Looking for the right manufacturing facility for your product can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re not sure where to start. Whether you’re launching a new item or scaling up production, finding a trusted partner is crucial for quality and success. Knowing how to track down and evaluate manufacturing facilities saves time, money, and stress.
In this article, you’ll discover practical steps, essential tips, and helpful insights on how to find the best manufacturing facilities (NMS) for your needs.
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How to Find Manufacturing Facilities in No Man’s Sky
Finding manufacturing facilities in No Man’s Sky (NMS) can drastically boost your gameplay. These mysterious, locked buildings are scattered across the galaxy and offer valuable blueprints, crafting recipes, and other rewards. But locating them isn’t always straightforward, especially if you’re new to the game or want to maximize your farming efficiency.
Let’s break down everything you need to know—from what manufacturing facilities are, to how best to locate and use them for maximum benefit.
What Is a Manufacturing Facility?
A manufacturing facility is a special type of building found on planetary surfaces in No Man’s Sky. They typically look like windowless, reinforced structures. You’ll recognize them by their metal doors, roof-mounted equipment, and alarm systems.
Inside, you’ll encounter a terminal with a puzzle. Solving these puzzles rewards you with blueprints for new technologies, products, or crafting materials—often upgrading your arsenal or unlocking avenues for financial gain.
Why Seek Out Manufacturing Facilities?
Visiting manufacturing facilities is essential for the following reasons:
- Unlock Blueprints: Get access to advanced technologies, products, and upgrades for ships, Exosuits, and Multi-Tools.
- Boost Progression: The recipes you earn can simplify resource gathering and improve your crafting options.
- Earn Lore and Secrets: Sometimes, these locations reveal snippets of lore and secrets about the game’s mysterious universe.
- Increase Profit: Unlocking advanced crafting blueprints can lead to higher-value products, bolstering your in-game finances.
How to Find Manufacturing Facilities: Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s a comprehensive approach to finding your first (or next) manufacturing facility in No Man’s Sky.
1. Use the Planetary Chart (Secure Site of Interest)
The fastest and most reliable way to locate manufacturing facilities is by using a Planetary Chart of the “Secure Site of Interest” type. Here’s how:
- Acquire Planetary Charts: Visit a space station and speak to the Cartographer. Exchange Navigation Data for the charts marked as Secure Sites.
- Activate a Chart: Use it from your inventory while on the planet’s surface. The chart will scan for and mark a manufacturing facility (or sometimes an operations centre) on your HUD.
- Follow the Marker: Hop in your ship and fly to the marked location. If the scan finds an operations centre instead, try using another chart.
Tips:
- Secure Site charts can pinpoint both manufacturing facilities and operations centres, which look similar but offer different puzzles and rewards.
- If you run out of navigation data, you can gather more by exploring buildings, interacting with beacons, or searching for distress signals.
2. Scan from the Air
If you lack charts, you can try manual scanning:
- Fly Your Ship Low: Hover above the planet’s surface in your starship.
- Look for Rectangular Buildings: Manufacturing facilities are typically rectangular, metallic structures with protruding equipment on the roof.
- Use the Ship’s Scanner: Perform periodic scans (C key on PC) as you fly– sometimes, manufacturing facilities will be marked as “Building” or “Habitable Base.”
- Land and Check: If you spot a likely candidate, land and check if it has reinforced doors. If it does, you’ve likely found a manufacturing facility or an operations centre.
Tips:
- Manual scanning is less reliable but can help if you have no charts.
- Focus your search in areas with high building density or near trading outposts.
3. Use the Exocraft Signal Booster (Optional)
When you unlock Exocraft (planetary vehicles), you gain access to their advanced scanning functions:
- Build a Signal Booster or Exocraft Scanner: Requires some early game progression and resources.
- Select Appropriate Scan: Choose “Scan for Secure Facilities” or “Scan for Buildings,” depending on your scanner’s options. This can occasionally locate manufacturing facilities.
Tips:
- Exocraft can cover ground faster and are less vulnerable to environmental hazards than being on foot.
- Upgrading your scanner improves search accuracy and range.
