Grow StuDENts

Having a KYC verified account gives you more privileges in the Pi Network.

KYC (Know Your Customer) is a prerequisite for Pi Network users to initiate their Pi tokens transfer to the mainnet. KYC verification is, in fact, the sixth step on the Mainnet checklist to transfer your Pi coins to the Mainnet.

As a result, individuals who haven’t completed their KYC should do so as soon as possible in order to benefit from their earned Pi coins in the nearest future.

The KYC process is not very difficult to comprehend. However, a significant number of users are experiencing problems and have doubts about the Pi KYC system, such as how to get the “Pi KYC Verification” option, what type of ID document is required in the Pi KYC, and more.

Don’t be concerned if you are one of these Pioneers. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through everything you need to do to successfully complete your KYC verification.

Comprehensive guide to complete Pi Network KYC verification

For obvious reasons, KYC verification requires a few legal documents, and the applicant must fulfill certain criteria. Therefore, it is essential for you to know the requirements before entering the actual application process. Here are those:

Requirements and eligibility criteria to apply for Pi Network KYC

Government-issued ID (any one): You must have the original copy of a government-issued document in hand as you will be asked to capture the picture of the ID, instead of uploading an already saved ID image. You will have the following three options for ID:

Passport (recommended)

Driving License

National ID

You must be 18 years old or over

Be ready for a liveness check: You will be asked to take your phone’s camera in front of your face and the system will automatically capture your face. This photo will be required to verify that you are the one whose ID has been submitted. Therefore, ensure your face is clearly visible and matches that on your ID before starting the verification process.

Approximately 5 minutes: It takes about 5 minutes to complete the KYC application.

Must mine Pi for at least 30 days: A new Pioneer cannot immediately apply for KYC verification, for obvious reasons. They must mine Pi for at least 30 days (not necessarily in a consecutive fashion).

Note: Although Pi KYC is open for all, eligibility, requirements, and availability may differ from what is shown in this article according to your country or location.

Previously, KYC for the cryptocurrency platform was being carried out via a third-party application called “Yoti.” As a result, identity verification was only available to a limited number of users.

However, now Pi Network has its own platform called Pi Browser for KYC verification, Mainnet, and more features. The developers have created a KYC solution that enables a larger number of users to complete their KYC in considerably less time.

Now, let’s move on to the steps you need to follow to pass your KYC handily.

Steps to complete the KYC verification process

Step 1: Install the Pi Browser app (it is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store). Or proceed to step 2 if you already have it on your device.

Step 2: Open the Pi Network app and head to the Mainnet section. You can find the Mainnet option in the side menu.

Step 3: Subsequently, tap on the Mainnet checklist and complete all the tasks up to the KYC verification task.

Step 4: Tap the start button in the KYC area once you have finished the tasks listed before the KYC verification. If it doesn’t work, manually go to the “kyc.pi” area in the Pi Browser app to launch the application process.

Step 5: On the first screen after entering the KYC section from the Pi Browser app, you will be asked to choose the country from the drop-down menu. Select your country as mentioned on the government-issued ID.

Step 6: Subsequently, you will have to choose the type of ID document that you want to use for the verification. A passport is recommended.

Step 7: After this, you will see four slides, providing you with instructions on how to use the ID and how to proceed properly. You should tap the next button while reading them carefully.

Step 8: Now, you will spot an “Add front photo” option on the screen. Tap on it, and the camera will turn on. Simply capture a clear image of the front of your ID. If your ID also has a back with the necessary information, then also add a back photo.

Remember to capture the image or save it in a horizontal position.

Step 9: After submitting the ID photo, you will be redirected to a form that you need to fill out with the same information as on the ID document.

What is Thrust?

Thrust is the forward force that pushes the engine and, therefore, the airplane forward. Sir Isaac Newton discovered that for "every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." An engine uses this principle. The engine takes in a large volume of air. The air is heated and compressed and slowed down. The air is forced through many spinning blades. By mixing this air with jet fuel, the temperature of the air can be as high as three thousand degrees. The power of the air is used to turn the turbine. Finally, when the air leaves, it pushes backward out of the engine. This causes the plane to move forward.

Parts of a Jet Engine

Fan - The fan is the first component in a turbofan. The large spinning fan sucks in large quantities of air. Most blades of the fan are made of titanium. It then speeds this air up and splits it into two parts. One part continues through the "core" or center of the engine, where it is acted upon by the other engine components.

The second part "bypasses" the core of the engine. It goes through a duct that surrounds the core to the back of the engine where it produces much of the force that propels the airplane forward. This cooler air helps to quiet the engine as well as adding thrust to the engine.

Compressor - The compressor is the first component in the engine core. The compressor is made up of fans with many blades and attached to a shaft. The compressor squeezes the air that enters it into progressively smaller areas, resulting in an increase in the air pressure. This results in an increase in the energy potential of the air. The squashed air is forced into the combustion chamber.

Combustor - In the combustor the air is mixed with fuel and then ignited. There are as many as 20 nozzles to spray fuel into the airstream. The mixture of air and fuel catches fire. This provides a high temperature, high-energy airflow. The fuel burns with the oxygen in the compressed air, producing hot expanding gases. The inside of the combustor is often made of ceramic materials to provide a heat-resistant chamber. The heat can reach 2700°.

Turbine - The high-energy airflow coming out of the combustor goes into the turbine, causing the turbine blades to rotate. The turbines are linked by a shaft to turn the blades in the compressor and to spin the intake fan at the front. This rotation takes some energy from the high-energy flow that is used to drive the fan and the compressor. The gases produced in the combustion chamber move through the turbine and spin its blades. The turbines of the jet spin around thousands of times. They are fixed on shafts which have several sets of ball-bearing in between them.

Nozzle - The nozzle is the exhaust duct of the engine. This is the engine part which actually produces the thrust for the plane. The energy depleted airflow that passed the turbine, in addition to the colder air that bypassed the engine core, produces a force when exiting the nozzle that acts to propel the engine, and therefore the airplane, forward. The combination of the hot air and cold air are expelled and produce an exhaust, which causes a forward thrust. The nozzle may be preceded by a mixer, which combines the high temperature air coming from the engine core with the lower temperature air that was bypassed in the fan. The mixer helps to make the engine quieter.

The First Jet Engine - A Short History of Early Engines

Sir Isaac Newton in the 18th century was the first to theorize that a rearward-channeled explosion could propel a machine forward at a great rate of speed. This theory was based on his third law of motion. As the hot air blasts backwards through the nozzle the plane moves forward.

Henri Giffard built an airship which was powered by the first aircraft engine, a three-horse power steam engine. It was very heavy, too heavy to fly.

In 1874, Felix de Temple, built a monoplane that flew just a short hop down a hill with the help of a coal fired steam engine.

Otto Daimler, in the late 1800's invented the first gasoline engine.

In 1894, American Hiram Maxim tried to power his triple biplane with two coal fired steam engines. It only flew for a few seconds.

