Arknights Endfield AIC Factory Guide: Units, Workflow, and Blueprints

The Automated Industry Complex, or AIC, is one of the most important progression systems in Arknights Endfield. It runs your whole base and keeps producing gear, batteries, and trade goods.

This Arknights Endfield AIC factory guide covers the units, the cycle, the tech tree unlock order, troubleshooting, and blueprints. The goal is to leave you with a factory that runs itself and never stalls overnight.

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What is Arknights Endfield AIC Factory?

The AIC is your personal automated factory on Talos-II. It mines raw ore, processes it through linked machines, and drops finished products into your Depot. Your central hub is the PAC, short for Protocol Anchor Core. At an outpost, you place a Sub-PAC that acts like a second factory.

Think of it like Factorio or Satisfactory built into a gacha game. The key difference is that everything keeps going offline. You log in, collect, sell, and move on.

Key Facility Units

Every facility falls into one of four jobs. Knowing the category helps you read any layout fast. Here is the breakdown we use.

Key AIC Facility Units

Category	What It Does	Common Units
Production	Turns ore and plants into usable items	Refining Unit, Shredding Unit, Grinding Unit, Filling Unit, Molding Unit, Packaging Unit, Gearing Unit, Seed-Picking Unit, Planting Unit
Energy	Generates and carries power across the map	PAC and Sub-PAC, Relay Tower, Electric Pylon, Thermal Bank
Storage	Holds and redistributes finished goods	Depot, Protocol Stash, Depot Bus, Depot Loader and Unloader
Transportation	Moves items between machines	Transport Belt, Splitter, Converger, Bridge, Control Port

Production

Production units do the actual crafting. Each one has an input port and an output port. You set a recipe, feed the right material in, and the unit spits out the next item. For example, a Refining Unit turns Amethyst Ore into Amethyst fiber. A Gearing Unit then combines parts into gear components.

Energy

The PAC and Sub-PAC generate all your power. Relay Towers extend that power up to 80 meters in a straight line, according to community testing. Electric Pylons sit at the end and supply power wirelessly in a small radius. Mining rigs and outdoor machines need a pylon nearby. Inside your main base, pylons connect on their own.

Storage

The Depot is your shared regional storage. The Protocol Stash is the unit we generally recommend most. It takes items off a belt and sends them straight to your Depot. No long return belts needed. Depot Buses and Loaders let you pull items from the edge of your base instead of routing everything through the center.

Transportation

Belts carry items at a fixed speed. One belt moves one item every two seconds, and nothing makes it faster, according to community testing. Splitters divide a line, Convergers merge lines, and bridges let belts cross without mixing. Control Ports filter items and cap how many flow through. We will come back to that cap in troubleshooting, since it traps many players.

How the AIC Factory Cycle Works

The cycle is one clean loop. Once you see it, the whole system clicks.

Your PAC or a mining rig outputs a raw resource.
A belt carries that resource into a machine's input.
The machine processes it and outputs the next item.
You chain more machines until the product is finished.
The final item returns to the PAC or a Protocol Stash, then lands in your Depot.

That is the entire idea. Raw material goes in one end, a finished product comes out the other, and storage holds it for you.

How to Unlock AIC Factory?

For most players that land around account level 10 to 11, near the end of the first chapter after the first major boss. Besides, the game hands you your first blueprint automatically when the system opens. The deeper tech tree, called the AIC Plan, opens a little later.

To grow the tree, you collect AIC Index points. These come from Protocol Dataloggers in the open world, as community testing. They look like tall inflatable air dancers and show on the map with their own icon. Each new tier also needs an Expansion Core, which you earn through story progress. So if a node looks locked, push the story a bit more.

Why is AIC Factory Worth Investing In?

Skipping the factory feels fine for a few days. Then gear costs spike, and your team falls behind. Here is what a working AIC actually feeds.

Gear and components for every operator on your roster.
Healing items like Buck Capsules and, later, Yazhen Syringes for combat.
Batteries that raise your max power so you can build more.
Trade goods you sell at outposts for Valley Stock Bills.
Industrial Explosives that clear blocked exploration paths.

Tech Tree Priority

The AIC Plan splits into branches: Resourcing, Logistics, Processing, Power, Combat, and Exploration. You will never have enough Index points for everything early. So we spend them in a clear order. Core automation first, combat and exploration later.

Early Stage

Your first goal is a base that runs without you. Focus your early Index points here.

Resourcing: Get the upgrades for electric mining rigs as soon as you can. Manual mining does not scale.
Logistics: Grab belts, the Protocol Stash, and Depot upgrades. The Protocol Stash alone cleans up your whole layout.
Processing: Take Material Molding to reach Solid Filling, then unlock the Planting Unit. Take Parts Filling to reach Packaging Tech for batteries and explosives.
Power: Buy power capacity nodes once you reach Basic AIC 2. More machines always mean more power demand.

