The industrial sector has been heavily reliant on the latest technology in its production processes since the dawn of manufacturing and mass production itself. The industrial revolution of the late 18th century gave rise to previously unimaginable levels of mass production thanks to the intelligent use of technology and equipment to automate production. One key piece of equipment was the coal-fired steam engine that was first used to pump water out of coal mines. Whilst this equipment may seem basic by today’s standards of technology, it was one of the most important pieces of equipment in driving the industrial revolution and the rise of manufacturing. Today, manufacturing equipment is significantly more advanced but still adheres to the key principles of driving efficiency and automating repetitive processes. In this article, three key pieces of modern industrial equipment are discussed.
For Recycling
It is a fact that the recycling industry owes its success to having key pieces of industrial equipment that make the recycling process far less labor intensive and significantly more efficient. One key example is the use of balers for cardboard recycling. These machines can collect and compress an enormous amount of cardboard in recycling plants with a minimal requirement for human operators. Without this equipment, recycling on a large scale would be an extremely laborious and time-consuming process, and it is unlikely that materials could be compacted as effectively or efficiently. When the cardboard material is compacted, it is compressed down to a far smaller size than the loose waste products from which it is formed. This allows blocks of the cardboard to be easily stored and transported onto purchasers of this material where it can once again be transformed into packing materials for an immense variety of products.
The Design Industry
One innovative piece of technology that is helping to transform all kinds of design industries is the 3D printer. 3D printers work by printing layer upon layer of materials into a full-scale prototype. Whilst most 3D printers use a mixture of resins or plastics to achieve this, the latest technology allows the 3D printing of jewellery designs by making a high precision wax mold that can have precious metal poured onto it before heating to remove the wax from the finished product. This new manufacturing technique looks set to revolutionize the jewellery industry as with this technology the 3D design can be stored as information and downloaded to a 3D printer. This means that every design will be highly precise and exactly as the designer envisaged.
In Vehicle Production
The car industry has a long history of automation thanks to technology which stretches back decades. General Motors first started using robotic arms in car manufacturing in 1961 to improve efficiency on production lines by undertaking simple manufacturing operations. Today, robotics in the car industry are extremely sophisticated pieces of machinery and can complete tasks to an exceptional level of precision. The benefits of robotics in car manufacturing are well known. There are no risks of injury through repetitive strain as would be with humans and robots can work 24/7 without needing rest breaks.
