Iron Ingots are smelted from iron ore in the furnace/smelter line and unlock the “Iron Age” achievement (74.5% of players). Steel Ingots (“Steel Age”, 29.0%) are the main downstream use; the tech tree consumes iron across multiple branches.
Production methods
The item model supports multiple production methods for iron — the standard furnace route plus a faster or alternative route that becomes available mid-game. Both routes produce the same Iron Ingot but with different throughput; exact 1.0 inputs and craf times are pending direct observation.
Production chain sketch
| Step | Item | Machine |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iron ore (raw) | Mining / harvest plot |
| 2 | Processed ore | Grinder / extractor |
| 3 | Iron Ingot | Stone Furnace → smelter |
| 4 | Steel Ingot | Advanced furnace |
| 5 | Machines & tools | Assembly / research |
Every use
- Steel Ingots — the “Steel Age” achievement (29.0%).
- Machine recipes — most production devices and upgrades request iron.
- Research — tech tiers gate on iron batches.
- Shop goods — some iron products sell to customers and contracts.
Why iron matters
Iron is the pivot between the potion tutorial and the automation phase. Once iron is stable, players reach the Calcium/Cauldron branches, which are the deepest long-tail search clusters on this wiki.
Milestone and downstream uses: OFFICIAL. Ingot-per-minute rates and exact ore ratios: PENDING for 1.0.
Independent fan reference for Alchemy Factory. Game data refers to the current official 1.0 build (Steam, PC). Field-level evidence is flagged on each page with OFFICIAL / OBSERVED / COMMUNITY badges; amounts shown without a badge come from the official 1.0 patch notes or store descriptions.