A quick insight here. Many players rush exploration and combat nodes for the shiny gun towers. Hold off. Those help in a pinch, but they do not grow your economy.

Mid Stage

By mid-game, you want higher-value output and cleaner logistics. This is where Basic AIC 3 unlocks real flexibility.

Depot Bus and Loaders: These let you line up outputs along the base edge. Your factory stops looking like spaghetti.
Gearing tech for purple gear: You will need the Cryston Component for five-star gear. That chain uses Sandleaf, so set up a plant loop first.
More power capacity: Switch your Thermal Banks from Originium Ore to batteries. The jump in efficiency is huge.
Advanced Processing: Unlock grinding and higher refining steps for batteries and components.

Arknights Endfield AIC Factory - Gearing Unit

Once you reach the Wuling region, a second tree opens. The Wuling AIC Plan adds pipes, fluid pumps, and fluid storage. Cuprium Ore requires a Hydro Mining Rig fed by Clean Water, as listed in the AIC Factory Plan database. Treat it as a fresh tree, not an extension of the first.

How does Arknights Endfield AIC Factory Work?

Now we put the units together into a real workflow. We split it into four steps: Collection, Transportation, Production, and Supply. Build in that order, and you rarely get lost.

🏭 Factory Workflow

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Collect

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Transport

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Process

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Store

Collection

Everything starts with raw materials. Walk the map and place a mining rig on every mineral bed you find. Power each one with a relay and a pylon chain back to your base. The rig then mines on its own and ships ore to your Depot.

Plants work the same way through planting units. One strong tip we always give: build a self-feeding plant loop early. Place one Seed-Picking Unit between two Planting Units. The Seed-Picking Unit turns one plant into two seeds. One Planting Unit loops back to feed the picker, and the other exports surplus plants. You get an endless supply of Buckflower or Sandleaf with no farming.

Transportation

Transportation is just belts and power, but ratios matter more than anything. Since one belt moves one item every two seconds, extra belts do nothing if a machine only needs one. Match belt supply to machine demand.

Here is the rule we live by. If a recipe needs five Amethyst parts and ten Originium powder, build two powder lines and one part line. Feeding the wrong ratio cuts your real output in half. People lose hours to this without realizing it.

Production

Production is where you chain machines into a finished product. The trick is to read the recipe before you build. Open the Database, search for the item, and view its Production Process. Pin it in the corner so you can follow it line by line.

We always build one line at a time. Set up the Amethyst path first, confirm it flows, then add the Originium path. Trying to wire the full tree at once is how mistakes hide. Power each machine with a pylon as you go so the icons light up.

Supply

Supply is the payoff stage. Finished goods flow into your Depot, but the Depot has a cap. Once an item hits its limit, the line behind it clogs and turns red. So you must keep selling.

Open Outpost Management under Regional Development. Trade your excess items for Valley Stock Bills. Higher-value items pay more, so sell the most advanced goods your factory can spare. Assign an operator as a liaison for a bonus chance. Selling also raises your outpost level, which raises rewards over time.

Troubleshooting for Arknights Endfield AIC

Most factory problems come from a short list of causes. We have hit every one of these. Use this table to fix a stalled line fast.

AIC Factory Troubleshooting

Problem	Possible Reason	Solution
Line clogged with a red overload icon	Output backed up because the Depot or output cap is full	Sell excess at an outpost, or route the output into a Protocol Stash or back to the PAC
Machine refuses to take items	Control Port limit set too low	Raise the Control Port number or turn it off entirely
Items placed but nothing flows	Wrong ore on the belt or wrong recipe set	Set the belt to the correct ore and match the recipe to the input
Facility shows an unplug icon	No pylon in range or power capacity exceeded	Add a pylon and relay, or add Thermal Bank capacity
Production slows across the whole base	Total power use is above your capacity	Add batteries to your Thermal Banks or remove unused facilities
Battery or capsule line never completes a batch	Belt ratio mismatch, one input is too slow	Add a second line for the slower input to balance the ratio
Blueprint placed but the line will not run	A required facility is still locked	Research the missing node, then place the blueprint again

One habit saves you here. Check the AIC Report and compare current data against theoretical data. If your current output sits far below theoretical, something is bottlenecked. That gap points you straight to the broken step.

Arknights Endfield AIC Factory Blueprint Usage

Blueprints are the biggest time saver in the game. If you dislike wiring belts, you can lean on them almost entirely. If you love building, they still help you study clean layouts.

What is the AIC Blueprint?

A blueprint is a saved copy of a factory section. It stores the machines, belts, power links, and connections in one package. You drop the whole thing down with a single click. Endfield has three kinds.

