INDUSTRIAL PLANTS: CHARACTERISTICS AND 30 EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The industrial plants are defined as entities devised with the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling or packaged goods, items or raw materials.

The final product can be a finished good or intermediate products used in other production processes. These industries use various technologies and methods to manage the manufacturing process. You may also be interested in knowing the 20 most important types of industry.

30 examples of industries

1- Textile industry

It produces and processes different types of fibers, such as cotton and wool, to turn them into usable products such as: clothing, sheets, towels, textile bags and many more.

Originally the activities were labor intensive, but with technological advances they have been transformed into modern procedures with sophisticated machinery.

2- Footwear industry

It manufactures different types of footwear: sports, casual, moccasins, platforms, high heels and school shoes, among others. A wide variety of materials are used to make shoes, such as: fabrics, leather, plastic, rubber, wood and metal.

3- Clothing accessories industry

Within this category, a large number of items are manufactured such as: wallets, belts, glasses, pins, umbrellas and hats, among others.

4-

It produces synthetic and natural plant-derived preparations such as: antibiotics, vitamins, blood substitutes, hormonal preparations derived from animal organs and drugs in the form of tablets, capsules and injectable solutions in ampoules.

5-

It produces products such as: containers, pipes, toys, among others, which are used in the food, beverage, construction, domestic and industrial equipment industries.

The main raw material are polymers that, due to their thermal and mechanical properties, allow the plastic to adopt the desired shape through injection molding.

6-

It produces electronic equipment for consumer industries, such as computers, televisions, and circuit boards.

The most profitable sector within electronics is the semiconductor industry which has a global value of around $ 248 billion. Asia produces 56% of electronic products, the United States 37% and Europe 22%.

7- Cosmetics industry

It includes the preparation, composition, processing and obtaining of articles to be applied on the human body in order to clean it, beautify it or alter its appearance.

8- Primary metallurgical industry

In charge of the smelting and refining of ferrous and non-ferrous metals for the manufacture of metal alloys and foundries. It also includes the refining of coke. They are intermediate industrial products.

9- Metal industry

From metal alloys and castings, it manufactures products such as metal cans, tinplate, cutting blades, general hardware, power tools, non-electrical heating appliances, forgings, and wires.

10- Preserved food industry

Dedicated to storing and preserving food in glass and metal containers, using the process devised by Nicolás Appert at the beginning of the 19th century.

By means of this invention, once the food is packaged, it must be subjected to conditions of pressure and controlled temperature, which will ensure the good condition of the product after a considerable period of time.

11- Processed food industry

It manufactures and processes food for human consumption and certain related foods, including most of the edible items available on supermarket shelves.

Pasta, oils, French fries, frozen dinners, among others. It does not include companies that sell meat or fresh products.

12- Beverage industry

Sacks of coffee

Two categories of beverages are distinguished within this industry:

• With alcohol: beer, wine and distilled spirits.
• Non-alcoholic: water, soda, fruit juice, tea, coffee, energy drinks.

13- Cleaning supplies industry

It manufactures laundry detergents, dishwashers, disinfectants, bleach, and other general-purpose cleaners.

Every household cleaner requires optimal combinations of components such as surfactants, stain removers, brighteners, and disinfectants to ensure maximum performance, but it also needs to be gentle and not harmful to users.

14- Leather industry

In charge of the tanning, curing and finishing of hides and skins so that they can be used in the manufacture of a wide range of clothing products, accessories and others. It is an intermediate industrial product.

fifteen-

It produces furnishings for the home, offices, restaurants, shops and public places.

16- Industrial machinery and equipment industry

It manufactures tools for manual use, machinery of various scales and industrial components.

It includes power saws, drills, nuts, bolts, screws, springs, valves, pneumatic hoses, metalworking and polishing machines, as well as basic and complex industrial equipment.

17-

Companies dedicated to cutting, treatment, transport, handling and other forest management activities. Products mainly include wood, shavings, sawdust, and plywood.

18- Industry of measurement, analysis and control instruments:

Build tools and sensors used to measure, examine, analyze, and control. Here are some examples:

• Optical instruments and lenses.
• Surveying instruments.
• Hydrological, hydrographic, meteorological and geophysical instruments.
• Search, detection, navigation and guidance systems and equipment.
• Surgical, medical and dental instruments, equipment and supplies.
• Ophthalmic products.
• Photographic equipment and supplies.

19-

Produces articles from precious metals, gems and other materials subjected to artistic treatment. These objects are used as personal attire. According to the raw material used, this industry is subdivided into:

• Gold items with precious and semi-precious stones.
• Items of silver and non-precious metals with inserts of various stones and glass.
• Articles with non-ferrous precious metals and their alloys, combined with plastics, ivory, enamel, natural and synthetic precious and semi-precious stones.

20- Paper industry and related

It uses wood pulps and other cellulose fibers to manufacture products such as paper, cardboard and derivatives: sheets, bags, boxes, among others.

21- Oil refining industry

Dedicated to the purification of crude oil for the production of fuel, pavement, lubricating oils, greases, waterproofing blankets, among others.

22- Graphic arts industry

It provides services in the small and large-scale printing industry. Its scope ranges from the production of pamphlets, cards, newspapers and books, to the production of billboards.

23- Rubber industry

Manufacture of tires, casings and protectors for vehicles from natural and synthetic rubbers.

24- Stone, clay and concrete industry

It produces cement, clay, ceramics, concrete, plaster, cut stone, asbestos, and products of the earth in the form of stone and sand.

25-

It uses silica sand, lime, dolomite and soda to make:

• Flat glass. Includes license plate, architectural glass, automotive windshields and mirrors.
• Pressed and blown glass. Includes containers, lamps, machine and hand blown sculptures.

26- Tobacco industry

It manufactures cigarettes, cigars, cigars, using the nicotine plant (tabacum) as an input.

27- Auto parts industry

It manufactures parts and accessories of the motor vehicle according to the specifications provided by the assembler. This industry serves two markets: original equipment and replacement.

28- Assembly industries

It is characterized by not manufacturing components. It acquires components, which it then uses to assemble them and form finished products. Example: vehicle assembly companies.

29- Aerospace Industry

Dedicated to the research, development and manufacture of flying vehicles inside and outside the earth's atmosphere. Includes: unpowered gliders, commercial aircraft, military aircraft, manned and unmanned space rockets.

30- Defense industry

Responsible for the manufacture of weapons, ammunition and devices related to military technology, to be used by the armed forces and also civilians.

References

1. Bryson, J. et al (2005). Handbook of Manufacturing Industries in the World Economy. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
2. Manufacturing Industry. Recovered from: economywatch.com.
3. Manufacturing Industry. Recovered from: hq.nasa.gov.
4. Spiffy, D. (2012). Hub pages: Types of manufacturing Industry. Recovered from: hubpages.com.
5. Standard Industrial Classification Manual, NATL Technical Information. Recovered from: swrcb.ca.gov.
6. Szirmai, A et al (2013). Pathways to Industrialization in the Twenty-First Century. Oxford, Oxford University Press.