AIC OPTIMIZATION ADVANCED
Flow Rates, Machine Ratios, Throughput Maximization & PWM Strategies
Last updated: 2026-04-18
Advanced Arknights Endfield factory optimization guide covering deterministic flow rates (0.5 units/s belts), essential machine ratios (2:1 refinement, 1:2 planting), PWM battery cycling for 60%+ efficiency gains, and endgame Stable 18 throughput targets (18/min Buck A + 18/min HC Batteries = ~120k Stock Bills/hour).
* TL;DR - Key Points
- * Conveyor belts move 0.5 units/s -- one item every 2 seconds (The Two-Second Rule)
- * Every PAC/Depot port caps at 0.5 units/s -- finite ports = finite throughput ceiling
- * Refinement ratio is 2:1 -- two Refining Units (0.5/s each) feed one Moulding Unit
- * Planting ratio is 1:2 -- one Seed-Picker feeds two Planting Units for self-sustaining loops
- * Pipes flow 2.0 units/s -- Conduits only 1.5 units/s (can starve Forge of the Sky)
- * PWM battery cycling -- oscillating power delivery improves Thermal Bank efficiency by 60%+
- * Main Bus layouts -- parallel material lines beat spaghetti belts every time
- * Valley IV endgame -- "Stable 18" produces 18 Buck Capsule A + 18 HC Batteries per minute (~120k Stock Bills/hour)
Contents
Logistical Constants & Throughput Limits
Endfield's factory simulation runs on deterministic flow rates. Understanding these hard limits is the foundation of all optimization -- you can't beat the numbers, so you design around them.
The Two-Second Rule
Standard conveyor belts have a fixed flow rate of 0.5 units/s -- exactly one item every two seconds. This isn't a soft cap or average; it's a hard simulation constant.
Belt Math
60 items/minute = 0.5 units/s per belt
120 items/minute requires 2 parallel belts
Design Implication
Any machine consuming faster than 0.5/s needs multiple input belts or bottlenecks immediately
Port Bottlenecks
Every input/output port on the Protocol Anchor Core (PAC) or Depot Bus is limited to 0.5 units/s. These ports are finite resources -- once you've used all available ports, you've hit your factory's absolute throughput ceiling.
Critical Constraint:
Port limits are the ultimate bottleneck. You can add infinite belts and machines, but you cannot exceed the total port capacity of your PAC and Depot Bus. Plan your endgame layout around this hard limit from day one.
Fluid Mechanics: Pipes vs Conduits
Fluid transport has two tiers with significantly different flow rates:
| Fluid Transport | Flow Rate | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Pipes | 2.0 units/s | High-demand facilities |
| Conduits | 1.5 units/s | General purpose |
Pro Tip: Forge of the Sky Starvation
The Forge of the Sky (Wuling's signature facility) can be starved by Conduits. Its high consumption rate requires the full 2.0 units/s from standard pipes. Using Conduits (1.5 units/s) creates a hidden bottleneck that cripples Xiranite production.
Essential Production Ratios
These ratios are mathematically derived from machine processing speeds and input requirements. Deviating from them guarantees either idle machines (under-supply) or belt clogs (over-supply).
Refinement Chain (2:1 Ratio)
To maintain 100% utilization in a Moulding Unit, you must use two Refining Units.
Refiner A
0.5 fibers/s output
Refiner B
0.5 fibers/s output
Moulder
Needs 2 fibers every 2s = 1.0/s input
Two Refiners at 0.5/s each = 1.0/s total, perfectly matching the Moulder's consumption rate of 2 fibers per 2-second crafting cycle.
Botanical Loops (1:2 Ratio)
A self-sustaining farm requires one Seed-Picking Unit to feed two Planting Units.
Output 1 (Loop Back): One Planting Unit's output returns to the Seed-Picker for re-seeding
Output 2 (Surplus): Second Planting Unit's output goes to manufacturing
This ratio ensures the system produces enough seeds to sustain itself indefinitely while generating a consistent surplus of plants for your production chains.
