Hi, thanks for the question!
Small clarification first: both modes use the same script. The setting only changes where the cleaned-out items go:
- "robots" (default): the items are dropped next to the lab and marked for deconstruction, so construction robots carry them to storage chests.
- "network": the items are inserted straight into the logistic network the lab stands in, so nothing touches the ground and no robots fly.
UPS: the script doesn't scan every lab every tick. Labs are tracked in a list and checked round-robin, spread over the interval (default 2 s). With 1,000 labs that's about 9 lab checks per tick. Each check just reads two small lab inventories, and most of the time there's nothing to do. "network" is the cheaper of the two, because it skips the ground items and robot trips. If you want it even lighter, raise the interval in the map settings. Spoilage builds up slowly, so 10 s or more is fine.
Belts: no. Items are dropped with belts explicitly excluded, so nothing lands on a belt next to the lab. And "robots" mode only drops anything if the lab is inside a construction network. If it isn't, the items just stay in the lab.
