The industrial revolution - from the steam engine to Industry 4.0

Recent centuries have seen major technological, social and cultural changes. Innovations have also directly affected the industrial sector. In today's article we will introduce the specifics of the successive revolutions that have taken place. What will you learn from reading the text?

We will also mention the prospects for industrial development and the challenges facing engineers and scientists.

The first industrial revolution - mechanisation of production

The 18th century was a period of positive changes in the textile industry and metallurgy. It was the mechanisation of production thanks to the improvement of the design of the steam engine by Scottish inventor James Watt, that became the symbol of the first industrial revolution.

The upheaval in the manufacturing industry began earlier however, when English millener John Kay developed a spinning machine (the so-called flying shuttle) in 1733. Other inventions that influenced economic development and the progress of industrialisation were the carriage spinning machine, developed in 1764 and the water-powered spinning machine, perfected 3 years later.

However, the real revolution came in 1769, when James Watt patented his version of the steam turbine. The invention was first used in a factory in 1784, which can safely be considered the beginning of the production lines we know today (although no longer powered by steam). Let's add that already a year later in 1785 another inventor - Edmund Cartwright - developed the first power loom.

Among the causes of the first industrial revolution, one can point to the need to increase the efficiency of production and the desire to improve and speed up the transportation of goods. The result of the revolution was progressive mechanisation in virtually every area of life.

The second industrial revolution - optimisation of production processes

The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was the period of the second industrial revolution which was marked by motorisation and electricity. It was in 1853 that Polish entrepreneur Ignacy Lukasiewicz made the first distillation of oil. During this period, Étienne Lenoir developed a gas-powered internal combustion engine and Nikolaus Otto improved this design by introducing the so-called four-stroke cycle engine.

The aforementioned developments consequently enabled significant technological advances and the development of automobiles - most notably the use of four-stroke engines in motorcycles and automobiles built by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. Advances in this field helped improve the transportation of goods and people on a large scale.

Another element of the second industrial revolution was the application of electricity. Faraday discovered the phenomenon of magnetic induction, which helped Gramme develop the first alternator suitable for continuous operation. During the same period, Edison built the first power plant.

The development of work on the transmission of electricity also helped solve the problem of lighting homes and offices and the electrification of transportation. The revolution helped extend working hours and improve transportation in cities.

Third industrial revolution - information technology in industrial automation

The third stage of revolutionary changes in industry was marked by huge transformations in technology, optimisation of production processes and science. It was the desire to bring science and business closer together that helped develop computerisation, agricultural technology, genetic engineering and the use of new energy sources and process automation.

The result was the streamlining of production as well as communication and transportation and consequently also the reduction of the need to employ people in industry in favour of the development of service industries.

Fourth industrial revolution

The fourth industrial revolution, also referred to as Industry 4.0, is a natural consequence of development - both of humans and the goods, systems and solutions they produce. It is characterised by the introduction of cyber-physical systems, advanced industrial automation and a significant increase in production efficiency. But... what was going on before the industry took the direction of cloud-based data collection and machines working almost autonomously?

At the end of the 18th century, the first industrial revolution began, sparked by the mechanisation of production. The first steam engines were invented and began to operate, as well as the first water drive. The breakthrough was primarily associated with relieving the burden on workers, although they still had to put a lot of effort into making the machines work properly and efficiently. The 20th century in turn, brought even more changes. At its very beginning the second industrial revolution began, during which the optimisation of production processes became a reality - the electric drive was invented, followed by production lines, which made mass production possible. Another - the third - industrial revolution took place in the 1960s. Here, information technology came to the fore, which became the beginning of industrial automation. What was next?

Industry 4.0 - key features

Due to the fact that Industry 4.0 is a happening process rather than an accomplished phenomenon, defining its characteristics is a difficult task. This is because it is not really known what direction industrial automation will take and what revolution will follow the fourth industrial revolution. Nevertheless, it is already possible to identify several elements without which Industry 4.0 could not function as we know it today:

What were the effects of the Industrial Revolution?

Subsequent industrial revolutions have significantly affected the modern world picture. Let's summarise what each technological breakthrough stood for.

• The first revolution- A time of mechanisation of production, in which the work of human muscles began to be replaced by the work of machines. The spinning machine and the steam engine were invented.

• The second revolution- a period of development of motorisation and automobile transportation as well as electricity, lighting and electrification of railroads.

• The third revolution- a time when the development of technology was greatly influenced by computerisation and the automation of production.

• The fourth industrial revolution- we are taking an active part in it, developing Internet of Things technologies, HMIs, automation and artificial intelligence.

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