Machine building industry

The machine industry is a subsector of the industry that produces a range of products from power tools, different types of machines, and domestic technology to factory equipment etc. On the one hand the machine industry provides:

• The means of production for businesses in the agriculture, mining, industry and construction.
• The means of production for public utility, such as equipment for the production and distribution of gas, electricity and water.
• A range of supporting equipment for all sectors of the economy, such as equipment for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of buildings.

These means of production are called capital goods, because a certain amount of capital is invested. Much of those production machines require regular maintenance, which becomes supplied specialized companies in the machine industry.

On the other end the machinery industry supplies consumer goods, including kitchen appliances, refrigerators, washers, dryers and a like. Production of radio and television, however, is generally considered belonging to the electrical equipment industry. The machinery industry itself is a major customer of the steel industry.