Fundamentally:
The purpose of this guide is not to give a step by step list of things to do in order to beat the game.
The main purpose is to provide some key goals to work towards, some key calculations that may be useful and a guide on how to use each machine.
Before we begin, here are some key terms and what they mean:

Main Bus:
In electrical circuits a bus is used as the main line where data can be transmitted.
A bus in Techtonica follows a similar principle, this is the main line to transfer all your resources across your factory.

Balancers:
This is a belt set up used to ensure equal resource distribution across each lane.

Mall:
This is a factory set up where you automate every item in the game.
The idea is to visit the "mall" when you need something, kind of like shopping.

Stratas:
Techtonica is a unique factory game in that it not only takes place underground, it also takes place across several levels or "strata" reacheable by usingh the Elevator.
As a result, this guide will be split up into three phases based on the available unlocks and strata.

Gaunter