About Module Switcher Attachment
From Factorio Mod PortalUse inserters to add/remove modules from a building, through an attached chest
Adds a chest that you can place next to anything that uses modules. The chest mirrors the contents of the machine's module inventory, so you can add/remove modules from the machine using inserters, via the chest.
(This uses the engine's new "proxy container" feature. The only runtime scripting this mod does is to link attachments to machines when they're placed.)
Example uses:
- Add/remove quality modules from furnaces to balance production/consumption of different quality levels.
- For systems that set recipes in assemblers automatically, such as the "omni-crafter", you can add prod/quality modules only if the recipe allows them.
- For modded modules that spoil. For example Legendary Space Age has spoiling modules, though they're currently only allowed in beacons because this mod didn't exist when I was designing LSA.
The attachment works for everything with modules: furnaces, assemblers, rocket silos, labs, mining drills, and beacons. It's actually not necessary for beacons, which can already interact with inserters.
Some edge cases: Machines can link to multiple attachments, but each attachment only links to one machine. If you place 2 attachments linked to the same machine, and an inserter between them, the inserter will move modules from the one attachment to the other one, repeating forever. If you put a machine with module inventory next to an unlinked attachment, they will link. If the attachment is already linked to a machine, it won't link to the new machine. If you put an attachment next to multiple machines with module inventories, it links to the first one it finds (checking top, then bottom, then left, then right). If you put an attachment next to 2 machines, and delete the one it's linked to, it doesn't automatically link to the new one, because linking only happens when an entity is built. If you have an attachment linked to a machine, and you delete the machine, and place a new machine, the attachment will link to the new machine. Mining an attachment doesn't give you the modules, but mining the machine does.
Ideas for additional features:
- Show arrow to attached building. Show warning icon if no attached building.
- You could make a mod with similar attachments for other inventories - fuel, ingredients, products, trash, chest, rocket cargo, etc.
- You could make a mod that adds attachments that attach to other attachments. So you could string together like 10 attachments on a chest, allowing you to insert/output from any of those 10 points. You could replace transport belts with lines of connected chests.
Highlights
From source dataFootprint
Rated a light load on a server.
License
Published under MIT.
Last update
Its author last shipped an update 19 mo ago.
Module Switcher Attachment on Nxeon
From our catalogue- One-click install
- Supported on Nxeon Factorio servers. We download it from Factorio Mod Portal, place it, and restart the server.
- Server side
- Required on the server
- Server load
- light
- Smallest plan we suggest
- Factorio — 2 GB (2 GB RAM). This follows our own load rating above, not a benchmark.
- Latest build
- 1.0.0, released 2025-04-02
Run Module Switcher Attachment on a Factorio server
Pick a server or deploy a new one above; it is installed in one click.
What kind of mod it is
From the catalogBuilding & decoration
Blocks, furniture, decorations and building tools.
Runs on your server
From source side supportFactorio Mod Portal lists Module Switcher Attachment as required on the server. Check its Factorio Mod Portal page to see whether players need it too.
Compatibility
- Game
- Factorio
- Runs on
- Serverrequired on the server
Verified at the source
- ✓Factorio Mod PortalOfficial listing, checked 2026-10-09Open ↗
- ✓AuthorStephenB, as published on Factorio Mod Portal
- ✓LicenseMITFree

