Maintaining the life of human society at the modern level would be impossible without the achievements of industrial economy. This is the most important segment of the production of labor tools, raw materials and materials on which the world market is based. However, there are many aspects that must be considered when defining the term “industry”. What is industry from the perspective of an ordinary person? At least a means of production, without which he today can not imagine his life. But there are also many areas of production that do not at all affect the life of certain groups of people. Therefore, this concept requires a more detailed decryption.
Industry definition
In a broad sense, industry should be understood as one of the sectors of the national economy. If we talk about its tasks, then the forefront will be the provision of manufacturing industries with technical means and materials that will support the operability of enterprises. The manufacture of goods for personal use is also an important part of the production activity that modern industry covers. What is industrial production from a technological point of view? This is a set of enterprises provided with technical means and materials for the production of a product. At the same time, it is necessary to separate the manufacturing and mining sectors of this economy. In the first case, enterprises involved in processing already obtained raw materials or billets can be considered. In the second, extractive activities are carried out directly. Moreover, far from always processing facilities at the outlet provide a product more ready for final use than mining ones.
Types of industries
The industry covers many industries from traditional extractive industries to high-tech areas. The more familiar and classic include woodworking, mining and food industries. In the XXth century, against the backdrop of intensive technological development, such spheres as metallurgy, mechanical engineering, power engineering, production of building materials, and so on, survived. Against this background, a bond was strengthened in which industry and production played a complementary role. The current stage is characterized by the development of specialized industries. These include the electric power industry, the chemical and microbiological industry, instrument making, etc.
Many areas can be divided by signs of light and heavy industry. The first group will include areas in which small-sized products or products are produced - mainly for personal consumption. Enterprises from the second category produce machine tools, aggregates, turbines, structures and raw materials in large volumes. These include the heavy machinery industry, which is closely related to metallurgy and metalworking. In fact, this is a small conglomerate of industries, the resources and capacities of which make it possible to produce not only metal rolling machines, but also high-tech equipment, materials for a research complex, etc.
Final products
Most often, the industrial sector provides as its product only a blank for subsequent processing at highly specialized enterprises. This may be the same lumber, ore, coke, plastic, etc. That is, at the time of release they are not a finished product from the consumer point of view. Nevertheless, in the same industrial sector there is a considerable percentage of enterprises that precisely complete the production cycle, producing the final product. This can be automobiles, machine tools, building materials, glass and porcelain products, appliances, etc. A separate segment is the fuel and energy products of industry, which refers to coal, oil, gas, as well as some biomaterials. The generation of energy in various forms is also a kind of product that ensures the operability of the same industrial enterprises as the most demanding consumer. In this area, thermal, nuclear and hydrological stations are distinguished.
Industry objects
The concept of an object is also quite extensive. In this capacity, one can consider both the enterprises themselves (factories, combines, factories, processing complexes, workshops, etc.), and the components that form the industrial infrastructure within the same organization. From a technical point of view, objects can be aggregates, conveyor lines, equipment and structures, due to which the product is produced or processed. But most often, machines, presses and conveyors determine only the power potential on which the industrial enterprise is based. What is an industrial facility in terms of construction? This can be a whole complex of structures, premises, workshops and hangars, in which diverse processes are implemented. Again, power generation stations can be classified as a separate category of objects of this kind. A hydroelectric power station, for example, is a capital facility, the result of which is transported via power lines.
Impact on the economy
The development of the economy of a modern state directly reflects the state of the industrial sector. Moreover, experts include the electric power industry, mechanical engineering, and the chemical sphere as the most influential sectors. Both quantitative and qualitative indicators of products manufactured by such enterprises characterize, in turn, their competitiveness in market conditions - accordingly, this affects productivity and the economy. Of course, the importance of industry for a particular economy may also have a negative connotation. This mainly applies to industries with a focus on the commodity sector. As a rule, they are also characterized by a low level of technical base and modest production assets.
Industry future
Like construction, industry clearly reflects the benefits that modern technology provides. The introduction of new ideas and solutions helps increase productivity, optimize logistics processes and reduce costs. Already in the near future, technologists predict the full-scale transition of most enterprises to computer-automated operations management. So, heavy engineering can completely switch to robotic maintenance of conveyor lines, and power plants will receive intelligent control systems for the transportation, distribution and conversion of energy.
Conclusion
Despite intensive development in various industries and directions, there are many factors that inhibit this growth. These include environmental safety issues and a lack of finance. After all, what is industry in the modern sense? This is necessarily a competitive, safe and viable company in the market, which is able to provide consumers with a quality product. Accordingly, it should not harm the environment, look for the possibility of using alternative technological solutions and, of course, cope with the excess of costs caused by the transition to new technical means.