Thanks for the feedback
What item each of the engines ask you are always randomized. The red guy in the main room does indeed have a priority for batteries and power cells, while the other ones prefer to ask for the other item types (green guy is screw box and toolbox and yellow guy is the wire items), however they do have a small chance to ask for an item that is prioritized by a different engine. What you described sounds to me like you got unlucky with multiple of the engines asking for the same thing. That can happen sometimes and depending on your luck, it is possible to do. Sorry if the rng is too punishing.
Maybe I misunderstood, but an engine shouldn't be able to ask for an item immediately after getting one for at least a few seconds (this timer is shortened each day)