4. Ask Around at Space Stations
Voyager-NPCs at space stations sometimes offer mission leads or rumors about the presence of manufacturing facilities, especially through missions or dialogue options. These can occasionally mark a site for you, but this is less consistent than other methods.
What to Do at a Manufacturing Facility
Locating the building is half the challenge! Here’s what to do next:
- Break In: Use your Multi-Tool to shoot and destroy the reinforced door. This will activate Sentinels, so be ready for a brief fight or to run inside quickly.
- Solve the Terminal Puzzle: Inside, you’ll find a terminal with a puzzle or question. Read the context carefully and select the answer that makes the most logical sense based on the clues.
- Earn Rewards: A correct answer rewards you with a blueprint, nanites, reputation, or other bonuses. Even if you answer incorrectly, you may still receive a minor reward.
- Collect Any Additional Loot: Some facilities have containers or lockers with extra resources.
Benefits of Visiting Multiple Manufacturing Facilities
- Learn All Blueprints: You can only receive each unique technology, product, or upgrade blueprint once per facility type. The more you visit, the faster you fill out your technology and product lists.
- Gain Faction Reputation: Completing puzzles often increases standing with the Gek, Vy’keen, or Korvax.
- Speed Up Progression: Early access to blueprints gives you an advantage for crafting, combat, and exploration.
Challenges and Downsides
Though rewarding, searching for and clearing manufacturing facilities has some hurdles:
- Sentinel Response: Breaking in will trigger Sentinel drones. Be prepared for combat, or develop strategies for quick entries.
- Repetitive Puzzles: Some puzzles can repeat, offering diminishing returns after you’ve learned all blueprints.
- Resource Usage: Destroying doors and fighting off Sentinels costs ammunition and can damage your gear.
Practical Tips and Best Practices
Maximize your efficiency and minimize frustration by following these proven tips:
- Stock Up on Ammo and Supplies: Have plenty of Multi-Tool ammo or upgraded mining beam energy.
- Upgrade Shields: Enhanced shields help withstand Sentinel attacks.
- Build Portable Save Devices: Always save before attacking a facility, so you can retry if things go wrong.
- Travel Light: Sentinels may follow you outside, so be ready to jetpack, run, or re-enter your ship at a moment’s notice.
- Rotate Planets: Some planets have more facilities per square kilometer, especially in manufacturing economies or high-security sectors.
- Farm Navigation Data: Keep a surplus of navigation data for trading at the Cartographer. This ensures you can always buy more Secure Site charts.
Summary
Manufacturing facilities are your gateway to new technology, lucrative crafting opportunities, and game progression in No Man’s Sky. The quickest and most consistent way to find them is via Secure Site planetary charts bought at any space station’s Cartographer. Alternatively, you can scan from your ship, use Exocraft, or stumble upon them through manual exploration.
Always be prepared for combat, pay attention to puzzle clues, and try to visit as many different facilities as you can. If you follow these strategies, you’ll unlock powerful new blueprints and supercharge your journey through the galaxy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I get blueprints from manufacturing facilities?
Interact with the terminal inside the facility and solve the presented puzzle. Choosing the correct answer rewards you with a new blueprint or technology. Each facility offers one reward per successful puzzle completion.
2. What’s the difference between a manufacturing facility and an operations centre?
While similar in appearance, manufacturing facilities usually offer product or technology blueprints, while operations centres focus more on multi-tool upgrades or occasionally different puzzles. Both buildings are worth visiting for rewards.
3. How do I get navigation data for planetary charts?
Navigation data can be found at space stations on tables, in glowing cubes, or earned from certain missions and building terminals. Accumulate these to trade with the Cartographer for planetary charts.
4. Will Sentinels always attack me at manufacturing facilities?
Yes. Shooting open the reinforced doors will initiate a Sentinel response. Prepare for a fight or entry as quickly as possible to minimize danger.
5. Can I revisit the same facility for more blueprints?
No, each facility can only be rewarded once. After solving a terminal’s puzzle and claiming the reward, returning will not grant additional blueprints from that location. You’ll need to find new facilities for more rewards.
With the right strategy and preparation, finding and raiding manufacturing facilities becomes a powerful tool in your No Man’s Sky adventure. Happy blueprint hunting!
