Blueprints

Each crafting tool or processor has a few blueprints installed on it by default. However, there are lots of other blueprints to be found in game. The most common way of finding them is either by raiding pirate bases or stumbling onto them while exploring or discovering.

Note that blueprint stuff doesn't show up when you try to lookup with datapad. Not even when you actually have the blueprint installed on the appropriate tool.

If you find a blueprint chip you can load onto  to install it. If you ever want to remove an installed blueprint from a tool you will need a blank blueprint chip which you can make with an electronics processor (probably, just look it up otherwise). Then you can download  and select the installed blueprint that you want to retrieve. It will be installed on the blank chip and turn into a regular blueprint chip so you can install it again on another tool somewhere else.