System Blueprints: Rewards from VR Simulator tutorials and AIC Plan progress.
My Blueprints: Layouts you build and save yourself.
Shared Blueprints: Community layouts you import using a share code.

Arknights Endfield AIC Factory - Blueprints

Sharing and importing both run through the in-game blueprint menu, not the redeem code screen. Here is the flow we follow.

Enter AIC Mode and switch to Top View for the grid overlay.

Open the blueprint menu, usually F1 on PC.

To save your own, use Bulk Action to select the section, then save it with a clear name and output rate.
The game creates a share code automatically. Send that code to friends or community sites.

To import, open the Shared Blueprints tab and paste the code with no extra spaces.
Confirm and place it. It snaps to valid tiles if you own the required facilities.

A small detail trips people up. Codes never use a lowercase L, and the letter I and number 1 look alike, a point noted in code lists. Copy carefully.

Why Does the Blueprint Code Import Fail?

Failed imports almost always come down to a few reasons. Check these before blaming the code.

Wrong server or region: Currently, blueprint codes are limited by server or region in most cases. An NA code often will not load on an Asia or EU account.
Locked facilities: The game places the layout but leaves locked machines as gaps. Those tiles stay empty until you research them.
Outdated code: Code can break after a patch. Grab a fresh one from an active source.
Copy errors: A stray space, line break, or swapped I and 1 invalidates the whole string.

A working blueprint still needs power and the right input ores. The code only defines the layout. It does not guarantee that your base feeds it correctly.

Advanced Techniques

Once the basics run, these tricks push your factory further. We use all of them daily.

Standalone Thermal Banks: Keep your power generation separate from production. One battery output every two seconds can feed many banks. This makes power easy to scale.
Switch power fuel early: Originium Ore gives only about 50 power for eight seconds, while an LC Valley Battery gives around 220 power for forty seconds, based on tested blueprint data. Move to batteries the moment you can.
Conserve Amethyst: Amethyst is your real bottleneck ore. Do not burn it on low-value items when Originium will do.
Belt overlap with bridges: When space gets tight, cross belts with bridges instead of long detours. It keeps lines short and readable.
Push Regional Development: Higher Regional Development raises mining node purity, according to community testing. Players report that level 11 gives the highest purity, though the game does not state an exact figure. Aim for it, then balance production against your supply.
Avoid corrosion zones: Some corrosion zones drain facility durability by roughly 2% per hour, according to community testing. Place generators and key machines in safe zones, then run power lines into the danger areas instead.
Use the AIC Report as a planner: Before you expand, read the report. It tells you which materials you overproduce and which ones are bottlenecks. Plan your factory layout around real data, not guesswork.

Common Arknights Endfield AIC Factory Mistakes to Avoid

Expanding production before increasing power capacity.
Ignoring Protocol Stash and relying on long return belts.
Producing low-value materials after unlocking higher-tier recipes.
Letting the Depot reach its storage cap and block production.
Building inefficient belt ratios that create hidden bottlenecks.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AIC factory required, or can I skip it?

You can keep it simple, but you cannot skip it. Late game gear comes only from your factory. A basic working setup is enough for most players.

How much daily time does the AIC need once set up?

In our experience, about five to ten minutes. You log in, collect from the Depot, sell to outposts, and let it run. The system handles the rest.

Where do I get AIC Index points?

From Protocol Dataloggers in the open world. They look like inflatable air dancers and show on the map with their own icon. You spend the points in the AIC Plan.

Why does my production line keep stopping overnight?

Your Depot likely hit its cap on one item. The full item backs up the whole line. Sell excess regularly or route outputs through a Protocol Stash.

Do blueprints work across regions and servers?

No. Blueprint codes are region and server locked. A Valley IV code will not work in Wuling, and an NA code may not load on Asia or EU.

What should I produce first for easy income?

Spam Originium Ore and trade it one to one early on. Then move to Buck Capsules and batteries as your factory grows. Higher value goods pay far more Stock Bills.

Where can I find good factory layouts to copy?

Browse the in-game shared blueprints, or check active community sites and the official Discord. A factory planner tool helps you preview layouts before you build them.

The AIC looks intimidating on day one. It is really just input and output repeated many times. Start with a blueprint, get power stable, automate your mining, and build one line at a time. Do that, and your factory quietly carries your whole account forward.

In short, your factory is your account's income. Combat power, exploration, and pulls all trace back to it. If you want to speed up those pulls alongside your passive factory income, you can also consider Arknights Endfield Top Up for premium currency.

If you want to learn more about Arknights Endfield AIC Factory, please click the links here:

Arknights Endfield Wuling AIC Guide: Layout, Resources, and Progression

Arknights Endfield Valley IV AIC Guide: Layout, Resources, and Progression