The early steam engines were powered by heated coal and were generally much too heavy for flight.

American Samuel Langley made a model airplanes that were powered by steam engines. In 1896, he was successful in flying an unmanned airplane with a steam-powered engine, called the Aerodrome. It flew about 1 mile before it ran out of steam. He then tried to build a full sized plane, the Aerodrome A, with a gas powered engine. In 1903, it crashed immediately after being launched from a house boat.

In 1903, the Wright Brothers flew, The Flyer, with a 12 horse power gas powered engine.

From 1903, the year of the Wright Brothers first flight, to the late 1930s the gas powered reciprocating internal-combustion engine with a propeller was the sole means used to propel aircraft.

It was Frank Whittle, a British pilot, who designed and patented the first turbo jet engine in 1930. The Whittle engine first flew successfully in May, 1941. This engine featured a multistage compressor, and a combustion chamber, a single stage turbine and a nozzle.

At the same time that Whittle was working in England, Hans von Ohain was working on a similar design in Germany. The first airplane to successfully use a gas turbine engine was the German Heinkel He 178, in August, 1939. It was the world's first turbojet powered flight.

General Electric built the first American jet engine for the US Army Air Force jet plane . It was the XP-59A experimental aircraft that first flew in October, 1942.

Types of Jet Engines

Turbojets

The basic idea of the turbojet engine is simple. Air taken in from an opening in the front of the engine is compressed to 3 to 12 times its original pressure in compressor. Fuel is added to the air and burned in a combustion chamber to raise the temperature of the fluid mixture to about 1,100°F to 1,300° F. The resulting hot air is passed through a turbine, which drives the compressor. If the turbine and compressor are efficient, the pressure at the turbine discharge will be nearly twice the atmospheric pressure, and this excess pressure is sent to the nozzle to produce a high-velocity stream of gas which produces a thrust. Substantial increases in thrust can be obtained by employing an afterburner. It is a second combustion chamber positioned after the turbine and before the nozzle. The afterburner increases the temperature of the gas ahead of the nozzle. The result of this increase in temperature is an increase of about 40 percent in thrust at takeoff and a much larger percentage at high speeds once the plane is in the air.

The turbojet engine is a reaction engine. In a reaction engine, expanding gases push hard against the front of the engine. The turbojet sucks in air and compresses or squeezes it. The gases flow through the turbine and make it spin. These gases bounce back and shoot out of the rear of the exhaust, pushing the plane forward.

Turboprops

A turboprop engine is a jet engine attached to a propeller. The turbine at the back is turned by the hot gases, and this turns a shaft that drives the propeller. Some small airliners and transport aircraft are powered by turboprops.

Like the turbojet, the turboprop engine consists of a compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine, the air and gas pressure is used to run the turbine, which then creates power to drive the compressor. Compared with a turbojet engine, the turboprop has better propulsion efficiency at flight speeds below about 500 miles per hour. Modern turboprop engines are equipped with propellers that have a smaller diameter but a larger number of blades for efficient operation at much higher flight speeds. To accommodate the higher flight speeds, the blades are scimitar-shaped with swept-back leading edges at the blade tips. Engines featuring such propellers are called propfans.

Turbofans

A turbofan engine has a large fan at the front, which sucks in air. Most of the air flows around the outside of the engine, making it quieter and giving more thrust at low speeds. Most of today's airliners are powered by turbofans. In a turbojet all the air entering the intake passes through the gas generator, which is composed of the compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine. In a turbofan engine only a portion of the incoming air goes into the combustion chamber. The remainder passes through a fan, or low-pressure compressor, and is ejected directly as a "cold" jet or mixed with the gas-generator exhaust to produce a "hot" jet. The objective of this sort of bypass system is to increase thrust without increasing fuel consumption. It achieves this by increasing the total air-mass flow and reducing the velocity within the same total energy supply.

Turboshafts

This is another form of gas-turbine engine that operates much like a turboprop system. It does not drive a propellor. Instead, it provides power for a helicopter rotor. The turboshaft engine is designed so that the speed of the helicopter rotor is independent of the rotating speed of the gas generator. This permits the rotor speed to be kept constant even when the speed of the generator is varied to modulate the amount of power produced.

Ramjets

The ramjet is the most simple jet engine and has no moving parts. The speed of the jet "rams" or forces air into the engine. It is essentially a turbojet in which rotating machinery has been omitted. Its application is restricted by the fact that its compression ratio depends wholly on forward speed. The ramjet develops no static thrust and very little thrust in general below the speed of sound. As a consequence, a ramjet vehicle requires some form of assisted takeoff, such as another aircraft. It has been used primarily in guided-missile systems. Space vehicles use this type of jet.

The term “turbine’ was taken from the Latin word ‘Turbo’, which means to spin. Here, the turbine is one type of Mechanical device, used to change the energy of steam, flowing water, wind, and gas to mechanical to operate an electric generator. After that, this generator changes the energy from mechanical to electrical. In hydroelectric power plants, this combination is known as a generating unit. There are different types of turbines available which are classified based on different factors. So this article discusses an overview of different types of turbine, their working with applications.

What is a Turbine?

A turbine is a rotating mechanical device that extracts the kinetic energy from a fluid like water, air, steam, or combustion gases & changes into the rotating movement of the device itself. Generally, turbines are used in engines, propulsion systems, electrical generation because they transmit & change energy. The turbine symbol is shown below.

The working & operation principle of a turbine is, once any liquid hits the turbine’s blade, and then the blades will start moving to generate rotating energy. The shaft of the turbine is connected directly with a generator to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. In a turbine, there are a series of blades placed on a rotor to extract energy from the moving liquid. So the turbine’s efficiency mainly depends on the design of the blades.

Types of Turbine

There are four types of turbine available like water turbine, wind turbine, gas turbine & steam turbine.

Water Turbines

The turbines which are used in hydroelectric power plants are known as water turbines. The arrangement of a water turbine can be done at the end of the large pipe which is known as a penstock. Here the water pressure mainly depends on the height of the dam because if the dam is height then the pressure will be more.

Once the turbine is arranged at the end of the pipe then the water pressure will hit the blades with high velocity to make the turbine rotate. This water turbine is directly connected to a generator. Once the turbine starts rotating, the generator will convert mechanical energy received from the turbine into electrical. Here, the turbine blades’ shape mainly depends on the force and velocity of the water.

Water Turbines are available in two types like impulse type and reaction type

Impulse Type Turbine

The working principle of the impulse type turbine mainly depends on Newton’s 2nd law. This turbine includes several elliptical half-sized buckets which are arranged on the rotor instead of blades.

Once the water hits the half-sized buckets at very high speed, then the rotor starts revolving, after that the kinetic energy (KE) of water is changed into mechanical energy. The best example of an impulse type turbine is Pelton Turbine which is mainly used where a high head is obtainable & for less discharge rate.

Reaction Type Turbine

These turbines develop torque by simply responding to the mass or force of a fluid. These turbine’s operation can be done by using Newton’s 3rd law & the reaction is similar & reverse.

