Measure one stage
Use a small, visible test section before scaling the full factory.
Bottleneck troubleshooting
Sandustry Slow Production: Ratio, Transport, Input Or Byproduct?
Quick diagnosis: slow output is not automatically a ratio problem. First prove that input arrives, output leaves and byproducts do not bury the machine.
Classify the bottleneck
| Type | What It Looks Like | First Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Ratio | Input and output paths are clear, but machines wait on the same material repeatedly. | Scale a verified ratio with the calculator. |
| Transport | Materials exist but arrive in bursts or stop at a belt/launcher segment. | Shorten the route and remove the jam. |
| Input | Machine is ready, but the required material is dry, missing or mixed. | Fix the upstream source first. |
| Byproduct | Main product works briefly, then the line buries itself. | Clear and separate the waste/output path. |
Check order
Clear output space
A full output makes every upstream calculation meaningless.
Verify input quality
For early Gold, confirm Wet Sand reaches the Shaker, not dry Sand nearby.
Watch byproducts
Residue or other outputs can slow the line by covering the next input.
Scale only verified math
Use the calculator after the physical line is proven.
What the sources establish
Slow output should be classified as an input, transport, byproduct, or true ratio problem before you scale or redesign anything.
What it does not cover
This guide does not claim the exact best ratio for every line, nor that every slowdown is mathematical rather than physical. This guide is a diagnosis order, not a universal factory benchmark.
Featured Questions
Why is my production slow in Sandustry?
The first possibilities are usually blocked output, weak input quality, transport interruption, or byproduct burying the line. A true ratio problem only matters after the physical route is proven.
How do I tell a ratio problem from a jam?
If materials are visibly stopping, arriving in bursts, or getting buried, it is not yet a clean ratio problem. Fix the physical line first, then measure machine waiting time.
What should I check before using the production calculator?
Check that the machine has clear output space, correct input material, and a clean byproduct exit. Otherwise the math describes a line you do not actually have.
Primary Sources
Source note: Use this as a diagnostic framework; verify production ratios in your current save before scaling.
Official source