What if assemblers only assembled? This is an overhaul mod that introduces interesting production chains and design choices. New ores, new concepts, new assemblers, new intermediates -- and new challenges to overcome.
The only way to get niobium is rare-metal recycling, which requires niobium plates through blue circuits, and dirty water filtering, which can be done but I assume isn't the intended method for getting it at first.
There should be Rare-Metal Crushing to help boot-strap. For better or worse, it is what was intended, though I'm curiuos about your feedback as to whether or not that's good enough. :)
