Terminology note: “Processing Plant” is a player search term for a complete refining line, not the verified name of one in-game building. In this guide it means the connected system that creates Wet Sand, runs Shakers, and separates Gold from Slag.
What the processing line does
The first important refining chain is simple on paper:
Sand + Water → Wet Sand → Shaker → Slag + possible Gold
The physical simulation makes the layout matter. Wet Sand must reach the Shaker, Gold needs empty space below it, and Slag needs a route beyond it. Any one blocked path can stop useful output.
Before you build
Choose a site with:
- access to Sand and Water;
- vertical room below the Shaker for Gold collection;
- horizontal or diagonal room for Slag removal;
- a place to inspect and clear every junction;
- expansion space that does not depend on digging through the live line.
The official Shaker page advises diagonal placement. The reason is practical: material can travel across the machine while the Gold result falls into a different channel.
Build the first module
Step 1: prepare the two output channels
Build the Gold channel below first, then the Slag route beyond the intended Shaker position. This prevents you from discovering too late that the terrain leaves no place for an output.
Step 2: place one diagonal Shaker
Use a single machine for the first test. Keep its underside open and make sure the end of the upper route does not terminate against solid terrain.
Step 3: add a small Wet Sand buffer
Let a limited amount collect before the machine. The buffer should absorb short interruptions without becoming a deep pile that floods the Shaker when released.
Step 4: run a controlled batch
Watch each stage in order:
- Wet Sand reaches the Shaker.
- Each processed pixel becomes Slag.
- Gold appears probabilistically and falls through the machine.
- Slag leaves the far side without covering the Gold channel.
The official wiki gives Gold a 25% chance per Wet Sand pixel. A short test can therefore produce less Gold than expected without indicating a broken machine.
Step 5: connect storage or downstream use
Do not connect the full resource supply until both outputs have enough capacity. A temporary catch basin is safer than a narrow permanent route during testing.
Recommended layout logic
| Layer | Material | Design goal |
|---|---|---|
| Upper feed | Wet Sand | Even, limited flow toward the Shaker |
| Machine level | Wet Sand → Slag | Continuous crossing without a dead end |
| Lower catch | Gold | Clear fall path and isolated collection |
| Far output | Slag | Large-capacity removal or deliberate disposal |
If you later use Filters, place them where their downward output has room. Do not add sorting to compensate for a Shaker layout that already allows Gold and Slag to recombine.
Common processing failures
Wet Sand stops before the Shaker
Check for a narrow entrance, compacted pile, wrong transport direction, or an obstruction. Close the upstream supply before clearing the jam.
Slag covers the machine
The far output is too slow or has no overflow space. Expand Slag removal before adding more Shakers.
Gold appears but cannot be collected
Clear the tiles below the Shaker and keep Slag out of that channel. The separation works only while gravity has an open route.
The line runs dry
Inspect Water and Sand supply separately. Expanding the Shaker row cannot fix an intermittent Wet Sand source.
Gold output looks too low
The process is probabilistic. Measure a longer run before changing the layout, then verify that Gold is not trapped beneath the machine or mixed into another channel.
Expanding the plant
Scale in modules. Each new Shaker should inherit:
- a predictable share of the Wet Sand input;
- its own unobstructed Gold fall path;
- enough shared Slag capacity;
- an accessible shutoff or input restriction for maintenance.
The cleanest upgrade is usually the one that preserves visibility. A denser factory is not automatically a faster factory when one hidden blockage can stop every upstream pixel.
Verified sources
Facts on this page were checked on August 16, 2026 against:
This page uses “Processing Plant” descriptively and does not claim it is an official building name.