The heavy industry Is the industry that involves large and heavy products, installations and equipment, in addition to greater complexity due to its numerous processes. It is classified in steel industry, chemical industry and extractive industry.
The term"heavy"refers to the fact that the articles produced by"heavy industry"used to be iron, coal, oil, ships, among others.
Heavy industrial products are mainly the product of various disciplines, such as energy, which includes thermal energy, nuclear energy and natural energy. Oil, mining, shipbuilding, steel, chemicals, and machinery manufacturing are examples of what heavy industry is.
A feature of heavy industry is that they often sell their goods to other industrial customers, rather than to the end consumer. In other words, they usually make products that are used to make other products, so they require a lot of machinery and equipment to produce.
As a result of this, when an economy begins to recover, heavy industry is usually the first to show signs of improvement and are the first to benefit from an increase in demand. This makes this sector carry an economic indicator.
Characteristics of heavy industry
- Implies a large capital investment
- It is cyclical in terms of investment and employment
- These are usually quite complex processes
- They affect the production chain because they are mass products
- They have a great impact on the environment
- They focus mainly on the assembly of the products, not on the promotion or sale of the final products
Differences between heavy industry and light industry
- Heavy industry does not have a fixed meaning compared to light industry, since it can mean the production of products that are heavy in weight or heavy in the processes that lead to their production.
- The capital requirements of heavy industry are much higher than light industry, for example, an oil refinery will have huge cost of capital.
- Labor for heavy industry often has to be more skilled and experienced, while light industry can usually employ less qualified people with moderate training.
- In light industry there is a very light assembly of prefabricated components, for example the assembly of IKEA furniture, while the heavy industry implies a greater complexity in its processes and subprocesses.
- The manufacture of clothing, furniture and electronics falls into the light industry category, while the production of automobiles, large structures, military equipment such as tanks and pumps, are considered as heavy industry.
- While light industry typically causes little pollution compared to heavy industry, some light industries can cause significant risk. For example, in the manufacture of electronic products can create potentially harmful levels of lead or chemical waste in the soil. The manufacture of products such as cleaning and degreasing agents can also cause a lot of pollution.
Evolution of heavy industry
Transport and construction have occupied most of the heavy industry throughout the industrial era. Typical examples from the mid-19th century to the early 1920s include steelmaking, production artillery, locomotives, machine and tool construction, and heavier types of mining.
From the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, the development of the chemical industry and the electrical industry were involved in both heavy industry and light industry, as well as for the automotive industry and the aeronautics industry. Modern shipbuilding is considered as heavy industry, since steel replaced wood.
In the post World War II, large systems such as the construction of skyscrapers and large dams were characteristic of heavy industry, as was the manufacture and deployment of large rockets and gigantic wind turbines.
In the 21st century, the use of heavy industrial machinery is on the rise and various sectors of industry are growing. The introduction of customer-oriented digital technologies has helped these industries continue to evolve and evolve.
Processes and technologies employed
In the heavy industry there are many industrial processes involved:
- General processes: which are the frozen, washing, and supercritical drying.
- Chemical processes: including smelting, disinfection, and the Haber process.
- Heat processes: which include the Flash Casting.
- Physical processes: involving techniques such as forging, stamping, work rehabilitation, punching, rotary drum polishing, and many other techniques.
Some goods produced by heavy industry are refined oil, cement, automotive parts, ships, offshore platforms, mineral extraction instruments, satellites, aircraft, railway equipment, spacecraft, medicines, fertilizers, among many others.
Regulations and environmental impact
The large scale and large amount of capital involved in heavy industry tends to result in a significant amount of government regulations.
This regulation is related, in part, to the effect that heavy industries have on the environment, as they often produce a significant amount of pollution that can affect air and water throughout the area where their operations are located.
In addition, many heavy industries need to run throughout the day, which often results in a lot of noise that can be annoying to people who live and work nearby.
Governments often address these concerns through the application of special zoning laws for heavy industries.
However, it is believed that environmentally sound technologies are the key to improving the performance of this industry while mitigating the pollution they cause, since they focus on preventing pollution rather than simply controlling or cleaning it.
Examples of heavy industry companies
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd
It is the largest shipbuilding company in the world. Headquartered in Ulsan, South Korea, it has seven business divisions: shipbuilding, offshore and engineering, industrial plant, engine and machinery, electrical systems, construction equipment and green power. The solar energy distribution network covers more than 72 distributors and wholesalers across more than 20 countries.
Company Products
- Shipbuilding: container ship, drilling vessel, LNG vessel, naval vessel.
- Construction: excavator, wheel loader, backhoe, road roller, forklift.
- Offshore and engineering: FPSO, semi-submersible.
- Plants and Industrial Engineering: power plant, oil and gas production plant, desalination plant.
- Motor and Machinery: marine engines, power plant of the engine, industrial robot.
- Electrical systems: transformer, gas insulation, substation.
- Green energy: solar module.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
It is a Japanese multinational of engineering, electrical and electronic equipment.
Its products include aerospace components, air conditioners, aircraft, automotive components, forklifts, hydraulic equipment, machine tools, missiles, power generation equipment, ships and space launch vehicles.
In June 2014 Siemens and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced their formation as joint ventures to tender in troubled energy and transportation businesses such as locomotives, steam turbines and aircraft engines.
Taiyuan Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.
It is a Chinese manufacturer of industrial machinery that includes products ranging from construction equipment to train wheels.
It is one of the largest heavy machinery manufacturers in China and competes with CITIC Heavy Industries and China First Heavy Industries. It is known for the production of powerful construction equipment.
The company, along with partners Sinochem and Synfuels Technology, developed a super-heavy 6,400-tonne hydraulic lifting gantry, which was built to erect refinery vessels in the petrochemical industry.
The company also produces an 1800 tonne excavator considered the largest in the world.
Interesting data
- The Ministry of Construction of the Heavy Industry of the USSR was an institution of the central government in charge of directing the heavy industry of the Soviet Union. It was established in 1946. The headquarters of the ministry was one of the Seven Sisters built during the last 10 years of Stalin's life, also known as the Red Gate building because of its proximity to Red Gate Square.
- The Mitsubishi 500 was the first passenger car produced after World War II by Shin-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., one of the companies that would become Mitsubishi Motors. It was built from 1960 to 1962 and formed the basis for the next Mitsubishi model, the Colt 600. It was exported in small numbers.
- Falcon Heavy (FH), formerly known as the Falcon 9 Heavy, is a large-space space launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX. It was designed from the beginning to bring humans to space and restore the possibility of flying manned missions to the Moon or Mars. The first Falcon Heavy release is expected in early 2017.
References
- Morris Teubal,"Heavy and Light Industry in Economic Development"The American Economic Review (1973).
- Glossary of the British Association, The Geographical Journal, vol. 118.
- HYUNDAI Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss For the years ended (2015).
Yahoo! Finance. - "Products". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (2011).
- "Capabilities & Services". SpaceX (2016).
- "China's CITIC Heavy launches IPO in Shanghai." Reuters. (2012).