HEAVY INDUSTRY: CHARACTERISTICS, PROCESSES, PRODUCTS, EXAMPLES - TECHNOLOGY - 2025

The heavy industry is the industry that involves products, installations and large and heavy equipment, as well as increased complexity of many processes. It is classified in the steel industry, the chemical industry and the extractive industry. The term "heavy" refers to the fact that the items produced by "heavy industry" used to be iron, coal, oil, ships, among others.

A feature of heavy industry is that they often sell their goods to other industrial customers, rather than to the final consumer. In other words, they usually make products that are used to make other products, thus requiring a great deal of machinery and equipment to produce.

As a result of the above, when an economy begins to recover, heavy industry is usually the first to show signs of improvement and they are the first to benefit from an increase in demand. This makes this sector carry an economic indicator.

Heavy industry characteristics

-It involves a large capital investment.

-It is cyclical in terms of investment and employment.

-They are generally quite complex processes.

-They affect the production chain because they are massive products.

-They have a great impact on the environment.

-They mainly focus on assembling the products, not promoting or selling the final products.

Evolution of heavy industry

Transportation and construction have occupied most of the heavy industry throughout the industrial age. Typical examples from the mid-19th century to the early 1920s include steelmaking, production artillery, the locomotive, machine and tool construction, and the heavier types of mining.

From the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, the development of the chemical industry and the electrical industry were involved in both heavy and light industry, as well as for the automotive industry and the aeronautical industry. Modern shipbuilding is considered as heavy industry, as steel replaced wood.

In 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 the industry are growing. The introduction of customer-facing digital technologies has helped these industries continue to develop and evolve.

Processes and technologies used

In heavy industry there are many industrial processes involved:

1. General processes: which are freezing, washing, and supercritical drying.
2. Chemical processes: which include smelting, disinfection, and the Haber process.
3. Heat processes: which include Flash Casting.
4. Physical processes: involving techniques such as forging, stamping, labor rehabilitation, stamping machine, rotary drum polishing, and many other techniques.

Some goods produced by heavy industry are refined petroleum, cement, automotive parts, ships, maritime platforms, instruments for the extraction of minerals, satellites, airplanes, railway equipment, spaceships, medicines, fertilizers, among many others.

products

Heavy industrial products are primarily the product of various disciplines, such as energy, which includes thermal energy, nuclear energy, and natural energy.

Oil, mining, shipbuilding, steel, chemicals, and machine manufacturing are examples of what heavy industry is.

Differences between heavy industry and light industry

-Heavy industry does not have a fixed meaning compared to light industry, as 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 capital cost.

-The workforce for heavy industry often has to be more skilled and experienced, whereas light industry can generally 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 heavy industry involves greater complexity in its processes and sub-processes.

-The manufacture of clothing, furniture and electronics falls into the category of light industry, 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, the manufacture of electronic products can create potentially harmful levels of lead or chemical waste in the soil. Manufacturing products such as cleaning and degreasing agents can also cause a lot of contamination.

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.

Also, many heavy industries need to run around the clock, often resulting in a lot of noise that can be annoying for people who live and work nearby.

Governments often address these concerns by enforcing special zoning laws for heavy industries.

However, ESTs are believed to be the key to improving the performance of this industry while mitigating the pollution they cause, as 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 Energy.

The distribution network for solar powered products covers more than 72 distributors and wholesalers, across more than 20 countries.

Company Products

• Shipbuilding: Container Ship, Drillship, LNG Ships, Naval Ship.
• 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 motors, motor power plant, industrial robot.
• Electrical systems: transformer, gas insulation, substation.
• Green energy: solar module.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

1. The USSR Ministry of Construction of Heavy Industry was a central government institution charged with directing the heavy industry of the Soviet Union. It was established in 1946. The ministry headquarters was one of the Seven Sisters built during the last 10 years of Stalin's life, also known as the Red Door building due to its proximity to the Red Door Square.

1. 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.

1. Falcon Heavy (FH), formerly known as the Falcon 9 Heavy, is a heavyweight space launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX. It was designed from the ground up to take humans into space and restore the possibility of flying manned missions to the Moon or Mars. The first launch of Falcon Heavy is now expected in early 2017.

References

1. Morris Teubal, "Heavy and Light Industry in Economic Development" The American Economic Review (1973).
2. Glossary of the British Association, The Geographical Journal, vol. 118.
3. HYUNDAI Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss For the years ended (2015).

   Yahoo! Finance.

4. "Products". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (2011).
5. "Capabilities & Services". SpaceX (2016).
6. "China's CITIC Heavy launches IPO in Shanghai". Reuters. (2012).