In this type of turbine, water strikes the wheel with some pressure & supplies over the van, so the turbine wheel rotates full & submerged in the tailrace. An example of a reaction-type turbine is the Kaplan turbine which is used for high discharge with medium or less head.

Wind Turbine

A wind turbine is used to change the kinetic energy of the wind to electrical. These turbines are available in different sizes with either vertical or horizontal axes. Wind turbines are clean, sustainable, and affordable. This turbine has a rotor that includes three blades. Once the air flows in between these blades then it starts turning.Smaller wind turbines are mainly used for charging the battery caravans, boats & also to supply power for traffic warning signs. Wind turbines are available in two types like horizontal axis turbines and vertical axis turbines.

Horizontal-axis Wind Turbines

These types of wind turbines include blades as airplane propellers. The largest horizontal-axis wind turbines size is equal to twenty floors building whereas the blades size of this turbine is above 100 feet long so that they generate more electricity. At present, mostly used wind turbines are horizontal-axis turbines.

Vertical-axis Wind Turbines

These turbines include blades that are connected directly to the top & the bottom of a rotor. At present, the most frequently used vertical axis wind turbine is the Darrieus wind turbine. The versions of these turbines are 50 feet wide and 100 feet tall. There are few VAWTs are used today as they do not perform well like HAWTs.

Steam Turbine

The turbines which are used in thermal and nuclear power plants are known as steam turbines. In these power plants, water gets heated to form steam and supplied throughout turbines to generate electricity. Steam turbines include the rotor & the stator which are arranged alternately to extract energy from it which is called compounding.

These turbines work on the dynamic action of the steam principle. The steam from the nozzle hits the turning blades, which are arranged on a disc placed on a shaft. A dynamic force is generated on the blades through this high-velocity steam, where the blades & shaft start to revolve within a similar direction.

These turbines are available in two types based on different parameters like impulse turbine &  reaction but their design and arrangement are different. The classification of steam turbines can be done based on different properties like the following.

The classification of steam turbines based on operating principle is two types like impulse and reaction type.

These turbines are classified into two types based on the number of cylinders used like single cylinder and multi-cylinder.

Based on heat supply, these gas turbines are classified into three types like single pressure, reheat, and dual pressure.

Based on the steam flow direction, these turbines are classified into 3 types like axial, radial, and tangential.

These turbines are classified into two types based on exhaust conditions like condensing and non-condensing.

Gas Turbine

A gas turbine works with pressurized gas to rotate the turbine for generating electricity otherwise supply kinetic energy (KE) to a jet or an airplane, so this process is called the Brayton cycle. At present in all the modern gas turbines, the gas can be created by fuel-burning like kerosene, natural gas, jet fuel, or propane. Once the fuel is burned, the heat can be generated that expands air to flow throughout the gas turbine to supply functional energy.

These turbines include three essential components like the compressor, combustor, turbine, gearbox, output shaft, and exhaust. At first, the compressor uses outside air & compresses it. In a combustor, fuel is included in the air & is ignited. The turbine changes the energy from high rate gas into rotating power throughout the expansion. Gearbox & Output Shaft delivers rotating energy to the driven machinery and finally, the exhaust is used to direct the low emission gas from the turbine section.

Gas turbines are available in four types which are discussed below.

Turbojet Engines

The turbojet engines look completely different as compared to reciprocal engines but the principle used to operate these engines is the same. In this type of turbine, air moves with high speed to the inlet of fuel & ignitor of the chamber. This turbine induces exhaust gases by increasing air.

Turboprop Engines

In a Turboprop engine, the turbine is connected to a propeller through a gear system. In this turbine, the turbojet rotates a shaft that is connected to a transmission gearbox. A transmission box reduces the rotating process & the slowly moving gear is connected to the transmission device. The air propeller turns & generates thrust.

Turbofan Engines

The best turboprops & turbojets are connected with turbofan engines where a Turbofan engine is attached to the front side of a turbojet engine through a duct fan. Here, this fan creates an additional push to the engine to make it cool & reduce its noise output.

Turboshaft Engines

The turboshaft engine is used to deliver energy toward a shaft so that it drives something except a propeller. The main difference between turboshaft & a turbojet engine is that turboshaft engines are extensively used on large aircraft as secondary power units. On a turboshaft engine, most of the energy generated from the expanding gases is mainly used to operate a turbine instead of creating thrust.

The turboshaft engine is mainly designed to transmit horsepower (hp) to a shaft that turns a helicopter transmission system. These engines are available in different shapes and sizes with horsepower ranges.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Types of Turbine

The advantages of different types of turbine mainly include the following

Wind turbines are renewable, clean sources of energy, have less operating cost & land space is used efficiently.

The benefits of gas turbines are; durable, efficient, less operating cost, eco-friendly, lubrication cost is low & operational speed is high.

The advantages of water turbines are; it is a clean & non-polluting source of energy, it doesn’t require fuel, water is a source of energy, The construction of dams can be done near to rivers because once the level of water increases, the kinetic energy (KE) of water gets transformed to potential energy.

The steam turbine benefits are high reliability, have low vibrations, needs low mass flow rates, power to weight ratio is high, high thermal efficiency, etc.

The disadvantages of different types of turbine mainly include the following.

The disadvantages of water turbines are; limited reservoirs, expensive, displace people, consequences from the environment.

The disadvantages of gas turbine include; less efficiency of plant & efficient only in an arrangement of combined cycle.

The disadvantages of a steam turbine are; less responsive; startup time is long, less efficient, takes much time to start, high cost, less responsive, etc.

The disadvantages of a wind turbine include; noise pollution, impact from the environment, restricted locations, intermittent, etc.

Applications of Types of Turbine

There are different types of turbine used in hydropower, wind power, propulsion & heat engines. Turbines are very significant because almost all electricity is generated from the turbine by changing mechanical to electrical energy by using a generator. The different types of turbine applications mainly include the following.

Water turbines are used in hydropower plants

An impulse turbine is mainly used in high head hydroelectric-based power plants.

The reaction-type turbine is used in wind power mills for electricity generation.

Steam turbines are used in different industries which range from medium to large scale like chemical industries, waste plants, oil, gas & sugar mills.

Gas turbines are interior combustion engines, used mostly in different power plants to generate electricity & also for propelling helicopters & airplanes.

Wind turbines are used where the wind is reliable & strong like on the rounded hills, in the coastal region, open plains & gaps within mountains whereas large wind turbines are used to supply power to a power grid that ranges from 100 kW to MW.

Types of Boilers: Definition, Parts, Uses, Working, Application, Advantages & Disadvantages :- A boiler is a type of closed vessel which converts fluid into high pressure vapor by heating to generate power. The boiler converts the energy taken from fuel such as coal, nuclear fuel and natural gas to convert water into steam.

