Control item extraction from containers

[AusQB]

I have a basic setup where items placed in a chest are extracted by a wooden transport pipe into a pulverizer, and in turn to an induction furnace and finally an output chest. Since the wooden pipe constantly extracts items, if the pulverizer is either full or contains a different type if item, the extracted item will be ejected out of the system.

Is there a way to prevent items from being extracted until there is a vacant slot in the pulverizer, or is there some mechanism that will queue item processing?

As an alternative solution I simply placed another section of pipe that loops back into the starting chest, but the items never actually go back into the chest, they just bounce back and forth as if they can't turn the corner. I think also some items would occasionally pop out the end of the pipe adjacent to the engine.

 

[Byte Templar]

Use itemducts, the smart pipes

 

[AusQB]

Use itemducts, the smart pipes

Unleashed doesn't have them, it uses Thermal Expansion 2.

 

[Byte Templar]

Well, next time tell the modpack you are using, makes helping easier...
I dont play older modpacks, so cant help you then.

 

[MacAisling]

chest --> vanilla hopper --> pulverizer.

 

[casilleroatr]

buildcraft pipes have these things called gates which can control the pipes. A basic setup would involve a source inventory with a wooden pipe extracting into a line of basic pipes towards a target inventory. Put an autarchic iron gate on the wooden pipe. Put a normal iron gate on the pipe which connects to the target inventory. You will also need some red pipe wire to connect the gates. Simply right clicking a gate or pipe wire onto a pipe installs it.

Opening up the gate gui there are two columns of slots that you use to configure that gates. The left column is used to check for a condition, such as redstone signal on. The right column is used to make something happen when that condition is true.

An autarchic gate can provide power to a wooden pipe. They are like highly controllable, discrete redstone engines and they are really useful. Make sure that it is connected to pipe wire and set the condition to redpipe wire true > energy pulser. Put a hopper onto your machine (helps to smooth things out a bit) and use the normal iron gate on the adjacent pipe. Set it to go space in inventory > red pipe wire true. This means that in order for the wooden pipe to extract items it needs the red pipe wire to be on which only happens when there is space in the inventory.

Gates are quite difficult to get unfortunately, you need to use an assembly table which costs a lot of diamonds and it is powered by (at least one) laser which runs on mj. The more lasers you run, the less time it takes to craft a gate. Its worth it though. They are very powerful and work with more than just inventories and wooden pipes.