Controlling inputs for steel production

[dprkforum]

So I have a basic steel production setup, and the outputs are very easy. The inputs not so much. When the furnace slots have a stack, the gates keep sending stuff spitting iron and coal all over the floor. That gets messy. Perhaps I am missing a gate configuration, or using the wrong kind of set up.

Any idea if it is even possible to just toss stuff into a chest, come back and have yummy steel waiting in the other chest?

 

[Silent_007]

It's very possible. But are you dead set on using BC pipes/gates? It can certainly be done that way, but, as you've discovered, you'll need to set up some form of overflow protection.
But rather than jumping into that, would you consider using transfer pipes from Extra Utilities? That would be one of the most straightforward ways to automate just the steel production process.

Of course, at the opposite end of the spectrum, an AE system would allow you to do everything you ever dreamed of and more. But that's considerably more time and energy intensive to get running.

 

[dprkforum]

I have a basic AE system in another room as I am learning about it. I don't know how to set up an automation process with AE, but I do have more than enough resources to make the components since I have three quarries running 24/7 dumping goodies into the AE drives. I will Google AE setups so I will not have to use BC/gates. And no, I am not deadset on using BC/gates, by the way. That's all I know at the moment.

Thank you for the tips.

Edit: Here is the start of my AE system. It has the very bare basics just storing the quarry resources. I know it can do a whole lot more, but did not know it could handle automation like you described.

 

[Tristam Izumi]

Another option could be to use a chest places diagonally to a blast furnace. Then set up two sets of translocators; one to put coal coke and iron ingots/blocks into the furnace, and a second to pull the steel out. You could make your pipe system just deposit the coal coke and iron into the chest, and use an emerald pipe to filter-pull only the steel out. You can also use some variety of iron chest for an increased buffer.

This can also be done with a ME interface instead of a chest if you want to go that route.

 

[dprkforum]

I will look into all of these things and see what happens. Thanks, everybody for the help.

 

[rhn]

If you got more than one Blast furnace, you can with great advantage use Routers. One to insert Coke, one to insert Iron and one to extract Steel. Then just link all the coke ovens with empty barrels.
If you pair it up with the Coke ovens you can automate it all with 4 routers. One to insert coal, one to insert Coke, one to insert Iron and one to extract Steel+coke. Then insert/extract from the routers with AE, and use level emitters on the Export Bus' supplying Coal and Iron to control the amount of Coke and steel in your network to the desired amount.
Great advantage of this is if you suddently need a bigger production of either, just add another Coke oven/blastfurnace, link it up with a barrel to one of the other and its up and running. No need for further automation.

My setup atm:

ME stuff is hidden behind the routers. Liquiducts for creosote and barrels to link them all is between the coke ovens.