Module 8 : The Renaissance Period & Industrial Design in Europe
  Lecture 19 : History of Science in the Renaissance; the Renaissance Technology Revolution
 

Communication is the most effective mechanism for governance in democratic society. Printing Technology has reinforced it and has proved to be the most powerful modes of communication media. The invention of modern printing press (plate 2A) during the Renaissance Period helped to lay down the foundation of a new era. Application of iron metal for various industrial productions became possible because of the major mining and metallurgical inventions. Following are some of the Renaissance technologies that led to innovations and improvements on existing techniques:

  • mining and metallurgy
  • blast furnace enabled iron to be produced in significant quantities
  • finery forge enabled pig iron (from the blast furnace) into bar iron (wrought iron)
  • slitting mill mechanized the production of iron rods for nail-making
  • smelt-mill increased the output of lead over previous methods (bole hill)

Metallurgical research and Mining, Blast Furnace and Finery Forge for making pig iron and wrought iron, Slitting mechanism for making iron rods and smelting are some of the techniques that laid the foundation for the future Industrial Revolution in Europe. All these technology aimed at mass scale production that is required for industrialization. Each step of advancement is raising new challenges for innovations and processing technology. The ‘crank’ and ‘connecting rod’ mechanism converts circular into reciprocal motion is of utmost importance for the mechanization of work processes. It is first attested for Roman water-powered sawmills. During the Renaissance Period application of the above two mechanisms helped them to develop large number of useful products. The concept of Water-pumping (plate 2B) based on Archimedes’ screw helped to extract water from the ground to upper level became industrially viable because of the both mechanism (‘crank’ and ‘connecting rod’). From an anonymous graphic manuscript from 1470s Renaissance, Italy the concept of parachute design is found that a free hanging is holding a crossbar frame attached to a conical canopy (plate 2C). It has the safety measure, four straps run from the ends of the rods to a waist belt. Parachute design became reality which certainly has long time effect for the future applications.