The best factory ratio in Moon Sweepers depends on how much dust you can supply, not simply how many machines you can afford. One Pressure Chamber with two Stone Presses is a strong starting setup, while two Chambers and five Presses offer higher theoretical production. Here's how those ratios compare, what each one needs to run, and when adding another machine actually makes sense.
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Best Factory Ratio
All Factory Ratios Compared
How the Ratios Work
Which Ratio Should You Build?
How to Fix an Unbalanced Ratio
What Is the Best Factory Ratio in Moon Sweepers?
I'd recommend a 1:2 ratio for most smaller factories: one Pressure Chamber supplying two Stone Presses.
If you're producing enough dust to support a larger operation, a 2:5 ratio offers a stronger theoretical balance: two Pressure Chambers supplying five Stone Presses.
Both recommendations come from the machines' listed processing speeds. A Pressure Chamber consumes up to 5 kg of dust every 12 seconds, while a Stone Press consumes 1 kg of dust and 1 kg of Moon Sand every 6 seconds.
That works out to:
- Pressure Chamber: Up to 25 kg of dust processed per minute.
- Stone Press: 10 kg of Moon Sand and 10 kg of raw dust consumed per minute.
There is one important qualification. The Pressure Chamber's listed specifications don't establish the exact weight of Moon Sand produced from a given amount of dust. The comparisons below assume that 1 kg of dust produces 1 kg of sand. They're theoretical calculations, not confirmed maximum outputs from a tested factory.
With that assumption, a single Chamber can supply 2.5 Stone Presses at full operating speed. Since you can't purchase half a machine, two Presses provide a practical starting point.
Moon Sweepers Factory Ratios Compared
Here's what five different setups could produce with sufficient dust, electricity, and conveyor throughput.
| Chambers : Presses | Max Moonstone / Min | Dust Needed / Min | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 : 1 | 20 kg | 20 kg | 28 kW |
| 1 : 2 | 40 kg | 40 kg | 46 kW |
| 1 : 3 | 50 kg | 50 kg | 64 kW |
| 2 : 4 | 80 kg | 80 kg | 92 kW |
| 2 : 5 | 100 kg | 100 kg | 110 kW |
All production figures assume equal-weight dust-to-sand conversion and uninterrupted operation. A factory can produce considerably less if conveyors, electricity, or incoming material limit its speed.
What makes the comparison useful is how the output changes as you add machines.
Moving from one Press to two doubles the potential Moonstone production without requiring another Chamber. Adding a third Press, however, increases the theoretical maximum by only 10 kg per minute because the existing Chamber becomes the limiting factor.
That third Press isn't useless. It simply can't operate continuously at maximum speed while relying on one Chamber for all its sand.
How the Pressure Chamber to Stone Press Ratio Works
The easiest mistake is calculating how much Moon Sand your factory needs while forgetting that Stone Presses also consume untreated dust.
Every kilogram of sand entering a Stone Press must be accompanied by another kilogram of raw dust.
Using the assumed one-to-one dust-to-sand conversion, half your incoming dust needs to become sand, while the other half must remain untreated.
The 1:2 Ratio Needs 40 kg of Dust Per Minute
Two Stone Presses running continuously consume a combined 20 kg of sand and 20 kg of untreated dust every minute.
To supply that sand, your Pressure Chamber would need to process 20 kg of dust per minute.
So the entire setup needs 40 kg of incoming dust each minute:
- 20 kg goes through the Pressure Chamber.
- 20 kg bypasses the Chamber and goes directly to the Stone Presses.
- The presses can theoretically produce 40 kg of Moonstone.
The Chamber's listed maximum is 25 kg per minute, leaving enough processing capacity to supply both presses without operating at its absolute limit.
For a smaller factory, that's a useful amount of flexibility.
The 2:5 Ratio Needs 100 kg of Dust Per Minute
Five Stone Presses can consume 50 kg of Moon Sand and 50 kg of raw dust per minute.
Two Pressure Chambers can process a combined 50 kg of dust per minute.
