Heavy industry: characteristics,

processes, products, examples

Heavy industry is the industry that involves large and heavy products,
facilities and equipment, as well as greater complexity due to its numerous
processes. It is classified into steel industry, chemical industry and
extractive industry. The term "heavy" refers to the fact that the items
produced by "heavy industry" were usually 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 end consumer. In other words,
they typically make products that are used to make other products, so they
require a lot of machinery and equipment to produce.

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 As a result of the above, when an economy begins to recover, heavy
industry is typically 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.

Contents [ hide ]
 1 Characteristics of heavy industry
 2 Evolution of heavy industry
 3 Processes and technologies used
 4 Products
 5 Differences between heavy industry and light industry
 6 Regulations and environmental impact
 7 Examples of heavy industry companies
o 7.1 Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd
o 7.2 Taiyuan Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.
 8 interesting facts
 9 References

Characteristics of heavy industry

-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 focus mainly on the assembly of the products, not on the promotion
or sale of the final products.
Evolution of heavy industry
Transportation and construction have occupied most of heavy industry
throughout the industrial era. Typical examples from the mid-19th century
to the early 1920s include steelmaking, artillery production, locomotive,
machine and tool building, and heavier types of mining.

From the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, the development of
the chemical industry and the electrical industry were involved in both
heavy and light industry, as well as the automotive industry and the aircraft
industry. Modern shipbuilding is considered heavy industry, as steel
replaced wood.

In the post-World War II period, 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 increasing and
various industry sectors 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 casting, disinfection, and the
Haber process.
3. Heat processes: which include Flash Casting.
 4. Physical processes: which involve techniques such as forging,
stamping, labor rehabilitation, die cutting, rotating drum polishing,
and many other techniques.

Some goods produced by heavy industry are refined oil, cement,

automotive parts, ships, maritime platforms, instruments for mineral
extraction, satellites, airplanes, railway equipment, spacecraft, medicines,
fertilizers, among many others.

Products
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.

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 enormous capital cost.

-The labor force 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, a very light assembly of prefabricated components
occurs, for example the assembly of IKEA furniture, while heavy industry
involves greater complexity in its processes and subprocesses.

-The manufacturing of clothing, furniture and electronics falls into the light
industry category, while the production of automobiles, large structures,
military equipment such as tanks and bombs are considered heavy
industry.

-While light industry typically causes little pollution compared to heavy

industry, some light industries can cause significant risk. For example, the
manufacturing of electronic products can create potentially harmful levels
of lead or chemical waste in the soil. The manufacturing of products such as
cleaning and degreasing agents can also cause a lot of pollution.

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 regulation.

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 the air and water throughout the area where their
operations are located.

Additionally, many heavy industries need to operate around the clock,

which often results in a large amount of noise that can be disturbing to
people living and working nearby.

Governments often address these concerns by enforcing special zoning laws

for heavy industries.
However, environmentally sound technologies 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, drilling ship, LNG vessels, 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.
 Engine and Machinery: marine engines, engine power plant,
industrial robot.
 Electrical systems: transformer, gas insulation, substation.
 Green energy: solar module.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

It is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical and electronic
equipment company.

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 bid on problematic 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, including products

ranging from construction equipment to train wheels.

It is one of the largest manufacturers of heavy machinery 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, together with partners Sinochem and Synfuels Technology,

developed a 6,400-ton super-heavy lifting gantry with hydraulic lift, which
was built to erect refinery vessels in the petrochemical industry.

The company also produces an 1,800-ton excavator considered the largest

in the world.

Interesting data
1. The Ministry of Heavy Industry Construction of the USSR 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 Gate
building due to its proximity to Red Gate Square.

2. 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 Mitsubishi's next model,
the Colt 600. It was exported in small numbers.

3. 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 beginning to take humans into
space and restore the possibility of flying manned missions to the
Moon or Mars. The first Falcon Heavy launch 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).