thumb|right|This water-powered mine hoist was used for raising ore. This woodblock is from De re metallica by Georg Bauer (Latinized name Georgius Agricola, ), an early mining textbook that contains numerous drawings and descriptions of mining equipment. Mechanization (or mechanisation in BE) is providing human operators with machinery that assists them with the muscular requirements of work or displaces muscular work. In some fields, mechanization includes the use of hand tools. In modern usage, such as in engineering or economics, mechanization implies machinery more complex than hand tools and would not include simple devices such as an un-geared horse or donkey mill. Devices that cause speed changes or changes to or from reciprocating to rotary motion, using means such as gears, pulleys or sheaves and belts, shafts, cams and cranks, usually are considered machines. After electrification, when most small machinery was no longer hand powered, mechanization was synonymous with motorized machines.Jerome (1934) gives the industry classification of machine tools as being "other than hand power". Beginning with the 1900 U.S. census, power use was part of the definition of a factory, distinguishing it from a workshop.
thumb|right|This water-p,owered mine hoist was used for raising ore. This woodblock is from De re metallica by Georg Bauer (Latinized name Georgius Agricola, ), an early mining textbook that contains numerous drawings and descriptions of mining equipment. Mechanization (or mechanisation in BE) is providing human operators with machinery that assists them with the muscular requirements of work or displaces muscular work. In some fields, mechanization includes the use of hand tools. In modern usage such as in engineering or economics, mechanization implies machinery more complex than hand tools and would not include simple devices such as an un-geared horse or donkey mill. Devices that cause speed changes or changes to or from reciprocating to rotary motion, using means such as gears, pulleys or sheaves and belts, shafts, cams and cranks, usually are considered machines. After electrification when most small machinery was no longer hand powered, mechanization was synonymous with motorized machines.Jerome (1934) gives the industry classification of machine tools as being "other than hand power". Beginning wi.th the 1900, U.S census, power use was part of the definition of a factory, distinguishing it from a workshop.