Boilers are closed vessel which is used for heating water or other liquid and then vapour or steam are generated, steam are super heated or may be of any combination under vacuum or pressure for using them by the application of their energy from combustion of fuel from nuclear or electrical energy.The vaporised or heated fluid in the boiler are used for various of applications or process like water heating, boiler based power generation, sanitation cooking etc.

Boilers are pressure vessel which is generally made up of steel. Due to corrosion and stress corrosion cracking, stainless steel of austenitic types is not uses in the wetted part of the boilers. Generally ferritic stainless steel is used for superheated sections which are not exposed to the boiling water.

Working Principle of a Boiler

The working principle of a boiler is same as the water is in a closed vessel due to which it converts into the steam. The converted steam possesses high pressure kinetic energy. The water contained in a boiler is converted into steam due to the heat which is generated by burning of fuels like coal, nuclear fuel, etc. The high pressure steam passes through the tubes and exits from the boiler into the turbine which rotates the turbine along with the generator to produce electricity.

Parts of Boilers

Following are the main parts of boiler:

1. Heat Exchanger

Heat exchanger are that components which are used for transferring the heat which is produced by burners in combustion chamber to the boiler. Heat exchangers are made up of several of elements like bundles of steel tubes, copper lines or cast iron. The heat exchanger element should be such that they can withstand with high temperatures, efficiently transfer heat and last a long time.

2. Controls

System controls enable user to set the temperature of water, fuel and air supply mixtures, ignition and internal pressure. They can regulate the frequency of burner fires, rate at which fuel used quality of mixture of oxygen and fuel. They plays an important role in safety system of boiler. They reduce the risk of damage to a higher extent.

High pressure, uncontrolled steam are highly dangerous and they need to be maintained well by the system control for keeping the boiler safe by ensuring that the internal pressure should be in limits, water should be within safe temperature range.Pressure control device: Pressure control device are used to control the boiler pressure without which an operator is required for manually adjust boiler firing rate for maintaining system pressure and without lifting the safety valve or tripping the boiler.

High temperature or high pressure cut out switch: It is a simple temperature switch or pressure switch (temperature switch for hot water boilers and pressure switch for steam boilers) which is used to put the boiler out of commission.

3. Burner

The burner are that part of a boiler where fuel source mixes with air and combusts, then hot combustion gases enter the boiler and serves as heat exchanger. The correct amount of combustion air is necessary for efficient and clean combustion therefore burner should be kept in good working condition. Less amount of air do not allow complete combustion while huge amount of air will results in loss of exhaust gases.

4. Combustion Chamber

In combustion chamber fuel is burned for heating the water. The combustion chamber has burners and is designed for providing safe area for high temperature combustion of volatile fuel. Combustion chamber is generally made up of cast iron or steel or metal which can cope with high temperatures. Combustion chamber need to be serviced on regular basis because older units can crack or corroded which is unsafe for use.

5. Exhaust Stack

Exhaust stack are also known as flue or chimney and are designed for safely expel spent fuel away from the exterior of building. They look like a brick built chimney or may be series of metal pipes. They must be constructed such that harmful gases like carbon monoxide divert away and do not expel near doors and windows.

6. Supply Lines & Return Lines

They lead from boiler and they deliver steam or heated water at the distribution points like radiators or heaters. When steams and waters cools then return lines brought water back to boiler and there water is again heated before sent out again.

7. Circulator Pump

Circulator pumps are that component of boilers which pushes hot water out via supply lines to the distribution lines or the radiators. Circulator pumps are responsible for bring it back via return lines. Circulator pumps are very essential component for the boiler therefore they should be well maintained.

8. Backflow Valve

Backflow valve are used as a safety unit and they allow the fluid flow only in single direction.

9. Expansion Tank

It is a small tank which protect boiler from excess pressure and checks its safety with the process.

10. Aquastats

Aquastats in boiler are used for sending correct signal to burner about when to start or stop the process. According to the temperature of fluid present in boiler they know when to start or stop the process.

11. Auxiliary & Primary Low Water Cut off Switches

These devices are used to determine the low water conditions in boiler whenever these condition arises they used to initiate master fuel trip for shutting the burner off. If they are cleaned thoroughly on annual basis then they have 10 years of expected life but if the maintenance is neglected then they need to be replaced very quickly.

12. Firebox

Firebox are that part of boiler where fuel meets the air and create flame.

13. Refractory

Refractory are those materials which are used for filling any openings or gaps around the fire box which helps the fire to stay in fire box.

14. Condenser/ Deaerators

Condenser and deaerators tanks are generally used in steam boiler systems only instead of hot oil and hot water boiler because the fluids are always in the liquid state.

15. Low and High Gas Pressure Switches

These pressure switches are essential for ensuring the gas pressure in the boiler. These switches in the boiler prevent the boiler to go lean or rich with the gases which can result in explosion or major damage.

16. Water Level Device

Various boilers feed water control system uses different devices for controlling the level of water in the boiler. From simple on off setup which is run by a switch, level sensing devices are connected with the loop controller. When a boiler is run without feed water controls then it requires a operator for full time to adjust the manual valve.

Different Types of Boilers

A) Based on the Contents in the Tubes

Fire Tube Boiler

Water Tube Boiler

B) Based on the Number of Tubes

Single Tube Boilers

Multi tubular Boiler

C) Based on the Position of the Furnace

Internally Fired Boilers

Externally Fired Boilers

D) Based on the Axis of the Shell

Vertical Boilers

Horizontal Boilers

E) Based on the Methods of Circulation of Water and Steam

Natural Circulation Boilers

Forced Circulation Boilers

F) Based on features.

Cochran boiler

Lamont boiler

Loeffler boiler

Babcock and Wilcox boiler

Lancashire boiler

Locomotive boiler

A) Based on the Contents in the Tube

1. Fire Tube Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

The fire tube boilers are the types of boilers in which hit gases produced from heat source flows through pipes with water filled drum. In this type of boiler, the amount of water present in the boiler is much higher than the hot gases presented in the tubes. The heat transfers from the hot gas tubes into the water present around the hot gas tubes and converts it into steam. The fire tube boilers are used for steam locomotive boiler. They are easy to operate and simple in construction. Types of fire tube boilers-

Cornish fire tube boiler

Lancashire fire tube boiler

Locomotive fire tube boiler

Vertical fire tube boiler

Cochran fire tube boiler

Scotch marine fire tube boiler

Immersion fire tube boiler

Advantages of Fire Tube Boiler

They have low maintenance cost.

They are simple in design.

Less skilled operators are required to perform operations.

Feed water treatment is not necessary for fire tube boiler.

Pure feed water is not required to operate fire tube boiler which reduces the cost.

To produce same power output, fire tube boiler is less costly than water tube

Disadvantages of Fire Tube Boiler

The limit of operating pressure in fire tube boiler is up to 20 bars.

The efficiency is up to 70%.

More area is required for a given output.

The quality of steam is not better in comparison of water tub e boiler.

Used in small plants.

