Mechanics
Hard Drive research in the MAM is a route to alternate recipes. The Hard Drive reference covers the research interaction; the recipe pages show recorded unlock relationships where the game export provides them.
The catalog below lists alternate machine-production recipes. Its count comes from the current game data. It is not a count of the options available in your next Hard Drive scan or the drives required to unlock everything. The export does not establish a complete prerequisite graph, and this comparison does not simulate the research selection pool. Check the requirements shown in your game before committing to a chain.
Why alternates matter
Compare recipes for the same output, then consider how you will supply their inputs. A change that simplifies one production step can introduce work elsewhere:
- Cast Screws turns Iron Ingots directly into Screws, skipping the Iron Rod recipe. Steel Screws instead uses Steel Beams, so its supply chain includes steel production.
- Stitched Iron Plate combines Iron Plates and Wire. It removes Screws from that recipe, but Wire still needs its own supply.
- Wet Concrete uses Limestone and Water in a Refinery. Consider water access and fluid transport when comparing it with the standard Concrete recipe.
- Caterium Wire makes Wire from Caterium Ingots. That changes which resource supplies the Wire branch of your factory.
Choose a product and target rate in the comparison. Its inputs, outputs and machine counts are generated from the recipe catalog. Coproducts remain visible because they also need an outlet. These are direct recipe requirements, not complete raw-resource totals or a universal ranking.
Use Plan this output in Calculator to carry the target into Calc, then configure the recipes and supplies available to you. The target link does not automatically select a compared recipe. In a world factory, recipe planning can explicitly include recipes you have not unlocked; this does not change the world's actual research state.
Getting drives efficiently
Use the crash-site reference to check opening requirements before travelling, and show Hard Drives on the map to plan a collection route. Bring the items and temporary power supply required by the sites you intend to visit rather than assuming every pod has the same requirement.
Choose research targets around a production problem you are ready to solve. The MAM guide can aggregate selected research costs, but its checklist does not automatically add prerequisites. Compare a candidate recipe with your existing inputs before rebuilding a working chain.
All alternate recipes (113)
Every alternate production recipe in the 1.2 game data, with the machine it runs in. Open a recipe for its exact rates and power draw.
| Recipe | Products | Machine |
|---|
 | Adhered Iron Plate | Reinforced Iron Plate | Assembler |
 | Alclad Casing | Aluminum Casing | Assembler |
 | Aluminum Beam | Steel Beam | Constructor |
 | Aluminum Rod | Iron Rod | Constructor |
 | Automated Miner | Portable Miner | Assembler |
 | Automated Speed Wiring | Automated Wiring | Manufacturer |
 | Basic Iron Ingot | Iron Ingot | Foundry |
 | Biocoal | Coal | Constructor |
 | Bolted Frame | Modular Frame | Assembler |
 | Bolted Iron Plate | Reinforced Iron Plate | Assembler |
 | Cast Screws | Screws | Constructor |
 | Caterium Circuit Board | Circuit Board | Assembler |
 | Caterium Computer | Computer | Manufacturer |
 | Caterium Wire | Wire | Constructor |
 | Charcoal | Coal | Constructor |
 | Cheap Silica | Silica | Assembler |
 | Classic Battery | Battery | Manufacturer |
 | Cloudy Diamonds | Diamonds | Particle Accelerator |
 | Coated Cable | Cable | Refinery |
 | Coated Iron Canister | Empty Canister | Assembler |
 | Coated Iron Plate | Iron Plate | Assembler |
 | Coke Steel Ingot | Steel Ingot | Foundry |
 | Compacted Coal | Compacted Coal | Assembler |
 | Compacted Steel Ingot | Steel Ingot | Foundry |
 | Cooling Device | Cooling System | Blender |
 | Copper Alloy Ingot | Copper Ingot | Foundry |
 | Copper Rotor | Rotor | Assembler |
 | Crystal Computer | Computer | Assembler |
 | Dark Matter Crystallization | Dark Matter Crystal | Particle Accelerator |
 | Dark Matter Trap | Dark Matter Crystal | Particle Accelerator |
 | Dark-Ion Fuel | Ionized Fuel, Compacted Coal | Converter |
