Quality Production in a nutshell
There is a lot of confusion about how the quality mechanic works in Factorio: SA. While the original FFF post did a good job explaining the benefits of quality materials, I still see many people unsure or confused about how producing quality goods works. Some information is scattered beyond the original FFF post, as various clarifications have been posted in comments and Discord messages. So let this be an attempt to explain the mechanics of producing quality items in one place.
There are some blueprints and small setups to recycle till legendary like this one:

Blueprint is available here: recycle-till-legendary.txt
The Basics
Quality in Factorio Space Age introduces a new layer of progression by allowing items to have varying levels of effectiveness. Items can come in five quality tiers: Normal, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary, with each tier offering better performance. For example, higher-quality Solar Panels produce significantly more energy, while Asteroid Collectors gain additional collection arms. Quality is determined using Quality Modules, which can be installed in machines to introduce a chance for higher-quality outputs during production.
To create quality items, there are two key approaches: chance-based production and guaranteed quality crafting. By adding Quality Modules to high-output machines, you can passively produce better-quality items over time. However, to guarantee an item of a specific quality, all its ingredients must match the desired tier—for instance, creating an Uncommon Asteroid Collector requires Uncommon engines, circuits, and low-density structures. Recycling offers another way to upgrade items, as it allows you to reclaim components with a chance of improving their quality, but this process only returns 25% of materials, making it resource-intensive.
When getting started, focus on items where quality provides the greatest benefits, such as Solar Panels, Asteroid Collectors, and machines like Crushers or Assemblers. Use early-game Quality Modules in high-throughput machines like Green Circuit assemblers to generate quality products passively. Be sure to siphon off higher-quality items quickly to prevent them from clogging production lines. By managing quality carefully and upgrading critical items, you can optimize efficiency, reduce resource costs, and prepare for interplanetary expansion.
Recommended Items
When it comes to quality in Factorio Space Age, prioritizing the right items can make a significant difference in your factory’s efficiency and the performance of your spaceship. Here are the most important items to focus on upgrading:
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Solar Panels Higher-quality solar panels are essential for spaceships, as they provide drastically improved energy output without taking up extra space. For example, an Uncommon solar panel already produces 78kW compared to the 60kW of a normal one, and a Legendary panel can nearly triple the energy output. Upgrading your ship’s solar panels ensures you have the power you need without overloading it with weight.
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Asteroid Collectors Quality asteroid collectors are game-changers for resource gathering. Even an Uncommon collector gains an additional collection arm, significantly increasing its efficiency. This upgrade is especially useful early on, as it allows you to maximize resource intake without needing to build more collectors.
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Crushers, Assemblers, and Furnaces Machines like Crushers, Assemblers, and Furnaces benefit from increased crafting speeds as their quality improves. Faster crafting machines help streamline production, which is crucial when you’re preparing for large-scale builds or spaceship components. These machines are especially valuable on spaceships where space is limited and production speed is key.
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Power Armor and Mech Components Crafting Power Armor and related mech components at higher quality provides advanced capabilities, but it can be resource-intensive. Focus on these items when you have a steady supply of Rare and Epic materials, as they require matching high-quality ingredients like circuits, engines, and low-density structures.
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Low-Density Structures, Circuits, and Engines To produce quality items reliably, aim to upgrade key intermediate components such as Low-Density Structures, Blue Circuits, and Electric Engines. These components are used in many critical recipes, and having higher-quality versions on hand will allow you to craft advanced items like asteroid collectors and spaceship modules with ease.
By focusing on these items early and managing quality production effectively, you can significantly improve the efficiency of your factory and ensure your spaceship is ready for interplanetary exploration.
TL;DR
About the Quality system in Factorio Space Age, focusing on its mechanics, benefits, and strategies:
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What is Quality? Quality in Factorio is determined by Quality Modules in machines. Items can have five quality levels: Normal, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary, similar to MMO rankings.
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How Quality Affects Items:
- Quality improves item performance. For example:
- Solar Panels: Higher quality increases energy output significantly (e.g., Legendary is nearly 3x better than Normal).
- Asteroid Collectors: Higher quality adds additional collection arms.
- Fluids do not have quality levels.
- Quality improves item performance. For example:
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Two Ways to Obtain Quality Items:
- Chance-based: Place Quality Modules in machines, which produce higher-quality items over time.
- Guaranteed Quality: Use only matching quality ingredients (e.g., Uncommon engines + Uncommon circuits produce Uncommon items).
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Recycling for Quality:
- Recyclers allow you to break down items to retrieve ingredients. When Quality Modules are installed, there’s a chance to recover higher-quality components.
- Recycling returns only 25% of materials, so it’s resource-intensive.
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Best Items to Focus on Quality:
- Solar Panels and Asteroid Grabbers are top priorities for spaceships due to limited space and energy efficiency.
- Crushers, Furnaces, and Assemblers with higher quality improve crafting speed.
- Power Armor: Requires multiple rare-quality components and is challenging to produce.
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Strategies for Quality Production:
- Use Quality Modules early in high-volume machines (e.g., circuits) to passively generate quality items.
- Siphon off quality products immediately to avoid contamination of production lines.
- Focus on passive accumulation instead of resource-intensive recycling early on.
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Practical Tips:
- Transport quality items manually (e.g., into rockets) to avoid wasting resources.
- Use recyclers strategically to create higher-quality components for critical builds.