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sandustry lava

Move Lava by changing its state.

Lava cannot travel through pipes. Freeze it, break the solid result into transportable Cinder, then rebuild the heat source where the factory needs it.

Complete chain: Lava + Snow → Scoria → destroy Scoria → Cinder → transport → ignite Cinder → Lava.

Where to find Lava

Lava occurs naturally deep underground in the Lava Cave. Secure the surrounding route before opening a large chamber, especially if Water or mixed loose materials can fall into the area.

How to move Lava

  1. Use Snow from the Cryoblaster to freeze Lava into Scoria.
  2. Destroy the Scoria with a weapon so it drops Cinder.
  3. Move Cinder with the Grabber, Conveyor Belts or Launchers.
  4. Build the destination enclosure before adding Cinder.
  5. Ignite the Cinder with a sufficiently hot source such as the Flamethrower.

Pumps and Pipes do not transport Lava. The state-change route is the intended logistics solution.

Build a controlled Lava burner

Set a Filter to Allow only Cinder and place a solid block below it. Fill the Filter with Cinder, then ignite it. The resulting Lava remains trapped while burnable pixels moving over the filled Filter can ignite.

This layout can automate Residue into Burnt Residue and can also support automatic Flower harvesting. Keep the feed shallow: basic Filters operate on the material at their position, and a thick pile can create unexpected overflow.

Lava and Water interaction

When Water lands on Lava, the Water evaporates into Steam and the amount of Lava does not decrease. This makes Lava a reusable heat source, but the Steam still needs a safe escape or capture route.

Factory design rules

  • Build the enclosure before reigniting Cinder.
  • Filter Cinder away from Sand and other solids upstream.
  • Provide an immediate exit for Burnt Residue.
  • Keep Water storage physically separate from the burner.
  • Add a shutoff or bypass to the solid-material feed.
  • Test with a small Cinder batch before filling the Filter.

Troubleshooting

Cinder turns back into Lava too early

Separate it from heat and existing Lava during transport. Do not route it through an active burner.

Residue does not ignite

Confirm the Filter is completely filled with Lava and the passing Residue makes contact at the correct level.

The burner works but the factory stops

The downstream Burnt Residue path is full. Heat automation does not remove the need for output storage and Kinetic Press capacity.

Official sources

Official Lava reference · Official Beginner's Guide · Official Research reference