Battery Packaging (1:4 Ratio)
A standard Packaging Unit produces one battery every 10 seconds (or 4 batteries per 40-second cycle). This is sufficient to sustain four Thermal Banks indefinitely.
Power Sustainability Math
One Packaging Unit = 4 batteries/40s = 1 battery every 10s. Each Thermal Bank consumes 1 battery per 10s at standard operation. Therefore: 1 Packaging Unit → 4 Thermal Banks in perfect equilibrium.
Advanced Optimization Strategies
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
Advanced players use splitters to create "oscillating power" setups that cycle battery delivery to Thermal Banks. This prevents energy waste when the grid has a small surplus.
Mechanism
Splitters alternate battery delivery between banks, creating pulses of power generation
Efficiency Gain
Over 60% improvement vs continuous delivery when grid demand fluctuates
PWM is particularly valuable in mid-to-late game when your power consumption varies based on which production lines are active. Instead of burning batteries during low-demand periods, oscillation ensures every unit of fuel contributes meaningful power.
Main Bus Architecture
Transition from "spaghetti" belts (chaotic direct connections) to a Main Bus -- parallel material lines running through your AIC with standardized off-ramps.
Spaghetti Problems:
Belt clogs, impossible to expand, nightmare to troubleshoot, inefficient space usage
Main Bus Benefits:
Predictable flow, modular expansion, easy debugging, clean layouts
Each material gets its own dedicated belt lane. Production buildings tap off the bus via standardized input connections. This creates a predictable, scalable infrastructure that grows with your factory.
Modular Flower Layouts
Self-contained production cells ("flowers") that operate independently but feed into the Main Bus. Each module handles one complete production chain from raw input to finished output.
Advantage 1: Modules can be copied/pasted across AICs for rapid scaling
Advantage 2: If one module clogs, others continue operating
Advantage 3: Easy to identify bottlenecks by module output monitoring
Endgame Throughput Targets
Valley IV peak performance is measured by the "Stable 18" standard -- a specific throughput target that maximizes Stock Bill income while maintaining factory stability.
The Stable 18 Standard
Production Target 1
18 Buck Capsule A per minute
Production Target 2
18 HC Valley Batteries per minute
These two production lines represent the optimal balance of material availability, power generation, and trade value in Valley IV.
Income Projection
A Stable 18 setup generates approximately 120,000 Stock Bills per hour when trading Buck Capsule A at outposts with full Operator Liaison bonuses.
Wuling Endgame Adaptation
Wuling's endgame mirrors the Stable 18 philosophy but uses different materials due to regional production chains:
Xiranite Products: Replace Buck Capsule A with Wuling-specific high-value trades
LC Wuling Batteries: Regional power source for Thermal Banks
Forge of the Sky Limit: Maximum 2 total across all Wuling AICs -- plan recipes carefully
Simulation & Calculation Tools
Never build a complex production chain without first validating it in a simulation tool. These community resources resolve dependencies, calculate exact facility counts, and predict power requirements.
Endfield Calc
Visual dependency resolver that maps complete production chains. Shows exact machine counts, input/output rates, and identifies circular loops before you build.
Best for: Quick ratio calculations, material dependency trees, identifying hidden input requirements
AKEF-Calculator
Advanced factory simulator with detailed power requirements calculation. Handles complex multi-stage production lines and provides facility count breakdowns.
Best for: Power grid planning, large-scale factory layouts, multi-AIC coordination
EndfieldTools.DEV
Primary repository for sharing and simulating optimized blueprint codes across different regional servers (NA/EU, Asia). Includes community-verified layouts.
Best for: Blueprint code sharing, regional server compatibility, community optimization collaboration
Pro Tip: Build Order
Always follow this workflow: 1) Calculate ratios in Endfield Calc → 2) Validate power in AKEF → 3) Download blueprint from EndfieldTools.DEV (or design your own) → 4) Build in-game. Skipping the calculation step leads to expensive teardowns and material waste.
Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
1. Ignoring Port Limits When Scaling
Players add belts and machines without tracking PAC/Depot port usage. Once all ports are consumed at 0.5 units/s each, you hit a hard throughput ceiling. Fix: Track port allocation from day one. Design your endgame layout around available ports, not idealized production rates.
2. Using Conduits for High-Demand Facilities
Conduits (1.5 units/s) look identical to pipes but flow 25% slower. This starves facilities like the Forge of the Sky that need the full 2.0 units/s from standard pipes. Fix: Use standard pipes exclusively for critical high-consumption buildings. Reserve Conduits for general-purpose transport.
3. Wrong Refinement Ratios Causing Bottlenecks
Running 1:1 (one Refiner feeding one Moulder) starves the Moulder at 50% utilization. Running 3:1 creates belt clogs from excess fiber output. Fix: Strictly maintain the 2:1 ratio. Two Refining Units at 0.5/s each perfectly feed one Moulding Unit's 1.0/s consumption.
4. Not Using Splitters for PWM Setups
Direct-connecting batteries to Thermal Banks wastes fuel during low-demand periods. Fix: Install splitters to create oscillating delivery patterns. This PWM approach improves efficiency by over 60% when grid demand fluctuates.
5. Spaghetti Layouts Instead of Main Bus
Direct belt connections between every machine creates an unmanageable tangle. Expansion becomes impossible, troubleshooting is nightmare fuel. Fix: Build parallel Main Bus lanes for each material. Tap off with standardized connections. Future expansion is trivial.
6. Skipping Calculation Tools Before Building
Guessing ratios and machine counts leads to clogs, idle machines, and costly rebuilds. Fix: Always run your production chain through Endfield Calc or AKEF-Calculator first. These tools catch bottlenecks and circular dependencies before you commit materials.
7. Overlooking Belt Clogs from Multi-Output Machines
Shredders produce 3 items simultaneously across 3 output ports. Leaving any port unconnected causes instant backup. Fix: Always connect all output ports on multi-output machines. Route each to a Protocol Stash for automatic Depot transfer.
8. Not Planning for 18/min Endgame Target
Early layouts that don't account for Stable 18 throughput become dead ends. Retrofitting is expensive and often impossible. Fix: Design your Main Bus and port allocation around the 18/min target from the start. Even if you build incrementally, the infrastructure supports endgame scaling.
Quick Reference Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the conveyor belt flow rate in Arknights: Endfield?
Standard conveyor belts have a hard flow rate of 0.5 units/s, meaning one item moves every 2 seconds. This is called the Two-Second Rule. Every PAC and Depot Bus port is also limited to 0.5 units/s, making ports the ultimate throughput ceiling.
What is the optimal refinement ratio in Arknights: Endfield?
To maintain 100% utilization in a Moulding Unit, you need a 2:1 ratio -- two Refining Units (0.5 units/s each) feeding one Moulding Unit. Each Refiner produces fibers at 0.5/s, and the Moulder needs 2 fibers every 2 seconds to craft one bottle.
How do you set up a self-sustaining farm in Arknights: Endfield?
A self-sustaining botanical loop requires a 1:2 ratio -- one Seed-Picking Unit feeds two Planting Units. This ensures the system produces enough seeds to loop back for re-seeding while generating a surplus of plants for manufacturing.
What is PWM in Arknights: Endfield factory optimization?
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) uses splitters to create oscillating power setups that cycle battery delivery to Thermal Banks. This prevents wasting energy when the grid has a small surplus and can improve Thermal Bank efficiency by over 60%.
What is the endgame throughput target for Valley IV in Arknights: Endfield?
Peak Valley IV setups aim for the 'Stable 18' -- producing 18 Buck Capsule A and 18 HC Valley Batteries per minute. This generates approximately 120,000 Stock Bills per hour when traded at outposts.