2. Water Tube Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

A water tube boiler is a high-pressure boiler in which water circulates in the tube heated by the fire or hot gases present in the drum surrounds these tubes. In this type of boiler, fuel burns inside the furnace, creating the hot gases which convert water into high pressure steam. The steam exits from the steam drum in which steam water mixture accumulates. In some cases, the steam passes through the tubes becomes superheated which means water tube boiler can produce both saturated or superheated steam. These types of boilers used in chemical, process, refining, paper manufacturing and pulp industries. Types of water tube boiler-

Simple vertical boiler

Stirling boiler

Babcock and Wilcox boilers

Advantages of Water Tube Boiler

The water tube boiler can operate at maximum working pressure of 250 bar.

It has an overall efficiency is up to 90% with an economizer.

Less area is required for a given output.

Fluctuation of load can be easily handled.

It has higher steam generation and the quality of steam which is suitable for efficient power generation.

Used in large plants.

Water circulation is in well-defined direction.

Disadvantages of Water Tube Boiler

It has ahigh maintenance cost and complex design.

A skilled operator is needed for operation.

Used in large power plants because it is uneconomical in small industries.

Treatment of feed water is very necessary in a water tube boiler as small-scale deposits present inside the tube can become the cause of overheating and bursting.

B) Based on the Number of Tubes

1. Single Tube Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

This type of boiler contains only one fire tubes or water tubes. Types of single tube boilers-

Cornish boiler

Simple vertical boiler

2. Multi Tubular Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

This type of boiler contains two or more water tubes or fire tubes. Types of multitubular boiler-

Lancashire boiler

Locomotive boiler

Cochran boiler

Babcock and Wilcox boiler

C) Based on the Position of the Furnace

1. Internally Fired Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

In this type of boiler furnace is located inside the boiler drum which means furnace is a part of boiler structures. Types of internally fired boilers-

Lancashire boiler

Cochran boiler

Locomotive boiler

2. Externally Fired Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

In this type of boiler, the furnace is located outside the boiler drum which means furnace is not a part of boiler structure. Types of externally fired boilers-

Stirling boiler

Babcock and Wilcox boiler

D) Based on the Axis of the Shell

1. Vertical Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

These are a type of fire tube or water tube boiler in which the axis of the boiler barrel is oriented vertically. They are used in railway locomotives, road vehicles, steam tractor,etc. Types of vertical boiler

Cochran boiler.

Advantages of Vertical Boiler

It has low initial cost because of fewer parts.

It has low maintenance cost.

Simple in working

Easy to install and replace.

It requires small area on the ground.

They have water level tolerance.

Disadvantages of Vertical Boiler

Its vertical design limits its work in many cases.

It produces limited steam due to limited area.

The impurities present in this type of boiler settle at the bottom and prevents heating.

The boiler tubes are small.

2. Horizontal Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

These are a type of fire tube or water tube boiler in which the axis of the boiler barrel is oriented horizontally. Types of horizontal boilers-

Lancashire boiler

Locomotive boiler

Babcock boiler and Wilcox boiler

E) Based on the Method of Circulation of Water and Steam

1. Natural Circulation Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

In this type of boiler, the water circulation takes place naturally by convection currents which develops during the heating of water. The convection current develops due to difference in density caused by temperature of water. Types of natural circulation boilers-

Babcock and Wilcox boiler

Lancashire boiler

2. Forced Circulation Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

In this type of boiler, the circulation is done with the help of boiler driven by the external power. Types of forced circulation boiler-

Velox boiler

Lamont boiler

Loffler boiler

F) Based on the Construction

1. Cochran Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

Cochran Boiler is a type of multi tubular vertical fire tube boiler which has a number of horizontal tubes. It is the modified form of a simple vertical boiler where the heating surface is increased by means of a number of fire tubes. The efficiency of this boiler is much better in comparison of the simple vertical boiler.

Advantages of Cochran Boiler

Installation cost is low

Less floor area is required.

Easy to operate and handle.

It is easy to transport Cochran boiler.

All types of fuels are usable.

Disadvantages of Cochran Boiler

It has low rate of steam generation.

It is difficult to inspect and maintain.

Pressure range is limited.

2. Lamont Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

It is a type of high-pressure water tube which is based on forced circulation in which water circulation takes place through an external pump through long closely spaced small diameter tubes. In this, the pump is employed in order to have adequate and positive circulation in steam and hot water boilers.

Advantages of Lamont Boiler

High pressure boiler.

Flexible in design.

It can be reassembled into natural circulation boiler.

Easy to start.

 It has high steam generation capacity near about 50 tons per hour.

Higher heat transfer rate.

Disadvantages of Lamont Boiler

Bubble formation takes place at surfaces of the tubes which reduces the heat transfer rate to the steam.

3. Loeffler Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

It is a type of water tube boiler which has a high-pressure steam generation capacity.

Advantages of Loeffler Boiler

It has a compact size

It does not produce much sound.

Salt sediment does not deposit at surfaces.

Disadvantages of Loeffler Boiler

Evaporating drum id bulky and costly.

Bubble formation takes place which creates a problem of heat transfer.

4. Babcock and Wilcox Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

It is a type of horizontal water tube boiler which is also known as longitudinal boiler.

Advantages of Babcock and Wilcox Boiler

Higher steam generation capacity.

Easy to repair defects.

It occupies less area.

Minimum draught loss inside the furnace.

Easy to inspect during operating condition.

Disadvantages of Babcock and Wilcox Boiler

High maintenance cost.

Small scale impurities of water may deposit at the surface which leads to overheating and bursting of tubes.

5. Lancashire Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

It is a horizontal and stationary type of fire tube boiler which is internally fired. It works on the basis of the natural circulation.

Advantages of Lancashire Boiler

High thermal efficiency.

Easy to operate.

Easily meets the load requirement.

Easy to maintain.

Consumption of electricity is low due to natural circulation.

Disadvantages of Lancashire Boiler

Produces low pressure steam.

Grate are aid limited.

Low steam production rate.

It requires more floor space.

6. Locomotive Boiler: ( Types of Boilers )

A locomotive boiler is used to create steam from water by with the help of heat energy. It is a multi-tubular, horizontal drum axis, natural circulation, forced circulation, artificial draft, medium pressure, solid fuel fired fire tube boiler which has an internal fire furnace.

Advantages of Locomotive Boiler

It is a portable boiler.

It can handle sudden and demand of fluctuating loads.

Cost effective.

High steam generation rate.

Compact in size.

Disadvantages of Locomotive Boiler

Corrosion and scale formation takes place.

Unable to handle heavy load conditions.

Pascal's principle

Liquids in motion or under pressure did useful work for humanity for many centuries before French scientist-philosopher Blaise Pascal and Swiss physicist Daniel Bernoulli formulated the laws on which modern hydraulic power technology is based. Pascal’s principle, formulated about 1650, states that pressure in a liquid is transmitted equally in all directions; i.e, when water is made to fill a closed container, the application of pressure at any point will be transmitted to all sides of the container. In the hydraulic press, Pascal’s principle is used to gain an increase in force; a small force applied to a small piston in a small cylinder is transmitted through a tube to a large cylinder, where it presses equally against all sides of the cylinder, including the large piston.

