Technological innovations
The start of the Industrial Revolution is intimately associated with a number of technological innovations that began in the second half of the 18th century. The following advances in significant technologies had been made by the 1830s.
Mechanized cotton spinning driven by steam or water increased a worker's output in the textiles industry by a factor of about 500. A worker's output was increased by a factor of nearly 40 thanks to the power loom. The cotton gin significantly boosted cotton seed removal productivity by a factor of 50. Wool and linen spinning and weaving saw significant increases in productivity as well, though not to the same extent as cotton. Steam engines became more efficient, requiring between one-fifth and one-tenth less fuel. The conversion of stationary steam engines to rotational motion allowed for their usage in industry. The high-pressure engine was appropriate for transportation because it had a high power-to-weight ratio. After 1800, steam power had a tremendous increase.
The cost of fuel for the manufacturing of pig iron and wrought iron was significantly reduced by substituting coke for charcoal. Coke usage also made it possible to build larger blast furnaces, which led to cost savings. A significant rise in iron production was made possible by the steam engine's ability to directly power blast air (by pumping water to a waterwheel) around the middle of the eighteenth century. In use since 1760 is the cast iron blowing cylinder. Later, it was enhanced by making it dual-acting, enabling higher blast furnace temperatures. Puddling was a less expensive method than finery forging for producing structural quality iron. In comparison to hammering wrought iron, the rolling mill was fifteen times faster.
The first machine tools were also created during the Industrial Revolution, along with numerous other technological innovations. These comprised the milling machine, cylinder boring machine, and screw-cutting lathe. Although it took many years to develop efficient methods, machine tools made it possible to make quality metal parts on a budget.
