How to make a completely automated chute?

I mine my ore much much above magma smelters. I am looking for a way of using gravity instead of brute dwarf-force to bring ore down to smelters.

All instructions on the internet involve micromanagement: either ore needs to be dumped or bridge needs to be retracted periodically.

Is there a way of making this process once and forever (until I lose, of course)?

dwarf-fortress

Best Answer

You can always use a Minecart Quantum Stockpile, except it dumps to a vertical shaft.

The science in doing the dump is explained there, and it's easy to do, but there are 2 main precautions you should be aware of:

If you don't dump to a stockpile, dwarves will just pick up those ores and go up again with them. So, on the bottom of the shaft, place a 1 square stockpile, that also links with your smelters.
Projectiles fall at high speeds, and as such will injure your dwarves, should they be on the same square as the shaft. Consider adding a bridge or a floor hatch to stop the flow of rocks, or periodically stopping the dumping service.

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