Talkin’ bout a Revolution
Human inventions and technologies have shaped civilisations and transformed life on earth generation after generation. As expectations and capabilities evolve, new ideas are formed by the world’s innovative thinkers.
From the first light bulb to a personal computer, we look at five inventions that have revolutionised the manufacturing industry:
- A flick of a switch
Electric light bulbs are everywhere we go from shopping centers to industrial factories, they have become a necessity in everyday life. The invention of the electric light bulb is undoubtedly one of the most famous invention known in history! Thomas Edison, a man of many inventions, launched the light bulb in 1879, this had a major impact on the manufacturing industry, allowing businesses to increase production as employees could work night shifts and extend their daytime working hours.
Following the implementation of electric lights businesses were inspired and went on to develop electric machinery which takes us into the second industrial revolution!
2. Life before we knew telecommunication
Many of us couldn’t imagine life without a mobile phone, envision a world with no telecommunication at all? Before 1876 all communications were sent by letter which was slow and unreliable.
Once the first telephone was invented businesses soon reaped the benefits as they used a telephone to take orders from customers and converse with potential trade, this led to an industrial boom in profitability and transformed the way civilisation interacted.
- Our plastic heritage
Although now in the modern world businesses are steering away from plastic packaging, this infamous material has had a long-lived heritage within many industries. The invention of plastic first went public in 1962 at a great international exhibition in London. The material was developed from the cell walls of a plant by the acclaimed Alexander Parkes.
The innovation of plastic transformed packaging for businesses and saved the environment as there was less demand for animal bone, tusks and horns – Plastic was seen then as a way to protect the natural world from human destruction. Today, however, the jury is out!
4. The iPhone 1
The first home/business computer was developed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the founders of Apple. Made by hand in 1976, the Apple 1 was born - The computer had hardly any software, no colored graphics with extremely limited functions.
Nevertheless, the Apple 1 was a leading technological invention that allowed businesses to run a basic operating system that they could have access to at home or in an office.
Leading on from the Apple 1, the brand has developed into a household name - Currently in 2019 1.4 billion Apple devices are actively used worldwide!
5. 3D printing could have been around before you were born
3D printing is seen to be a contemporary invention, however, it’s older than we all think - The first 3D printer took the manufacturing industry by storm in 1984, Charles Hull made history by inventing the stereolithography which used liquor photopolymer with a UV laser beam to instantly create a solid piece of plastic, molded into the shape of the chosen design.
Manufacturing businesses could now theoretically prototype and test a design without having a huge upfront investment. Additive manufacturing has since been a tremendous part of the manufacturing industry as it continues to revolutionize the way we design our products.
What’s next?
From Artificial Intelligence to Automation, the generation of inventors continues into the 21st century, with engineers, innovators and forward-thinking companies hard at work pushing technological boundaries on a daily basis and bringing their ideas to life.
If you need help with the design, development and/or delivery of a manufacturing solution, be it new or existing, contact us today - We can help make your dreams a reality!
