Characteristics of modern industries

Features of Modern industries

1. Mechanisation This is the use of machines and mechanical power in industries . The machines are needed for mass production (producing identical goods in large quantities) to make products more perfectly and reliably than people can . They are used for manufacturing secondary goods from raw materials. Examples of machines which are found in modern industries are weavers, brick moulders , conveyer belts and many others . In some countries agriculture has also become industrialised . Some of the machines that are used to improve agricultural production are combined harvesters, threshers and tractors.

2. Mechanisation cont . Where modern industry is practised , you will realise that the machines are not only used in the factories but even in the homes . These machines include lawn mowers, television sets, vacuum cleaners, fridges and other equipment. Energy is needed for driving the machines in order to speed up the production process. This energy is usually extracted from oil, coal, gas, nuclear power station and water. So , at times, some of the factories are located near sources of electricity so as to cut down transport and transmission costs . The availability of these sources of energy differs from one country to another depending on the geographical location of the countries . For example, Botswana is rich in coal; therefore coal is the main source of energy used in modem industries.

3. Advanced technology I hope advanced technology is not a new concept to you. Do you know what it means, learner ? Advanced technology refers to the use of complex machines and tools which are usually operated by trained people . It needs skilled manpower to operate. This skilled manpower also produces machines that are needed in industrial production and other things. This type of technology is used to increase production and to replace human labour . Advanced technology involves understanding and organising production in ways that meet social, economic and political needs of people . A lot of scientific knowledge is applied to improve quality and quantity of the goods produced.

4. Advanced technology cont. Advancement in technology is a way forward towards development; therefore, industrialised countries which use this technology are also described as developed countries . This is because it enhances improvement of people's living standards. Examples of industrialised countries are Sweden, United States of America, Japan, United Kingdom and Korea.

5. Wide range of raw materials Modern industries use a wide range of raw materials . Raw materials are things that need to be processed or refined before they can be used . For instance, sand as a raw material cannot be used as it is to build houses . It has to be mixed with water and cement. Then the mixture is moulded into bricks, which are used for building. These raw materials are also described as primary products. This is because other secondary products cannot exist without the availability of raw materials . Raw materials are therefore considered basic in the process of industrialisation .

6. Wide range of raw materials cont. There is a wide range of raw materials most of which are extracted from the ground . Some of them are agricultural products such as cotton, rubber, tobacco, maize, beans and others . Some raw materials are minerals like diamond, natural gas, iron ore, crude oil and coal. Animals are also raw materials when they become meat and it’s by - products are processed into several consumer goods . For instance, blood is used for making polish and the elephant tusks are used to make jewellery . At times, modern industries are located close to raw materials to cut transport costs, especially when the raw materials are too heavy. Modem manufacturing involves using several raw materials from different places; therefore effective transport systems are needed. This practice was not common in the past.

7. Synthetic products Have you ever heard of synthetic products, learner? Synthetic products are man-made materials which are not part of natural resources. Synthetic is from the word synthesis which means the combination of different parts into a whole, or the production of a substance by the union of chemical elements, groups etc. Synthetic diamonds, for example, are man-made diamonds, usually produced by subjecting graphite to very high temperatures and pressures . Synthetic diamonds resemble natural diamonds in most fundamental properties but differ in size, shape and the amount of impurities. They are used chiefly for industrial purposes. For example, in grinding wheels for shaping and sharpening tungsten carbide tools.

8. Synthetic products cont. Learner, remember that you learnt about natural resources when you studied about production . It was explained that natural resources are unevenly distributed and are not enough . Did you remember this? I hope you did. This means that these scarce resources cannot meet the needs and wants of people. Therefore , modem industries need to substitute them by producing synthetic products in order to satisfy people's needs and wants . There are many synthetic products which are produced to suit and satisfy people's needs and wants . These include textiles, minerals like diamond, furniture, leather and many others.

9. Division of labour Division of labour is the splitting of the work into several small pails and each part is a special task of one worker . In modern industries, a large work force is normally employed and each worker contributes a small part to the whole production process . This enables a factory to produce many finished products within a short period of time (mass production). Division of labour is determined by people's training, knowledge and skills . Special training is provided to workers so that they become specialists in particular tasks . This means that one cannot do any other task except that task he or she has been trained to do. For instance, a Development Studies teacher cannot teach Science. This is because he or she cannot demonstrate laboratory experiments . A carpenter cannot be a nurse as he specialises in carpentry, the job he has been trained to do.

10. Division of labour cont. Division of labour as such is done by people who are educated and trained as it involves the use of skilled manpower in modern production . Unskilled and semi-skilled workers also become specialists at their work places through experience . At times they receive no or little education and training, but since they do that particular work over and over again, they become experts at it over time . Where a lot of unskilled labour is employed, skilled manpower should also be provided to maintain quality of the products and to enhance the smooth running of the production process.

11. Automation and Robotics Automation and Robotics are two features of modern technology that are also worth studying. Automation involves the use of automatic equipment and machines to do work previously done by human beings . Automatic refers to the act of a machine working by itself without direct human control, e.g. an automatic washing machine . One can simply set automatic equipment so that it operates itself at given times.

12. Automation and Robotics cont. Learner, mass production can only be possible through the use of automation. This also indicates and explains why advanced technology is used in the production process . Automation enables modem industries to produce for export while human labour produces for consumption by the locals . Robotics act like a robot stiff and use electric power. A robot, which is also an automatic machine, can perform actions of a person when operated automatically or by remote control. In modern production, almost everything is done by the use of machines which have come to replace human labour . The introduction of automation and robotics in industrial production meant the loss of many jobs that were initially done by people in factories.

13. Feminisation of the labour force Learner, feminisation of the labour force means employment of women in modem production . In the past, men could be offered employment while women were believed to belong to the kitchen, therefore, they remained at home . Women were not given equal rights and opportunities as men . Today, as development takes place, women are also being recognised and they are taking part in many activities including working in modern production . In a lot of homes today in Botswana, we have career women, some of whom are sole bread winners in the home. There are also a lot of female-headed families as a result of deliberate inclusion of women in the labour force in both the private and public sectors.

14. Sub-contraction Sub- contraction is when a company is engaged by an industry to carry out a job. For instance, a timber company can be sub-contracted to provide timber by furnisher industries . A plumber can be sub-contracted to install a shower. This practice of subcontracting is very common in modem industries . It brings back the issue of division of labour that we discussed earlier on . This way the work is done much faster. This is because everyone involved does her or his part and it is usually in her or his area of specialisation . The electrician comes in and does the electrical part of the project, then the carpenter does the carpentry part, the plumber does the plumbing part and so forth.

15. Cottage and co-ordination of specialised tasks Cottage industries are industries whose labour force consists of people working at home with their own tools or machinery . In Botswana this is very common amongst certain communities . They usually start small as they hardly get financial assistance from the government. Co -ordination of specialised tasks is when skilled labour is employed to make sure that the quality of the products is maintained and to ensure that the machinery is also working properly so that the whole production process is efficient . Co -ordination of tasks helps a lot in the production of high quality goods.