Moon Sweepers Automation: Build a Line That Pays
Packager, belts, processors and power, in an order you can diagnose.
Quick answer
Prove a short Packager → conveyor → depot intake line first. Add a Pressure Chamber for sand, then split dust between sand production and Stone Press inputs. Check power and output space before increasing the number of cleaners.
On this page
Full robot, recipe, conveyor and solar specifications →
Build and test the smallest useful line
- Get the Building Tool and place a Packager near your current work area. Community menu references list them at $50 and $100.
- Connect the Packager output to a station exterior deposit intake. Check belt direction and continuity.
- Deposit a small load into the Packager. Watch a capsule travel from source to intake and confirm the wallet changes.
- Only after the delivery works, move or extend the line toward your cleaning area. On 1.0.5 you can move structures instead of demolishing them.
Processing flow: keep a raw-dust branch
Original flow schematic, not an exact in-game arrangement. The press consumes dust as well as sand. Sending all dust through chambers leaves the press without its raw-dust input. Split before processing, then merge finished products only where the receiving belt has spare capacity.
Power and belt throughput are separate limits
A machine can have adequate materials and still wait for power, or have power and wait for its output to clear. Inspect input, power and output in that order. Solar supply falls away at night; batteries must cover the dark period. A panel count without machine load and storage assumptions is not a reliable overnight design.
Mergers alternate between inputs since 1.0.4. More parallel machines do not automatically increase output through one saturated final belt. Start with a short layout and measure actual output before scaling.
Expand by the observed failure
| Observation | Likely next check |
|---|---|
| Catcher stays full | Downstream belt, processor and selling intake. |
| Press lacks sand | Chamber throughput and its power. |
| Press lacks dust | Raw-dust split and its routing. |
| All machines stop at night | Stored energy and daytime recharge. |
| Capsules fail to pack in a huge base | Update to 1.0.5, which fixes big-base packing failures. |
Use the capacity calculator → · Connect J.O.O.N.A.S. →
Sources & version notes
- Official building and capsule fixes ↗
- Official machine and merger fixes ↗
- Official intake payment ↗
- Community factory reference ↗
Checked 29 October 2026. Official patch behavior is separated from community-reported menu values. This guide is source-based; it does not claim an in-game test by this site.
Calculate both the night reserve and the next recharge
Wikily’s game-data reference reports a 60-minute cycle with 30 minutes of night. Its machine table lists 10 kW for a Pressure Chamber and 18 kW for a Stone Press. The Solar Tracker (L) entry gives 16 kW in full sun, 10 kWh storage, 34 m wireless range and 92% charging efficiency. These are dated community reference values, not measurements from this site.
For a constant load P, a half-hour night needs 0.5 × P kWh. Over the next half-hour of full sunlight, generation must run the load and replace that stored energy. With the reported charging efficiency, the idealized generation requirement is P + P/0.92. Horizon transitions and additional equipment require a reserve.
| Continuous load | Night energy | Idealized daytime generation | 16 kW trackers, rounded up |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 10 kW chamber | 5 kWh | 20.87 kW | 2 |
| One 18 kW press | 9 kWh | 37.57 kW | 3 |
One fully charged tracker can store enough for one chamber’s isolated night, yet its 6 kW daylight surplus replaces only 2.76 kWh in half an hour after charging losses. That is less than the 5 kWh used: a single successful night does not prove a sustainable cycle.
These are calculated examples under constant-load, full-sun and no-extra-discharge-loss assumptions. They are not a verified layout. Check machine range, actual generation and charge through a complete cycle. No undocumented battery discharge-power cap is assumed.
Sources: day/night reference, machine loads, tracker storage and charging. Checked 1 November 2026.