Arknights: Endfield’s factory system can look overwhelming at first, especially once belts, processing units, power limits, Depot access, and multi-step recipes all start competing for space. The easiest way to approach the Automated Industry Complex, or AIC, is not to search for one perfect layout. Instead, learn how materials move, where bottlenecks form, and why some production chains deserve priority over others.

A well-designed factory should produce useful materials while you focus on exploration, quests, and combat. This guide explains the principles behind efficient production, including early unlock priorities, self-sustaining plant loops, power management, production ratios, Outpost trading, and practical ways to organize each factory area.

Note: All screenshots in this article were procured from NaruVT’s YouTube coverage of this topic. Check them out if you want more in-depth guides on factory setups in Endfield.

How the AIC Factory System Works

You begin working with the AIC after progressing through the early story and unlocking its core systems. Transport Belts become especially important because they allow materials to move automatically between storage, processing buildings, and final assembly units.

Most production chains follow the same basic pattern:

Raw resource → processed material → intermediate component → finished item → Depot or Protocol Stash

Ore may pass through Refining, Shredding, Grinding, Fitting, or Moulding Units before becoming a usable component. Plants can be converted into seeds, powders, medicines, or trade goods. More advanced recipes combine several processed inputs in Packaging, Filling, or Gearing Units.

Your Depot acts as the shared storage network for factory resources in a region. Materials can enter and leave through PAC ports, Depot Bus systems, and other logistics tools. Protocol Stashes are especially useful because they return finished products to the Depot without requiring long belts back to the main structure.

The goal is not simply to place machines. It is to create a continuous flow where every building receives enough input, finished products leave without clogging the line, and the overall factory stays within its available power capacity.

Factory Upgrades to Prioritize

Exact unlock timing depends on story and regional progress, but several upgrades make the entire system easier to manage.

Transport Belts are the foundation of automation. Field Stash or Protocol Stash access reduces the need for oversized return belts. Power upgrades let you operate more machines, while Pylon Relaying makes power distribution easier across larger layouts. Logistics upgrades and the Depot Bus improve access to stored materials, which becomes essential when recipes require several inputs from different production chains.

Basic processing technologies such as Material Molding, Solid Filling, Planting, Parts Fitting, and Packaging should also be unlocked as your recipes require them. There is little value in rushing every manufacturing node immediately, however. Unlock enough to complete one useful production chain, stabilize it, and then expand into the next one.

A practical priority order is:

• Transport and storage tools
• Power capacity and pylon coverage
• Planting and basic processing
• Packaging and filling
• Depot Bus and advanced logistics
• Regional and higher-tier manufacturing technologies

This approach keeps the factory usable while it grows instead of leaving you with many unlocked buildings but no space or power to operate them.

The Core Rules of an Efficient Factory Layout

An efficient factory does not have to look perfectly symmetrical. It only needs to move materials reliably.

Keep related machines close together so belts stay short. Leave clear paths for future expansion rather than filling every open tile immediately. Use Protocol Stashes for finished goods and excess intermediate materials, especially when the alternative is a long return belt.

Give each production area a purpose. One AIC can focus on medicines and plant products, another on batteries and power, and another on explosives or gear components. This makes troubleshooting much easier than mixing every available recipe into one large network.

It also helps to build in modules. A module might process ore, another might create bottles or parts, and a final module might assemble the finished product. These sections can be joined through belts or the Depot rather than forced into one enormous chain.

Understanding Production Ratios and Bottlenecks

The most important factory skill is learning to compare production speed with material consumption.

Do not assume one upstream machine is enough for one downstream machine. A building may produce one material every two seconds, while the next machine consumes several units every ten seconds. Another input may arrive much faster and pile up while the slower ingredient keeps the final assembler idle.

Check the complete recipe chain before building. The database and pinned recipe view show which machines are required, what each stage consumes, and how quickly materials are created. Yield and usage information can also reveal whether your factory is producing too much or too little of a specific resource.

Watch the machines after switching a line on. If the final unit constantly waits for one ingredient, increase production on that side. If belts remain full and an intermediate resource accumulates, redirect the surplus to storage or reduce that branch.

The best layout is therefore not defined by machine count alone. It is the layout where each input arrives close to the rate at which it is consumed.

Build Self-Sustaining Plant Loops Early

Plant loops are among the most useful early automation systems because they can continue producing without repeatedly draining gathered plants from your inventory.

A basic loop uses a Seed Picking Unit and multiple Planting Units. The Seed Picking Unit converts a plant into seeds, and the Planting Units grow those seeds back into plants. One plant output is returned to the Seed Picking Unit, while the remaining output becomes surplus for powders, medicines, or trade goods.

