The machine industry is a sub-sector 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 specialised 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.

 

The production of the machinery industry varies widely from single-unit production and series production to mass production.[1] Single-unit production is about constructing unique products, which are specified in specific customer requirements. Due to modular design such devices and machines can often be manufactured in small series, which significantly reduces the costs. From a certain stage in the production, the specific customer requirements are build in, and the unique product is created.