In Alchemy Factory, production issues are rarely caused by a single machine.
Most slowdowns come from hidden bottlenecks inside fuel supply, power flow, space layout, or transport paths.
This page helps you quickly identify which bottleneck is limiting your factory, and what system you should inspect next.
What Is a Bottleneck?
A bottleneck is any system component that limits overall production speed, even if everything else appears to be working.
Common signs:
- Machines are running, but output is much lower than expected
- Expansion causes sudden instability
- Power or fuel looks connected but production still stalls
- Some items pile up while others are constantly missing
Common Bottlenecks in Alchemy Factory
1. Resource Bottleneck (Early & Mid Game)
Certain resources become limiting factors as your factory grows.
Typical examples:
- Sulfur shortages slowing multiple production chains
- Expensive or inefficient raw material conversion
- Over-reliance on early-game sources that don't scale well
Symptoms
- One missing ingredient stops an entire chain
- Storage is empty for a single critical item
What to check
- Resource production methods
- Space efficiency of resource generators
- Whether alternative recipes or sources exist
2. Power Bottleneck
Power issues often appear after expansion, not at the start.
Even if machines show power connections, supply may be unstable.
Symptoms
- Production works briefly, then slows or stops
- Expansion causes sudden drops in efficiency
- Fuel consumption increases faster than expected
What to check
- Fuel input consistency
- Power generation vs. total demand
- Distance or layout affecting power flow
3. Space & Layout Bottleneck
A factory can run out of effective space long before it runs out of land.
Symptoms
- Crowded layouts reduce flexibility
- Transport paths become long or inefficient
- Expanding one system breaks another
What to check
- Machine spacing
- Modular vs. compact builds
- Whether future expansion was planned
4. Transport Bottleneck
Items may exist — but not arrive where they are needed.
Symptoms
- Belts or paths look active but deliver too slowly
- Inputs arrive late, causing idle machines
- Long-distance transport delays stack up
What to check
- Path length and congestion
- Priority of item flows
- Whether transport speed matches production speed
How to Identify Your Main Bottleneck
Ask yourself:
- Is production completely stopped, or just slower than expected?
- Is a single resource missing, or multiple systems underperforming?
- Did the problem appear after expansion?
- Does fixing one issue immediately reveal another?
In most cases, only one bottleneck is the true limiter. Fixing everything at once often wastes time.
Related Systems to Review
If you've identified a bottleneck, these pages may help:
Understanding how systems interact is often more important than optimizing a single machine.
Final Tip
Bottlenecks are part of progression in Alchemy Factory.
They are not mistakes — they are signals that your factory has reached a new stage.
Learning to read those signals is what turns a working factory into an efficient one.