In Satisfactory you’ll find both real and fictional resources to expand your factory. Caterium is one such ore which doesn’t exist in real life, but plays a major role in Satisfactory. The golden-coloured ore becomes especially relevant later on and is therefore an important part of your progression. Even more exciting is its dedicated branch in the MAM. By researching Caterium you unlock several highly valuable features that are absolutely worth it. Today we’ll look at what this research tree contains and what you should prioritise first.
Finding Caterium in Satisfactory: deposits, scanner and extraction
Caterium Ore can be found on the planet much like Iron or Copper. Its primary use is in electronics — think of it as a more advanced form of copper. However, Caterium is far rarer and can therefore be trickier to integrate into existing factories. Most deposits form a ring around the map and are generally isolated. Your best bet is the Titan Forest, where you’ll find two normal and one pure node.
You might stumble upon Caterium early, but your Resource Scanner can only search for it from Tier 6 with the Oil Power milestone — or you can add it sooner by completing the first MAM research node. You mine it with a Miner just like any other ore. The better the Miner, the more ore you’ll get.
Caterium research in the MAM: all branches at a glance
Once you’ve mined your first Caterium Ore, you should head to the MAM. We’ve already explained how to use this building in another guide (Satisfactory MAM Guide: Research, Hard Drives & Best Recipes) . By the time you finish Tier 6, you should be able to complete almost every branch of this research. Still, you can start as early as possible and unlock the first sections right away.
Section 1: Caterium Ore, Quickwire, Zipline and Stun Rebar
The first steps are straightforward: you only need 60x ore to get moving. This unlocks the Caterium scanner, followed by the recipe for Caterium Ingots. You should smelt these right away and, with 50 ingots, unlock Quickwire. Quickwire is produced from ingots. With that, you’ve laid almost all the essentials for this research path.
The tree then splits into three branches:
Zipline: The Zipline is an extremely handy tool that lets you travel along power lines. It helps you move between factories faster. Unlock it with 100x Quickwire and 50x Cable. You’ll then receive the crafting recipe, which, in addition to Quickwire and Cable, also requires a Xeno-Zapper and Iron Rods.
Stun Rebar: The right-hand path is important if you want to defend yourself against creatures. Here you unlock Stun Rebar for your Rebar Gun. Use 50x Quickwire and 10x Iron Rebar to obtain the recipe. The crafting recipe uses the same items.
Progress: Invest another 100x Quickwire to unlock Section 2.
Section 2: Power Poles, High-Speed Connector and Power Switches
The second section focuses on improving your power grid. As Caterium is required for many of these recipes, it’s no surprise you unlock them here. First you’ll set the foundation for later recipes that follow.
Again, three paths await:
Power Poles: Follow the middle branch to access two new versions of power poles. You can complete Mk.2 immediately, but you’ll have to wait a little for Mk.3 and work through the other branches. These poles allow more connections, which means less cable spaghetti.
High-Speed Connector: With Quickwire and Plastic you can unlock the High-Speed Connector, an important component for later electronic items. It’s particularly essential for further Caterium research steps.
AI Limiter: On the other side, with Quickwire and Copper Sheet, you unlock another electronics component.
From these last two researches you can unlock switches:
Power Switch: Use the freshly unlocked AI Limiters together with Steel Beams. Power Switches are great for getting better control over distribution and using power more efficiently.
Priority Power Switch: For even finer control of your grid, invest High-Speed Connectors and Quickwire. This lets you control your power grid remotely, shutting down or prioritising entire sections.
Section 3: Smart Splitter, homing ammo and Geothermal Generator
In the final section, many of the recipes and items you’ve unlocked so far come together. It’s worth automating their production to complete the research smoothly. Here you’ll discover four important components that make life in Satisfactory easier.
Smart Splitter: These splitters are among the most important items in Satisfactory, as they let you filter and better organise your conveyor belts. You should unlock them as soon as possible — as early as Tier 2. Define which items, and how many, each conveyor belt carries.
Programmable Splitter: A step above the Smart Splitter, it gives you even more control over how you route your conveyor belts. To unlock it you’ll need Computers and Heavy Modular Frames, which become available at Tier 6.
Homing Ammo: You can upgrade your Rifle from the Sulfur research by unlocking Homing Ammo. This is especially useful against tough creatures, as you don’t always have to aim perfectly to hit.
Geothermal energy: The final key item in this research branch is the Geothermal Generator. It lets you use geysers to produce power. Alongside High-Speed Connectors, you’ll need Motors from Tier 4, so you can unlock these generators fairly early. Your scanner can now search for geysers, giving you an alternative power source.
Conclusion: Caterium research for power grid, splitters and geothermal
Caterium research provides many crucial components for your production lines. It’s worth investing early and making use of them. As many steps build on each other, you can unlock them already in the early game. Almost all sections can be completed by Tier 6. This lets you not only expand your power grid, but also sort conveyor belts more effectively, or generate alternative power with Geothermal Generators.
To jump straight into Caterium research, rent a Satisfactory server from us. Don’t underestimate how many brilliant items the MAM holds — and show your friends how quickly you can research them.