 | Diluted Fuel | Fuel | Blender |
 | Diluted Packaged Fuel | Packaged Fuel | Refinery |
 | Distilled Silica | Silica, Water | Blender |
 | Electric Motor | Motor | Assembler |
 | Electrode Aluminum Scrap | Aluminum Scrap, Water | Refinery |
 | Electrode Circuit Board | Circuit Board | Assembler |
 | Electromagnetic Connection Rod | Electromagnetic Control Rod | Assembler |
 | Encased Industrial Pipe | Encased Industrial Beam | Assembler |
 | Fertile Uranium | Non-Fissile Uranium, Water | Blender |
 | Fine Black Powder | Black Powder | Assembler |
 | Fine Concrete | Concrete | Assembler |
 | Flexible Framework | Versatile Framework | Manufacturer |
 | Fused Quartz Crystal | Quartz Crystal | Foundry |
 | Fused Quickwire | Quickwire | Assembler |
 | Fused Wire | Wire | Assembler |
 | Heat Exchanger | Heat Sink | Assembler |
 | Heat-Fused Frame | Fused Modular Frame | Blender |
 | Heavy Encased Frame | Heavy Modular Frame | Manufacturer |
 | Heavy Flexible Frame | Heavy Modular Frame | Manufacturer |
 | Heavy Oil Residue | Heavy Oil Residue, Polymer Resin | Refinery |
 | Infused Uranium Cell | Encased Uranium Cell | Manufacturer |
 | Instant Plutonium Cell | Encased Plutonium Cell | Particle Accelerator |
 | Instant Scrap | Aluminum Scrap, Water | Blender |
 | Insulated Cable | Cable | Assembler |
 | Insulated Crystal Oscillator | Crystal Oscillator | Manufacturer |
 | Iron Alloy Ingot | Iron Ingot | Foundry |
 | Iron Pipe | Steel Pipe | Constructor |
 | Iron Wire | Wire | Constructor |
 | Leached Caterium Ingot | Caterium Ingot | Refinery |
 | Leached Copper Ingot | Copper Ingot | Refinery |
 | Leached Iron Ingot | Iron Ingot | Refinery |
 | Molded Beam | Steel Beam | Foundry |
 | Molded Steel Pipe | Steel Pipe | Foundry |
 | Nitro Rocket Fuel | Rocket Fuel, Compacted Coal | Blender |
 | OC Supercomputer | Supercomputer | Assembler |
 | Oil-Based Diamonds | Diamonds | Particle Accelerator |
 | Packaged Turbofuel | Packaged Turbofuel | Packager |
 | Petroleum Diamonds | Diamonds | Particle Accelerator |
 | Pink Diamonds | Diamonds | Converter |
 | Plastic AI Limiter | AI Limiter | Assembler |
 | Plastic Smart Plating | Smart Plating | Manufacturer |
 | Plutonium Fuel Unit | Plutonium Fuel Rod | Assembler |
 | Polyester Fabric | Fabric | Refinery |
 | Polymer Resin | Polymer Resin, Heavy Oil Residue | Refinery |
 | Pure Aluminum Ingot | Aluminum Ingot | Smelter |
 | Pure Caterium Ingot | Caterium Ingot | Refinery |
 | Pure Copper Ingot | Copper Ingot | Refinery |
 | Pure Iron Ingot | Iron Ingot | Refinery |
 | Pure Quartz Crystal | Quartz Crystal | Refinery |
 | Quartz Purification | Quartz Crystal, Dissolved Silica | Refinery |
 | Quickwire Cable | Cable | Assembler |
 | Quickwire Stator | Stator | Assembler |
 | Radio Connection Unit | Radio Control Unit | Manufacturer |
 | Radio Control System | Radio Control Unit | Manufacturer |
 | Recycled Plastic | Plastic | Refinery |
 | Recycled Rubber | Rubber | Refinery |
 | Rigor Motor | Motor | Manufacturer |
 | Rubber Concrete | Concrete | Assembler |
 | Silicon Circuit Board | Circuit Board | Assembler |
 | Silicon High-Speed Connector | High-Speed Connector | Manufacturer |
 | Sloppy Alumina | Alumina Solution | Refinery |
 | Solid Steel Ingot | Steel Ingot | Foundry |
 | Steamed Copper Sheet | Copper Sheet | Refinery |
 | Steel Canister | Empty Canister | Constructor |
 | Steel Cast Plate | Iron Plate | Foundry |
 | Steel Rod | Iron Rod | Constructor |
 | Steel Rotor | Rotor | Assembler |
 | Steel Screws | Screws | Constructor |
 | Steeled Frame | Modular Frame | Assembler |
 | Stitched Iron Plate | Reinforced Iron Plate | Assembler |
 | Super-State Computer | Supercomputer | Manufacturer |
 | Tempered Caterium Ingot | Caterium Ingot | Foundry |
 | Tempered Copper Ingot | Copper Ingot | Foundry |
 | Turbo Blend Fuel | Turbofuel | Blender |
 | Turbo Diamonds | Diamonds | Particle Accelerator |
 | Turbo Electric Motor | Turbo Motor | Manufacturer |
 | Turbo Heavy Fuel | Turbofuel | Refinery |
 | Turbo Pressure Motor | Turbo Motor | Manufacturer |
 | Turbofuel | Turbofuel | Refinery |
 | Unpackage Turbofuel | Turbofuel, Empty Canister | Packager |
 | Uranium Fuel Unit | Uranium Fuel Rod | Manufacturer |
 | Wet Concrete | Concrete | Refinery |