Bernoulli’s theorem, formulated about a century later, states that energy in a fluid is due to elevation, motion, and pressure, and if there are no losses due to friction and no work done, the sum of the energies remains constant. Thus, kinetic energy, deriving from motion, can be partly converted to pressure energy by enlarging the cross section of a pipe, which slows down the flow but increases the area against which the fluid is pressing.

hydraulic mining

Until the 19th century it was not possible to develop velocities and pressures much greater than those provided by nature, but the invention of pumps brought a vast potential for application of the discoveries of Pascal and Bernoulli. In 1882 the city of London built a hydraulic system that delivered pressurized water through street mains to drive machinery in factories. In 1906 an important advance in hydraulic techniques was made when an oil hydraulic system was installed to raise and control the guns of the USS Virginia. In the 1920s, self-contained hydraulic units consisting of a pump, controls, and motor were developed, opening the way to applications in machine tools, automobiles, farm equipment, earth-moving machinery, locomotives, ships, airplanes, and spacecraft.

In hydraulic power systems there are five elements: the driver, the pump, the control valves, the motor, and the load. The driver may be an electric motor or an engine of any type. The pump acts mainly to increase pressure. The motor may be a counterpart of the pump, transforming hydraulic input into mechanical output. Motors may produce either rotary or reciprocating motion in the load.

In the operation and control of machine tools, farm machinery, construction machinery, and mining machinery, fluid power can compete successfully with mechanical and electrical systems (see fluidics). Its chief advantages are flexibility and the ability to multiply forces efficiently; it also provides fast and accurate response to controls.

Hydraulic power systems have become one of the major energy-transmission technologies used by all phases of industrial, agricultural, and defense activity. Modern aircraft, for example, use hydraulic systems to activate their controls and to operate landing gears and brakes. Virtually all missiles, as well as their ground-support equipment, use fluid power. Automobiles use hydraulic power systems in their transmissions, brakes, and steering mechanisms. Mass production and its offspring, automation, in many industries have their foundations in the use of fluid power systems. Hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, has allowed the extraction of natural gas and petroleum from previously inaccessible deposits.

Hydraulics (from Greek ὕδωρ (hydor) 'water', and αὐλός (aulos) 'pipe') is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concerns gases. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on applied engineering using the properties of fluids. In its fluid power applications, hydraulics is used for the generation, control, and transmission of power by the use of pressurized liquids. Hydraulic topics range through some parts of science and most of engineering modules, and cover concepts such as pipe flow, dam design, fluidics and fluid control circuitry. The principles of hydraulics are in use naturally in the human body within the vascular system and erectile tissue.

Free surface hydraulics is the branch of hydraulics dealing with free surface flow, such as occurring in rivers, canals, lakes, estuaries and seas. Its sub-field open-channel flow studies the flow in open channels.

History

Ancient and medieval eras

Waterwheels

Early uses of water power date back to Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, where irrigation has been used since the 6th millennium BC and water clocks had been used since the early 2nd millennium BC. Other early examples of water power include the Qanat system in ancient Persia and the Turpan water system in ancient Central Asia.

Persian Empire

In the Persian Empire, the Persians constructed an intricate system of water mills, canals and dams known as the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System. The project, commenced by Achaemenid king Darius the Great and finished by a group of Roman engineers captured by Sassanian king Shapur I, has been referred to by UNESCO as "a masterpiece of creative genius". They were also the inventors of the Qanat, an underground aqueduct. Several of Iran's large, ancient gardens were irrigated thanks to Qanats.

The earliest evidence of water wheels and watermills date back to the ancient Near East in the 4th century BC, specifically in the Persian Empire before 350 BCE, in the regions of Iraq, Iran, and Egypt.

China

In ancient China there was Sunshu Ao (6th century BC), Ximen Bao (5th century BC), Du Shi (circa 31 AD), Zhang Heng (78 – 139 AD), and Ma Jun (200 – 265 AD), while medieval China had Su Song (1020 – 1101 AD) and Shen Kuo (1031–1095). Du Shi employed a waterwheel to power the bellows of a blast furnace producing cast iron. Zhang Heng was the first to employ hydraulics to provide motive power in rotating an armillary sphere for astronomical observation.

Sri Lank

Moat and gardens at Sigiriya

In ancient Sri Lanka, hydraulics were widely used in the ancient kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. The discovery of the principle of the valve tower, or valve pit, (Bisokotuwa in Sinhalese) for regulating the escape of water is credited to ingenuity more than 2,000 years ago. By the first century AD, several large-scale irrigation works had been completed.Macro- and micro-hydraulics to provide for domestic horticultural and agricultural needs, surface drainage and erosion control, ornamental and recreational water courses and retaining structures and also cooling systems were in place in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. The coral on the massive rock at the site includes cisterns for collecting water. Large ancient reservoirs of Sri Lanka are Kalawewa (King Dhatusena), Parakrama Samudra (King Parakrama Bahu), Tisa Wewa (King Dutugamunu), Minneriya (King Mahasen)

Greco-Roman world

In Ancient Greece, the Greeks constructed sophisticated water and hydraulic power systems. An example is a construction by Eupalinos, under a public contract, of a watering channel for Samos, the Tunnel of Eupalinos. An early example of the usage of hydraulic wheel, probably the earliest in Europe, is the Perachora wheel (3rd century BC).

In Greco-Roman Egypt, the construction of the first hydraulic machine automata by Ctesibius (flourished c. 270 BC) and Hero of Alexandria (c. 10 – 80 AD) is notable. Hero describes several working machines using hydraulic power, such as the force pump, which is known from many Roman sites as having been used for raising water and in fire engines.

Aqueduct of Segovia, a 1st-century AD masterpiece

In the Roman Empire, different hydraulic applications were developed, including public water supplies, innumerable aqueducts, power using watermills and hydraulic mining. They were among the first to make use of the siphon to carry water across valleys, and used hushing on a large scale to prospect for and then extract metal ores. They used lead widely in plumbing systems for domestic and public supply, such as feeding thermae.[citation needed]

Hydraulic mining was used in the gold-fields of northern Spain, which was conquered by Augustus in 25 BC. The alluvial gold-mine of Las Medulas was one of the largest of their mines. At least seven long aqueducts worked it, and the water streams were used to erode the soft deposits, and then wash the tailings for the valuable gold content.

Arabic-Islamic world

In the Muslim world during the Islamic Golden Age and Arab Agricultural Revolution (8th–13th centuries), engineers made wide use of hydropower as well as early uses of tidal power, and large hydraulic factory complexes. A variety of water-powered industrial mills were used in the Islamic world, including fulling mills, gristmills, paper mills, hullers, sawmills, ship mills, stamp mills, steel mills, sugar mills, and tide mills. By the 11th century, every province throughout the Islamic world had these industrial mills in operation, from Al-Andalus and North Africa to the Middle East and Central Asia.Muslim engineers also used water turbines, employed gears in watermills and water-raising machines, and pioneered the use of dams as a source of water power, used to provide additional power to watermills and water-raising machines.

