Optimal factory production capacity

Factories and mines in Avorion produce goods in cycles. These have a variable length depending on the product and can be shortened by adding Production Capacity to your station by building more assembly blocks. It can be reduced to a minimum of 15 seconds (30 seconds for some stations, which get twice the amount of tracks to make up for it). The length of a cycle is not affected by the size of the factory and the amount of tracks it has to produce items in parallel.

Formula

The formula for calculating the production time per cycle is as follows:

Time = product price * product quantity * product level / production capacity.

if a station produces more than one item, multiply the price, quantity and level of each individual product and add these together. then divide the total by the production capacity.

the production capacity cap is the value that you need to get the minimal track length of 15 seconds.

The formula for the optimal production capacity can be derived from the above formula to be as follows.

total production / 15 = Optimal Production capacity

total production = sum(product price * product quantity * product level) for each product that is produced.

A product of level 0 is treated as lv 1 in this formula.

All the values can be found in game except for production constant. This is a hidden value in the game files that acts as a multiplier for the production time. This means that a product of 2000 credits of level 4 would for example take twice as long as a similar product of 2000 credits of level 2.

List of Factories and their optimal Production Capacity

This is a table of known factories with their optimal production capacity and their produce. Note that Factories have an inherent production capacity of 100 so any factory with a cap value of less than 100 will already be working at optimal capacity. The game takes the maximum value of either 100 or the PC of the station. This table was generated for Avorion 1.0 using [1]Avorion Wikify Factory Optimization (a fork avorion wikify) in 2020.

