The manufacturing industry uses machines, tools, and labor to convert raw materials into salable goods. It encompasses a wide variety of job types and makes up a sizable portion of the industrial manufacturing sector in developed nations. The industry has advanced with technology but also faces concerns such as environmental dangers and threats to workers’ rights and safety.
The term manufacturing industry refers to any business that uses machines, tools, and labor to convert raw materials into salable goods. The manufacturing sector encompasses a wide variety of job types, from manual labor that uses manpower to high-tech manufacturing that takes advantage of the latest in technology. This industry makes up a sizable portion of the industrial manufacturing sector in developed nations.
There are several companies that fall under the umbrella term of “manufacturing industry”. These include the construction industry, the mechanical engineering industry, the energy industry, the metal and plastics industry and the transport industry. The telecommunications and electronics industries are also considered to be part of this sector.
Before the Industrial Revolution began, the manufacturing industry consisted primarily of individuals skilled in the production of certain products. Knowledge of the craft was gleaned through apprenticeships, where a worker learned the finer points of the craft from an accomplished craftsman. In more urban areas, guilds were established to safeguard the secrets and inner workings of the manufacturing process and to ensure the livelihood of individual craftsmen.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution took hold after the radical advancement of technology and increased consumer demand. The manufacturing industry was one of the hardest hit sectors during this period. As radical progress in the style of production and public need gripped society, the Industrial Revolution spread from Britain to the rest of Europe, the United States, and eventually the rest of the world.
As industrial design flourished and continued to advance with the creation of ever more cutting-edge technologies, manufacturing companies became the main source of wealth in developed countries. The manufacturing industry has since become part of the bedrock of modern economies around the world, providing jobs, goods and financial security to the public. The industry has also positioned itself to be at the forefront of the latest technological developments which can help create products at a faster pace.
However, the manufacturing industry is not without its fair share of concerns. Some sectors of industry have put financial gain before the public welfare, resulting in environmental dangers and threats to workers’ rights and safety. These concerns have reached such epidemic proportions that environmental watchdogs, government legislation and unions have had to monitor the safe and fair management of many areas of the industry. Because of these problems, many companies in the manufacturing industry are faced with the reality that conducting their operations as usual could actually outweigh the benefits produced by the business.
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