Buckflower and Echotin are useful early examples. Later, Sandleaf becomes especially important because its powder appears in several advanced production chains.

Always verify that one output feeds back into the seed system. Without the return loop, the line eventually runs out of plants and stops. Once the loop is stable, surplus plants can be sent to another processing module or returned to the Depot through a Protocol Stash.

Best Early Production Priorities

Buckflower Capsules are a strong first automated product because they introduce plant processing, container production, and final filling without requiring the most complex late-game infrastructure. They also provide value as healing items and Outpost trade goods.

Batteries are another major priority. They support Thermal Banks and factory power while also serving as valuable trade products. As you unlock better battery tiers, you can replace weaker production with more efficient options, provided the new recipes do not overwhelm your space or resource supply.

Industrial Explosives are useful both for exploration and trading. They should be automated after your ore and Echotin inputs are reliable. Building the line too early can leave expensive machines idle because one plant or ore input is still being gathered manually.

These three categories cover the most important early factory functions: healing, power, exploration, and Stock Bill generation.

Mid- and Late-Game Production Priorities

Later production becomes more complex and often requires several intermediate stages. This is where modular layouts become much more practical than one continuous belt chain.

Sandleaf Powder should become a major priority once it is available because it is used across several advanced recipes. A dedicated Sandleaf loop and powder-processing area can supply multiple production lines.

Cryston Components are important for higher-tier gear crafting. Buck Capsule A improves on earlier medical production and remains useful for Outpost trading. SC Valley Batteries provide more power than earlier battery types and are a sensible upgrade when their materials become stable.

HC Valley Batteries offer even greater output, but they demand considerably more space and resources. They are best treated as a late-game optimization rather than an automatic replacement for every battery line.

Advanced factories should generally prioritize:

• Sandleaf Powder
• Higher-tier batteries
• Cryston and gear components
• Improved healing items
• High-value regional trade goods
• Materials needed by current Outpost requests

Build according to your immediate progression needs rather than producing every advanced item at once.

Recommended Roles for Each Factory Area

A simple way to prevent clutter is to assign each factory a clear responsibility.

Factory Area	Suggested Role
Core AIC	Shared high-volume processing and major assembly lines
Sub-PAC 1	Plant loops, medicines, and healing items
Sub-PAC 2	Batteries and Thermal Bank support
Sub-PAC 3	Explosives, ore processing, or gear materials
Later Regional AICs	Region-specific materials and higher-tier production

These roles are not mandatory. Their purpose is to stop unrelated inputs from crossing the entire factory and making upgrades difficult.

Three Useful Layout Styles

A dedicated production line gives each final product its own complete chain. This is easy to understand and troubleshoot, but it consumes more power and space.

A shared processing hub uses one group of Refining, Shredding, or Grinding Units to feed several downstream recipes. This is compact but requires careful ratio management because multiple products compete for the same output.

A modular factory separates production into blocks. Raw materials are processed in one area, intermediate components in another, and finished goods elsewhere. Protocol Stashes and Depot outputs connect the modules. This is usually the most manageable option for advanced recipes.

How Outpost Trading Supports Progression

Outpost trading is one of the main reasons to automate production. Finished goods can be exchanged for Stock Bills, which support factory expansion, equipment-related progression, shop purchases, and other regional systems.

Trading also raises Outpost prosperity. As prosperity improves, more goods and upgrades become available. Finished products normally provide more value than selling basic raw materials, so production complexity directly improves the return from your factory.

Check which goods are accepted by your active Outposts before dedicating an entire area to one item. The most useful production line is not always the one with the highest theoretical output. It is the one that creates something you can consistently use or trade.

Common Factory Mistakes to Avoid

Do not build every recipe immediately. Start with one stable line and expand gradually. Check power whenever a machine stops, and make sure every planting loop includes a return path.

Avoid assuming that all machines should be placed in 1:1 ratios. Follow recipe speeds and observe actual input shortages. Keep finished goods moving into storage so blocked outputs do not shut down an entire chain.

Do not be afraid to dismantle and rebuild. Factory layouts evolve as new technologies, areas, materials, and recipes unlock. An early design is not supposed to remain permanent for the whole game.

The best Arknights: Endfield factory is one you understand. Clear production roles, balanced inputs, reliable plant loops, enough power, and useful Outpost goods matter more than copying a perfectly optimized screenshot. Build one chain at a time, watch how materials move, and adjust the layout whenever one stage begins slowing down the rest.

Playing Arknights: Endfield on PC with BlueStacks also gives you a larger view of the AIC, making it easier to place buildings, follow transport belts, and manage complicated production chains with keyboard and mouse controls.