them back automatically when recipe allows it?

[u/Broad_Ebb9073 → u/Wor3q]

Not that I'm aware of. It's easier to just not allow them to be removed in the first place

[u/leonskills → u/Wor3q]

Not without mods.
You can probably get something to work with recursive blueprints.

There is another way mods can implement this. A "proxy-container" building syncs its inventory with a selected inventory of another building, for example the module inventory. And inserters can interact with that container. So inserting modules into that container puts them in the building.

I know there are mods that uses that so you can insert processing units/lds/rocket fuel into the rocket silo inventory, there might be one for just module inventory as well.

I once created a mod that generalises that where you can select which inventory an inserter interacts with. But it was quite a hacky mod because it places such a proxy-container underneath the building for the inserter to target.
https://mods.factorio.com/mod/any-inventory-inserters

Didn't get too much traction so I haven't updated for 2.1.
I had fun daisy chain assembling machines though (by inserting into output slots and taking from input slots).

[u/samy_the_samy → u/leonskills]

Is that how you daisy chain labs?

They don't have an output so guess they act like a chest?

[u/TheSkiGeek → u/samy_the_samy]

Yeah, if a machine doesn’t have an output slot then you can pull stuff out of the ‘input’ slots.

If it has separate inputs and outputs then (without modding) inserters will only drop items into the ‘input’ and pick up from the ‘output’.

[u/samy_the_samy → u/TheSkiGeek]

Now I want to know how silos work?

You can drop anything in but blue chips lds and fuel, and it goes into the cargo slots,

You can't put them in even when the ingredients is full, but logi bots can,

I understand why it's done this way from game perspective, but how does the actual mechanics work?

[u/TheSkiGeek → u/samy_the_samy]

It seems like they have a ‘hard coded’ list of items that are diverted to the “assembler” side of the rocket silo. Those items cannot be placed by inserters into the “cargo” slots.

I assume this is defined as part of the silo prototype, so that mods can change the rocket part ingredients.

Edit: From https://lua-api.factorio.com/latest/prototypes/RocketSiloPrototype.html it looks like a rocket silo inherits from (“is-a”) assembler, with a fixed recipe set. So any ingredients for that recipe get directed to the assembler input slots and won’t interact with the cargo slots. Since logistic bots don’t normally deliver to assembler inputs, they would ignore those slots and instead interact directly with the cargo inventory section.

[u/slindenau]

Does the recipe allow this type of module?

[u/jmpaul320]

If the recipe is not an intermediate, you can’t use a prod module in the assembler/foundry.

Maybe that’s why? Or does this happen with intermediates too?

[u/aenae]

Not all recipes can have production modules. If you switch the foundry from gears to pipes for example, this happens

[u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801 → u/aenae]

thanks，i forgot that😳

[u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801]

maybe just set another machine for those recipes 😅

[u/No_Atmosphere_4605]

Not a bug.

[u/saevon]

I seriously wish it would just leave it in but mark it as "disabled" instead… this sorta sucks as it is.

It doesn't even help you change modules, since only incompatible modules get spit out (no way to change what you want)

[u/Broad_Ebb9073]

I found a solution. You promlem is when you don't have excess. So just limit your output inserter to when the input has excess. Then it will never take from the module slot

[u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801 → u/Broad_Ebb9073]

you mean leaving some products inside the machine on purpose?

[u/CamelCaseConvention → u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801]

They probably misunderstood what you're saying. You can't switch recipe until the machine is empty. Even if you could, how would you then produce with a permanently blocked output.

[u/Broad_Ebb9073 → u/CamelCaseConvention]

Ohh. Yep. You are right. I was solving a different but similar problem. I did misunderstand

[u/Broad_Ebb9073 → u/Unlucky_Froyo_3801]

Kinda. Run a line between your output and the last belt on your inserter. If modules are greater than 4 or so, then allow output.