Under the same conversion assumption, the numbers match exactly.
But there's a catch: you're now depending on both Chambers working at their full listed capacity to keep all five Presses supplied.
Even a small shortfall in sand production means the presses won't all operate continuously.
That's why I'd treat 2:5 as a high-capacity design to work toward rather than a mandatory ratio for every factory.
Which Factory Ratio Should You Actually Build?
Machine costs make this decision more interesting than simply choosing the configuration with the highest potential output.
| Ratio | Machine Cost | Best Reason to Build It |
|---|---|---|
| 1 : 1 | $1,500 | Small factory or testing production |
| 1 : 2 | $2,500 | Efficient smaller-scale production |
| 1 : 3 | $3,500 | Intermediate expansion with limited sand |
| 2 : 4 | $5,000 | Two smaller production lines operating together |
| 2 : 5 | $6,000 | Higher output when dust supply is sufficient |
These prices cover only the production machines. Conveyors, electricity generation, and collection equipment cost extra.
My preferred progression would be to build one Chamber and one Press, confirm that production works, and add the second Press when there's enough incoming dust to keep both busy.
Once that 1:2 arrangement is regularly supplied, you have two sensible options.
You can duplicate the setup, creating a 2:4 factory with two familiar production sections. Or you can add a fifth Press and distribute the combined Moon Sand output across all five machines.
That fifth Press costs another $1,000 and requires 18 kW of additional power. At full speed, it also raises total dust demand from 80 kg to 100 kg per minute.
I'd only make that investment if the existing factory is consistently receiving enough dust to justify it.
Is a 1:3 Ratio Bad?
Not necessarily. It's simply less balanced at maximum speed.
One Pressure Chamber can theoretically supply 25 kg of sand per minute under the equal-weight assumption, while three Stone Presses together could consume 30 kg.
That leaves a potential 5 kg-per-minute sand shortage.
The third Press can still contribute additional production when sand is available. However, it won't operate continuously at full speed alongside the other two.
If you're already planning to add another Chamber, building the third Press first can make sense as an intermediate step. Just don't expect three fully supplied Presses from a single Chamber.
How to Tell If Your Factory Ratio Is Unbalanced
Before buying another machine, look at which material your existing machines are waiting for.
I'd run the factory at full available power for a few minutes and watch the inputs.
| Factory Behavior | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Presses frequently wait for sand | Check Chamber output and sand distribution before adding presses |
| Sand accumulates while presses wait for dust | Redirect more incoming raw dust toward the presses |
| Every machine waits for material | Dust collection or delivery is limiting production |
| Presses have ingredients but run slowly | Check power availability and machine operation |
| Finished Moonstone backs up | Fix the outgoing delivery route before expanding production |
There's another limitation worth remembering when feeding a factory with JOONAS: Capsule Catchers don't receive equal amounts of dust simply because you built an equal number of them. JOONAS targets the nearest Catcher, so actual incoming supply depends on the receiving setup.
This is why a fixed Catcher-to-machine ratio isn't reliable on its own. Your factory needs enough incoming dust to support its processing rate, regardless of how many Catchers are installed.
For connecting machinery outputs and selling finished materials, our Moon Sweepers Auto Selling Guide
The Most Useful Ratio Check Before Expanding
If you want to know whether a setup is worth duplicating, watch how much dust and sand it handles during a consistent period of operation.
Compare the amount of incoming dust with the Moonstone leaving the factory, and check whether the Pressure Chambers are producing enough sand for the number of presses connected.
This also lets you test whether the actual dust-to-sand yield matches the assumption used in the calculations above.
Once you know those numbers for your own setup, you can make a much better decision about buying another Chamber or Press.
For most factories, I'd begin with the 1:2 ratio and expand only when incoming dust and power can support additional production. The 2:5 arrangement is a useful larger target, but it isn't automatically more efficient if its machines spend half their time idle. The right ratio is the one your dust supply can sustain, not simply the one with the highest theoretical output.