Al-Jazari (1136–1206) described designs for 50 devices, many of them water-powered, in his book, The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, including water clocks, a device to serve wine, and five devices to lift water from rivers or pools. These include an endless belt with jugs attached and a reciprocating device with hinged valves.

The earliest programmable machines were water-powered devices developed in the Muslim world. A music sequencer, a programmable musical instrument, was the earliest type of programmable machine. The first music sequencer was an automated water-powered flute player invented by the Banu Musa brothers, described in their Book of Ingenious Devices, in the 9th century. In 1206, Al-Jazari invented water-powered programmable automata/robots. He described four automaton musicians, including drummers operated by a programmable drum machine, where they could be made to play different rhythms and different drum patterns.

1. Introduction

Since the last global Mechanical Engineering conference in November 2015 in Bern,

Switzerland, the world has been witness to dramatic changes:

 Political far-right movements have been in charge in many countries of the world,

including USA, Brazil, Turkey, Philippines, Hungary and many others – the list is

continues to grow. This development is a burden for democratic progress worldwide and

hampers any positive development for the global workforce. Right-wing governments

never act in favour of the working class, despite what their party leaders say. They

always and without exception weaken labour and trade union rights in order to create

economic advantage for “their” capital. Right-wing governments threaten “trade wars”

and tariffs to put their respective country’s capital “first” and not their workforce.

 The Brexit discussion, which dragged on for many years, has resulted in chaos paralyzing

the European Union for several years. Instead of discussing necessary progress in

social and environmental cohesion, European leaders have been occupied with an

unhealthy discussion over the parameters of a deal or no-deal Brexit. But at the same

time, the European Union is forced to re-position itself in a changing global environment

with new challenges, new players, and new risks that require new answers.

 Global warming and the discussions around the necessary CO2 reductions have on the

other hand mobilized a whole generation that fears for their future and demands a

drastic change in climate policy which also requires a drastic change in the automotive

industry, public transportation, energy production, new technologies, and other industrial

sectors. The younger generation rightly demands that we work on a future for

humankind in an environment where people can exist. The German word for

sustainability – “Nachhaltigkeit” – refers to a way of running an economy without harming

the opportunities for future generations. Originating in forestry, it meant not harvesting

more trees in one year than could regrow in the same period. Reduction goals for CO2

emissions are a big challenge for many industries (or rather the products), but this is not

the whole picture. Global warming is but one element of environmental risk where

mechanical engineering industries can deliver solutions. This includes better technical

solutions, new products and also better working conditions.

 Technological developments have gained momentum and industrial production is

changing with an enormous speed. The concept of digitalization is transforming not only

the industrial setting but also the whole system of relations between producer, service

provider, supplier and customer. Autonomous driving, digitalized processes in 

production, service, and consumption revamp the whole setting for our industries.

Besides, specific technologies such as digital three-dimensional (3D) printing, the

interaction between man and machinery, artificial intelligence and others change the

whole system of supply, production and product life cycle management. This requires

new skills and tools. Also, new ethical discussions are needed about the limits of using

artificial intelligence and moral categories in autonomous operating products.

 Multinational corporations (MNCs) going through mergers, restructurings, divestments and

splits represent a huge challenge for the labour movement, on regional, national and

global level. Siemens, General Electric, Caterpillar, thyssenkrupp are only some

examples from our sector whose restructuring brings changes in our industrial settings.

MNCs do not respect our views of sectors, borders, or workers’ rights in these

processes. They are driven by “active” shareholders who only want higher dividends

leaving the interest of workers and their representatives out. Trade unions and global

unions have the difficult task of safeguarding workers’ interests in this process. Global

Framework Agreements, campaigns and social dialogue are the main tools at the global

level, while European Works Councils are the major tool at the European level.

 Multinational Corporations are not the only driving force of the global struggle for market

share and profits. Competition between countries and regions drive it as well. We have

seen ever stronger Chinese economic growth, which is now slowing considerably.

Despite this, China is one of the most dynamic economies in the world, although often it

does not care much for sustainability goals. The last one and a half decades made

China and Asia very important players in the global economy, with China representing

50 per cent and more of market share in several sectors and products. China and Asia

are now not only markets for North American, European and Japanese products any

more, but also big producers and competitors, especially in our segments.

Workers’ and trade union rights are under pressure in this socio-economic and political

environment. The general trend for decades now is that the rich get richer while the poor get

poorer. Global capital has lost any decency and prudence: tax paying is something only for

workers, their families and customers. It is not for shareholders, billionaires, MNCs. Wealth

inequality in the developed countries is today higher than in 1913.1

This is fertile soil for rising nationalism, racism, fear and hate. Trade unions have always been

on the forefront of fighting these anti-values, but recent developments make this fight even

harder than in the past. This is why global unionism is a core asset of the labour movement.

Only global unions can organize cooperation between trade unions with different heritage,

culture, power and means. This makes IndustriALL Global Union one of the major assets for its

affiliates.

During its first eight years IndustriALL Global Union has launched a new era in global union

solidarity. At the same time, we need the greatest possible unity to fight global capital. Unions

need to grow and gain strength at sector, company and factory levels. We need to be strong for

the benefit of workers. We need to build real industrial muscle.

In our sector, we are confronted with strong MNC’s2

. To challenge their strength IndustriALL has

developed our Action Plan, which was then translated into five strategic goals: 

Any activity of our global union, in every sector, must be in line with these five strategic goals. In

our sector it is crucial to build union power in order to confront global capital if we want to

defend workers’ rights. On the other hand, defending workers’ rights has become crucial in the

context of defending democratic and environmental rights of the whole population. Mechanical

engineering is positioned to help making industrial and energy production more sustainable.

IndustriALL Global Union also stands for safe working conditions and workplaces where

workers do not ruin their health.

The 2016-2020 Action Plan, adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, closes with the following call:

“IndustriALL Global Union will fight for its strategic goals, uniting workers and unions

throughout the world in global solidarity.”

In the mechanical engineering sector, we did our best to translate this call into concrete aims

and activities. We adopted strategic plans and developed campaigns, networks and GFAs. In

spite of the socio-economic and political environment we made progress. In our sector, we launched strategic discussions on consequences for the entire manufacturing industry. 

In this report we will talk about the tools, activities and campaigns we have so far conducted in

line with IndustriALL’s Action Plan and our strategic goals.

We present this report as a balance sheet of our activities over the past four years so that

affiliates in the sector can discuss what has been achieved, where there are shortcomings and

how we can improve. Sometimes, we need to be honest enough to admit that we do not have

the answers at hand. But then it is crucial to ask good questions. Let’s do that together.

Using our five strategic goals we translated the IndustriALL global strategy into policy and

practice in the mechanical engineering sector.

