Types of industrial machinery
Industries work with machinery and there is specific machinery for each industry. Therefore, depending on the industry you will probably need a specific type of machinery.
Apart from the machinery you also need the tools and other equipment that make the manufacturing process complete.
Each industry buys the process equipment needed for its industry and that is why there are a wide variety of kinds of continuous motion assembly machine being produced today to cater to the various needs of the industrial sector.
Since machinery is specific and so is its function, the factors to be considered must also be made specific to suit the needs of the industry for which it is purchased.
While it is true that the specific requirements differ, the generic factor such as shop tools remain common across industries and the machinery being used.
Today, it is not surprising that industrial robots replace labor and perform general tasks such as painting and repair, which are always part of the industrial workroom.
The food industry, for example, would need machinery of great variety, bearing in mind that food varies according to region and custom.
Therefore, to cater to each of the food types, different types of food processing equipment would be needed.
Food processing equipment and continuous motion assembly machine vary according to needs and include canning, which is a process by which food is canned.
Machinery used for freezing and vacuum canning are two of the many types of equipment used in the canning industry.
Similarly, a wide variety of foods are also canned in the canning industry, ranging from dry powdered foods such as flour, sugar and salt to hydrated foods such as cheese and other dairy products.
Each of these food products needs a different type of packaging and therefore the packaging industry has a wide variety of machines to package the different food products.
Foods that are consumed directly in the packages, such as cookies, must be well packaged and the machinery must be hygienically maintained.
This is necessary when packaging baby products to ensure that there is no contamination.
Packaging equipment and machinery is also used in the medical and pharmaceutical industry and for this the machinery is different from the food processing industry.
Another type of processing machinery is beverage machinery that is used in the beverage industry.
People usually consume beverages from the bottle or can. In this case, the machinery must be completely different from that of the packaging industry, as the can or bottle is filled by the machine, sealed and delivered at the end.
Therefore, all these processes take place as a chain of events by a single machine that is capable of executing all these functions.
Coffee or soft drink dispensing machines, blenders and mixers are all beverage processing equipment and each of them has different functionalities.
The industrial machinery and equipment industry produces a range of products from power tools, different types of continuous motion assembly machine and domestic technology to factory equipment, etc. Therefore, another more generalized type of classification of industrial machinery could be as follows:
- Means of production for agriculture, mining, industrial and construction enterprises.
- Means of production for public utilities, such as equipment for the production and distribution of gas, electricity and water.
- A range of support equipment for all sectors of the economy, such as equipment for heating, ventilation and air conditioning of buildings.
The machinery industry produces different types of products, e.g. motors, pumps, logistics equipment; for different types of markets, from the agricultural industry, the food and beverage industry, the manufacturing industry, the health industry and the amusement industry to different branches of the consumer market.
Therefore, enterprises in the machinery industry can be classified by market product.