junction

Junction is a conveyor-type block used to route items where two or more conveyor lines meet. It functions like a short segment of conveyor with an internal buffer and routing behavior that lets items from different directions merge or pass through a shared tile. Junction appears early in tech and is commonly used to manage intersections or to create compact sorting and routing setups.

Junction has an internal item capacity of 6, allowing it to temporarily stockpile resources when downstream throughput is limited or when containers are not yet available. Its throughput is slightly higher than a Titanium Conveyor, so placing anything faster (for example Plastanium Conveyors or ducts from mixed-tech mods) feeding into a Junction will still create a bottleneck downstream; plan conveyor speeds so that the input does not exceed the Junction’s effective outflow. Junction can also be used to let items cross in opposite directions in constrained layouts, though this is a niche use and has limited practical benefit compared with dedicated crossing solutions.

Practical notes for use:

• Use Junctions to merge multiple feeds when you need a compact intersection with a small buffer to smooth bursts. The buffer of 6 items can prevent immediate clogging when flows are briefly uneven.
• Avoid feeding Junctions with conveyors that exceed its effective throughput; faster conveyors will saturate the Junction and reduce overall line performance.
• When titanium or containers are available, prefer those for larger buffering needs; Junctions are most useful in early- to mid-game compact routing.
• Junctions’ routing allows items to briefly pass in opposing directions, which can enable creative compact layouts, but this capability is limited and situational.
• Build cost and build time were adjusted after initial introduction (copper cost increased early in its history and build time was slightly increased); these historical changes do not affect in-game behavior beyond resource and time requirements.