The Conveyor System in American Culture

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Historic background
Impact of on the society
Benefits of the invention
Positive and negative sides
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

With the growing industrialization across the entire world, tools that can handle machinery are growing in demand. The Conveyor System is a machine that is used in factories to move heavy materials from one place to another (Hounshell). Conveyor machines are normally used in heavy metal industries especially in car manufacturing firms. It is also used in the transportation of other bulky materials like serials. Conveyors were first used in the 19^th century when Thomas Robins began his creation that in the end led to the development of the Conveyor Machines (Hounshell). It is recorded that Sandvik made up the primary steel conveyor belts in 1901. The first conveyor machine to be used in the coal mine was invented by Richard Sutcliffe.

Historic background

The Ford Motor Company introduced its first conveyor belt in their Michigan factory in 1913. The invention of the conveyor belt revolutionized the entire mining industry in the 19^th century. The longest conveyor system is in Western Sahara’s phosphate mines and it is estimated to be approximately 98 km long. The longest of its kind is found in Dubai international airport and it is approximately 63 km. Conveyor machines are used widely in a number of industries because they present unique advantages to companies. The rewards of using conveyors are many thus its reputation particularly in the carrying of colossal goods (Hounshell). In the past three decades, there have been great improvements in the mining industry influenced by the invention of conveyor systems all over the world.

Impact of on the society

Transporting heavy or bulky goods from one place to another can be very tedious to humans. Conveyor systems are designed to allow such transport with minimum damage. The popularity of the conveyor system was further influenced by its flexibility. The conveyor system is capable of carrying loads of heavy equipment in spite of their shape, size, or even their weight (Hounshell). The contemporary conveyor systems have also been improved in terms of safety measures, efficiency making them better, and more reliable (Hounshell).

Benefits of the invention

Varying methods of running conveying system machines are coming up in the current world of bulky goods and the industry is gaining a lot of these innovations. Conveyors have enabled miners to dig at the furthest end in the ground hence improving the number of minerals collected. In the diamond industry, for instance, it would have been very difficult to continue with the mining considering the length miners had to dig to get to the mineral. The same is true for other minerals like gold and coal. Conveyors have helped in the mining industry by helping the investors to cut the cost of employment. What a conveyor system can do, it may take a thousand workers to do the same.

There are many types of conveyor systems which include the gravity roller conveyor, the belt conveyor the pneumatic conveyor, the chain conveyor among other conveyers depending on their use (Hounshell). The invention of conveyors changed society in both positive and negative ways. This is true even in the postmodern world where technological advancement has been quite rampant. The installation of conveyor systems always leads to unemployment. In a company that did not have the system installed, installing it requires the company to lay off some of its manual laborers (Hounshell).

Positive and negative sides

To the workers, the installation of conveyor systems is not a pleasant idea to think about because it replaces human labor. Nonetheless, it has its own positive impacts, especially for the consumers and business owners. Conveyor systems improve the quality of goods produced and the quantity of output. Conveyor systems reduce the chances of having spoiled or damaged goods by a very significant figure. This is an advantage to the business owners because as entrepreneurs they want minimum losses (Hounshell). The machines are very effective and efficient beyond human ability and they are more productive compared to human labor. In heavy industries, the conveyor system is very useful in ferrying goods that can make human labor more days and greater efforts to move from one place to the other.

Conclusion

Conveyor systems can perform faster than humans hence their popularity. The only tragedy is that with the installation of conveyor systems, there is a job opportunity that gets lost. More people in the mines are losing their jobs due to the increase in the use of conveyor systems. Machines have gained popularity and are quickly replacing the need for manual human labor. The use of conveyor machines has influenced cultural shifts in many areas, especially in the South African mines. The replacement of the workers who were engaged in the mining activities led to joblessness and ultimately the idle youth turned into criminal activities. This changed the cultural setting in the country with insecurity rising due to lack of jobs. Although the intention to invent the conveying machine was for a good course, it came with underlying unprecedented ramifications.

Works Cited

Hounshell, David. From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932: The Development of Manufacturing Technology in the United States. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984. Print.

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