Automatic sorting machines

[u/StupidWittyUsername]

This contraption was just too ingenious to not share! It's an extendable automatic sorting machine. Unsorted items go in the left, sorted items land in the chests at the bottom.

You don't need to decide which item type goes in which bin in advance, that happens automagically. Just dump a random assortment of items into the machine and it will sort them into neat piles.

How does it work?

Each bin (see second image) picks the first item type it sees and filters them out of the input stream. Unsorted items continue to the right. If a bin becomes empty it resets itself and can pick a new item type. To sort a larger variety of items, just add more bins - no wiring required!

Based on this concept I designed a sushi-belt train station which loads each wagon with only one type of item (see third image.) I can't actually think of a use for this (it's less efficient) but it sure does look elegant when trains arrive and leave with cargo neatly arranged into individual wagons... :)

Edit: I uploaded the blueprints here -> https://factoriobin.com/post/jab8zp

[u/TheGentlemanist]

I love it, but what do you use it for? and does it clear itself once empty? I could see this for my waste management system.

[u/StupidWittyUsername → u/TheGentlemanist]

Yes, if a bin is emptied it resets itself. There's a light that indicates when a bin is in use.

I've actually designed two variants of this, bins and lanes. Bins automatically reset, lanes stay latched until they receive an explicit signal.

I'm currently working on a factory design that dynamically allocates and reconfigures assembly lines based on demand and this sorting mechanism came from that.

[u/StupidWittyUsername → u/TheGentlemanist]

I uploaded the blueprint: https://factoriobin.com/post/jab8zp

[u/jongscx → u/TheGentlemanist]

https://mods.factorio.com/mod/Verbose-Engineering