With respect to the long-term goals, we decided for our sector in Bern 2015:

1.More effectively promote international solidarity and cooperation among workers in

multinational companies and their supply chains

2.Fight against precarious work in all its form

3.Support and reinforce organizing efforts and activities of affiliates in multinational

companies and their supply chains

4.Integrate more women and young people into our work

5.Continue with the work on MNC strategy, including global networks and GFAs, in order to

enhance trade union presence and power in the MNCs

6.Promote a sustainable industrial policy in the mechanical engineering sector.3

These long-term goals in the sector became the basis of our strategic planning for the sector in

coordination with the affiliates. Although we did not achieve everything we wanted, we made

progress. Besides, some developments, especially concerning green tech, required new

approaches and creative thinking from us.

4. Digitalization and mechanical engineering

Digitalization or Industry 4.0 is in full swing. Although IndustriALL’s sectors are affected

differently, it is a major issue in every sector, including mechanical engineering. At production

use, Internet of things, cooperation between human beings and machinery, use and integration

of artificial intelligence; all these trends are leading to structural and socio-economic

transformations.

As stated in IndustriALL’s 2018 paper on digitalization and approaching changes in traditional

industrial sectors:

“Aside from the ICT sector, mechanical engineering will be one of the most affected sectors by

the digitalization of manufacturing. New production needs new machinery and so there will be

an increased demand for high-tech mechanical engineering. The transformation of this sector

has in fact many similarities with the systematics in ICT, because likely industrial design and

industrial manufacturing will experience very different employment effects. When the production

of mechanical engineering equipment can be digitalized, and other disruptive modern

manufacturing techniques like 3D printing can be used to replace human labour, their

production will experience job losses while in industrial design and various engineering

disciplines, through the rising demand for advanced mechanical engineering equipment, jobs

may be won. However, as mentioned in chapter 3, the job profiles between those lost and those

won are in fact very different. A white-collarization of not only (but including) services but also in

production, creation and maintenance itself is already visible: from technician to engineer, from

engineer to full-service customer-care-person.”

8

The following picture helps to understand the underlying dynamics of this megatrend in actual

context.

Mechanical engineering provides for the tools and means that are drivers of development.

Workers in this sector are at the forefront of the change. Changing production and interaction

systems and new ways of customer relations also demand new skills. Traditional “operators”

become more and more technicians, engineers and/or IT experts. This also leads to a redistribution of work. Estimates show a lot of jobs will disappear. Trade unions will have to find

new answers about working time systems, skills management, training, cooperation between

blue- and white-collar unions and so on.

Even though this looks like a dark perspective and a bad future for labour, trade unions should

focus on opportunities and positive aspects and take care of the employees’ interests. It is

crucial that trade unions on plant, national, and also global level and in multinational

corporations seek to safeguard the influence of organized labour.

It must be clear that under these circumstances, trade unions are as important as ever as while

the world of labour faces new and drastic industrial transformation. Trade unions, shop stewards

and works councils are crucial players in the socio-economic and political change. Otherwise, all

the benefits of Industry 4.0 will flow entirely to employers and capital owners, which will

inevitably result in political and social instability.

Although workplaces may be fundamentally transformed, it is crucial that workers’ and their

trade unions’ fundamental rights are respected. These are freedom of association and the

effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, elimination of forced or compulsory

labour, abolition of child labour and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and

occupation. They are all part of the International Labour Organization Declaration on

fundamental principles and rights at work, and are often referred to as ILO Core Conventions.

The following picture shows how different sectors within IndustriALL’s footprint are exposed to

the challenging developments that have already started. Mechanical engineering as the one of

the most-affected sectors requires special attention from the trade unions operating in the sector

when it comes to their future work. Workplaces, qualifications, skill requirements and vocational

training will change, and trade unions will have to adapt to this change in order to be able to

recruit in the new environment.

As the digitalization of the workplace progresses, several issues will be crucial for the future of

trade unions and of the self-determination of workers:

 the right to information and consultation for workers’ representatives at the local, regional,

national and international levels

 the right to education and training

 the right to defined levels of privacy at work and at home.

To ensure workers’ rights, trade unions will need to adapt their structures and culture to the new

realities of the Industry 4.0 workplace, e.g. by devising ways to organize isolated workers who

may be on individual contracts in the so-called “gig economy”.

In mechanical engineering, digitalization has two faces. On the one side, mechanical

engineering is a driver in this process, as the sector delivers the tools and machinery that drives

and transforms the industrial production process and service environment in many industries.

On the other side, mechanical engineering is itself transforming, which means that traditional

jobs will disappear or change, and that new and different tasks and activities are emerging.

From 3D printing of tools, machinery to self-diagnosing lifts and escalators, wind rotors or

bearings, all of these developments are changing production, service and customer relations in

the mechanical engineering section.

Products are changing and thus the whole industrial setting. For instance, agricultural

implements now include autonomous tractors, harvesters and other equipment, directed via

GPS and/or cameras, deciding themselves when they need the feeder tractor or maintenance,

service and so on. In the sector of lifts and escalators, a “turbolift” that moves through a building

vertically and horizontally – until recently a matter for the distant future –is now a reality. Service

and maintenance are digitalized and communicate with (currently human) service technicians

via VR glasses, mobile devices and/or other interfaces and tell them where the problem is

located and how to fix it.

Today, suppliers, manufacturers, customers, and service and maintenance people are

connected, and service and maintenance people are connected. Connectivity is one of the core issues in mechanical engineering. If a lift is installed, it can announce the need for services

directly to the lifts and escalators’ company and they will send a specifically skilled technician

who interacts with the lift in order to fix the problem.

A roller bearing in a railway locomotive wheel today can interact with the bearing producer and

announce whether it needs service, maintenance or replacement. This interaction goes via the

internet to the company that then can provide the demanded service. The same goes for wind

rotors, rotating equipment and also lifts, escalators, mining and agricultural equipment. Service

or maintenance technicians are thus increasingly becoming IT experts. They use apps in order

to communicate with their tools and machinery and interact with the customer.

New technologies like digital design, virtual reality, 3D printing, cyber-human cooperation and

artificial instruments in mechanical engineering are tools that will create new relations between

human and machine. Activities that are complicated for human beings, like complex

mathematics, are easy for machinery. Many tasks that are easy for humans, like understanding

language or creative processes, can now increasingly be done by machinery or artificial

intelligence.

To be very clear, digitalization or “the internet of everything” goes far beyond the presence of

more robots. The new development and change is about the interaction between machinery,

tools, materials, producers, operators and customers. 3D printing offers possibilities for the

design of tools, machinery and parts with previously unknown accuracy and makes low-scale

design and production efficient and cheap.

Trade unions will have to adapt since management may use digitalization and new technologies

to interact with the workforce, especially when working in the cloud, directly and offering

information and consultation, bypassing traditional trade union structures. This represents a big

challenge for IndustriALL’s affiliates who need to find good answers to the challenges posed by

the “Internet of Everything” (IoE).