This mechanical equipment industry is comprised of establishments involved in industrial machinery and equipment including chainsaws, citrus processing machinery, conveyor systems, industrial cranes, derricks, industrial diesel engines, elevators, ladders, lift trucks, machine and machinists' tools, oil refining machines, packing machinery, industrial paint spray equipment, wood pulp manufacturing machinery, industrial pumps and pumping equipment, industrial sewing machines, shoe manufacturing and repairing machinery, smelting machinery, welding machinery, and winches.

While the U.S. economy is experiencing a slowdown, Europe is expected to remain stable, and Japan, the dominant net exporter of heavy machinery in the 1990s, is expected to recover. This means that opportunities for increased sales globally will continue in the years to come, and with reductions in tariffs and duty-free movement between mature markets, the heavy equipment industry has become more streamlined and competitive.

New technologies in the mechanical equipment industry focus on increased safety, comfort, and reliability. For heavy equipment, advancements include air conditioned cabins, automatic transmissions, engine monitoring systems, noise reduction, and GPS tracking systems for precision surveying. Some can even be programmed to repeat tasks or operate on driverless routes. Of course, these increased features require increases in training and certification for heavy equipment operators and companies alike.

Patent rights also encourage established manufacturers to invest in green technologies to improve existing product lines. These patented technologies cover a broad spectrum of inventions including hybrid and electric vehicles and solar and wind technologies.

>> To see examples of patents recently issued to protect mechanical engineering, systems & technologies inventions, click the above icon.

>> The IP professionals at HULSEY^IP possess a long and successful history in protecting, commercializing, and enforcing the IP rights of our clients in a broad array of mechanical technologies, as well as experience is a variety of mechanical and electro-mechanical. To see a selection of patents and patent applications prepared and prosecuted by us over the years, click the above icon.