Factory	Production Capacity cap	Produces (quantity, Price, Level)
Accelerator Factory	200690	Neutron Accelerator (1, 125431, 8) Proton Accelerator (1, 125431, 8) Electron Accelerator (1, 125431, 8)
Aluminum Mine	134	Aluminum (10, 200, 0)
Ammunition Factory	3376	Ammunition S (15, 422, 4) Ammunition M (10, 422, 4) Ammunition L (5, 422, 4)
Ammunition Factory	6310	Ammunition (5, 3786, 5) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -)
Antigrav Generator Factory	38204	Antigrav Generator (1, 71632, 8)
Antigrav Unit Factory	11850	Antigrav Unit (1, 25391, 7)
Body Armor Factory	57544	Body Armor (1, 95906, 9)
Book Factory	256	Book (4, 319, 3)
Brewery	1728	Beer (30, 216, 4)
Carbon Extractor	282	Carbon (5, 423, 2)
Cattle Ranch	300	Cattle (8, 254, 2) Bio Gas (1, 213, 2)
Cattle Ranch	328	Cattle (8, 254, 2) Bio Gas (2, 213, 2)
Chemical Factory	724	Chemicals (2, 402, 3) Adhesive (1, 402, 3) Coolant (2, 402, 3) Solvent (2, 402, 3) Acid (2, 402, 3)
Clothes Factory	2720	Clothes (100, 102, 4)
Coal Mine	54	Coal (4, 200, 0)
Cocoa Farm	586	Cocoa (20, 87, 5) Oxygen (1, 80, 0)
Coffee Farm	629	Coffee (10, 187, 5) Oxygen (1, 80, 0)
Computation Mainframe Factory	17706	Computation Mainframe (1, 37940, 7)
Computer Component Factory	11036	Display (1, 7858, 6) Targeting Card (1, 11873, 6) Processor (1, 7858, 6)
Conductor Factory	896	Conductor (20, 168, 4)
Copper Mine	117	Copper (5, 350, 0)
Corn Farm	134	Corn (60, 28, 1) Oxygen (4, 80, 0)
Crystal Farm	127	Crystal (10, 190, 0)
Dairy Farm	758	Dairy (180, 19, 3) Leather (10, 37, 3)
Display Factory	3144	Display (1, 7858, 6)
Distillery	1245	Liquor (5, 1867, 2)
Drill Factory	9542	Drill (1, 20443, 7) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Drone Factory	2587	Drone (1, 7754, 5) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Electro Magnet Factory	644	Electro Magnet (4, 483, 5)
Electromagnetic Charge Factory	11188	Electromagnetic Charge (2, 13985, 6)
Energy Container Factory	1087	Energy Container (3, 1087, 5)
Energy Generator Factory	6383	Energy Generator (1, 15957, 6)
Energy Inverter Factory	2044	Energy Inverter (4, 1277, 6)
Energy Tube Factory	965	Energy Tube (1, 2895, 5)
Explosive Charge Factory	1518	Explosive Charge (4, 1423, 4)
Fabric Factory	546	Fabric (30, 91, 3)
Fertilizer Factory	234	Fertilizer (11, 319, 1) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -)
Fertilizer Factory	192	Fertilizer (9, 319, 1) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -)
Fish Farm	194	Fish (8, 152, 2) Bio Gas (1, 213, 2) Plankton (1, 50, 0)
Food Bar Factory	298	Food Bar (10, 223, 2)
Food Factory	800	Food (10, 300, 4)
Force Generator Factory	23136	Force Generator (1, 49576, 7)
Fruit Farm	171	Fruit (40, 56, 1) Oxygen (4, 80, 0)
Fuel Factory	165	Fuel (1, 1232, 2) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -)
Fungus Farm	230	Fungus (25, 46, 3) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -)
Fusion Core Factory	4092	Fusion Core (2, 5114, 6)
Fusion Generator Factory	18459	Fusion Generator (1, 39553, 7)
Gas Collector	110	Helium (3, 50, 0) Hydrogen (3, 150, 0) Neon (3, 200, 0) Chlorine (3, 150, 0)
Gas Collector	138	Helium (3, 50, 0) Nitrogen (3, 40, 0) Neon (3, 200, 0) Chlorine (3, 150, 0) Fluorine (3, 250, 0)
Gas Collector	144	Oxygen (8, 80, 0) Hydrogen (8, 150, 0) Nitrogen (8, 40, 0)
Gas Collector	120	Helium (3, 50, 0) Hydrogen (3, 150, 0) Chlorine (3, 150, 0) Fluorine (3, 250, 0)
Gauss Rail Factory	6188	Gauss Rail (2, 7735, 6)
Glass Manufacturer	98	Glass (8, 182, 1)
Gun Factory	2464	Gun (5, 1232, 6)
High Capacity Lens Factory	938	High Capacity Lens (1, 4689, 3)
High Pressure Tube Factory	1650	High Pressure Tube (3, 1650, 5)
Ice Mine	100	Water (75, 20, 0)
Jewelry Manufacturer	336	Jewelry (4, 1260, 1)
Laser Compressor Factory	2633	Laser Compressor (1, 6577, 6) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Laser Head Factory	1564	Laser Head (1, 4690, 5) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -)
Laser Modulator Factory	6697	Laser Modulator (1, 16742, 6)
Lead Mine	134	Lead (10, 200, 0)
Luxury Food Factory	2581	Luxury Food (1, 6452, 6)
Meat Factory	703	Meat (85, 37, 3) Leather (10, 37, 3)
Medical Supplies Factory	3207	Medical Supplies (4, 3006, 4)
Metal Plate Factory	423	Metal Plate (2, 792, 4)
Microchip Factory	896	Microchip (3, 896, 5)
Mineral Extractor	134	Mineral (4, 500, 0)
Mining Robot Factory	87588	Mining Robot (1, 145977, 9) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Nanobot Factory	2230	Nanobot (5, 1338, 5)
Noble Metal Mine	90	Gold (1, 600, 0) Platinum (1, 750, 0)
Noble Metal Mine	70	Silver (1, 300, 0) Platinum (1, 750, 0)
Noble Metal Mine	60	Silver (1, 300, 0) Gold (1, 600, 0)
Oil Refinery	164	Oil (5, 490, 1)
Oil Rig	50	Raw Oil (5, 150, 0)
Ore Mine	140	Ore (30, 70, 0)
Paint Manufacturer	642	Paint (5, 481, 4) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -)
Paper Factory	246	Paper (40, 46, 2)
Plankton Collector	117	Plankton (35, 50, 0)
Plant Farm	88	Plant (60, 14, 1) Oxygen (6, 80, 0)
Plasma Cell Factory	464	Plasma Cell (10, 174, 4)
Plastic Manufacturer	274	Plastic (15, 137, 2)
Potato Farm	99	Potato (35, 24, 1) Oxygen (8, 80, 0)
Power Unit Factory	404	Power Unit (1, 1211, 5)
Processor Factory	9430	Processor (3, 7858, 6)
Protein Factory	907	Protein (100, 34, 4)
Rice Farm	98	Rice (76, 15, 1) Oxygen (4, 80, 0)
Rocket Factory	4500	Rocket (1, 11250, 6)
Rubber Factory	355	Rubber (3, 686, 2) Toxic Waste* (1, 15, -) Acid (1, 402, 3)
Satellite Factory	30669	Satellite (1, 65714, 7) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Scrap Metal Trader	100	Scrap Metal (60, 25, 0)
Semi Conductor Manufacturer	516	Semi Conductor (15, 129, 4)
Servo Factory	925	Servo (2, 1387, 5)
Sheep Ranch	325	Sheep (15, 130, 2) Bio Gas (1, 213, 2) Fabric (2, 91, 3)
Silicon Mine	134	Silicon (4, 500, 0)
Solar Cell Factory	313	Solar Cell (10, 469, 1)
Solar Panel Factory	2286	Solar Panel (1, 6858, 5)
Solar Power Plant	84	Energy Cell (25, 50, 0)
Spices Farm	1078	Spices (12, 268, 5) Oxygen (1, 80, 0)
Steel Factory	148	Steel (8, 277, 1)
Steel Factory	111	Steel (6, 277, 1)
Steel Tube Factory	564	Steel Tube (3, 704, 4)
Targeting Card Factory	9499	Targeting Card (2, 11873, 6)
Targeting System Factory	15827	Targeting System (1, 29674, 8)
Tea Farm	207	Tea (75, 37, 1) Oxygen (4, 80, 0)
Teleporter Factory	20997	Teleporter (1, 39365, 8) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Tesla Coil Factory	9627	Military Tesla Coil (1, 10314, 7) Industrial Tesla Coil (1, 10314, 7)
Tools Factory	571	Tools (10, 214, 4)
Transformator Factory	558	Transformator (10, 209, 4)
Turbine Factory	6692	Turbine (1, 16729, 6)
Vegetable Farm	96	Vegetable (35, 32, 1) Oxygen (4, 80, 0)
Vehicle Factory	41115	Vehicle (1, 77087, 8) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
War Robot Factory	55314	War Robot (1, 92186, 9) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Warhead Factory	1879	Warhead (1, 5630, 5) Scrap Metal (1, 25, 0)
Water Collector	100	Water (75, 20, 0)
Wheat Farm	95	Wheat (48, 23, 1) Oxygen (4, 80, 0)
Wine Factory	1214	Wine (25, 182, 4)
Wire Manufacturer	380	Wire (15, 95, 4)
Wood Farm	156	Wood (6, 350, 1) Oxygen (3, 80, 0)
Zinc Mine	167	Zinc (10, 250, 0)

• It is unsure if toxic waste actually contributes to the production time of factories. If it does its time contribution is in the milliseconds that people might miss out, if it doesnt people might be wasting a a couple thousand credits on assembly blocks (those can get expansive fast). Toxic waste has been left out of the calculation, however if you want to include it, add 1 pc to the value to correct for it. The choice whether to include toxic waste or not is left to the reader.