We explain what a technical system is and what function it has. Also, how it is composed and some examples. Technical system of units.
What is a technical system?
A technical system is understood to be a complex mechanism of actions intentionally oriented towards the transformation, control or transportation of some type of specific objects using physical entities and human agents, to achieve a determined result considered valuable.
Technical systems are part of the daily life of humanity and fulfill various economic, logistical, political and even social tasks. For this, the interrelation or interconnection between the various elements that make up the system is vital. If there is good communication between them, there is a greater chance that the final task will be successful.
Technical systems are distinguished from artifacts in their degree of autonomy and automation, since the former require human agents to operate.
See also: Information system
Components of a technical system
Every technical system has the following types of components, often used as categories for process analysis:
- Material components This category includes the raw material essential to start the process, the energy applied in its transformation and the technical equipment (technology) that allows working on it.
- Agent components The people involved in the process, who provide it with culture, values, skills and knowledge, and play a vital role in their interaction with the system, such as operators, supervisors, regulators, controllers, etc.
- System structure Here reference is made to the specific way in which the other components of a system are arranged and interconnected. Based on this, it is possible to identify two types of process: management and transformation. The former exercise control over the process, while the latter are the ones who actually carry out the work.
- Results The results are the objects and actions obtained at the end of the process, whether they are desired (successful process) or not. It is possible that two technical systems that have similar components and structures provide different results.
Function of a technical system
Technical systems can have any type of function, based on three categories:
- Transformation A raw material is taken and subjected to physical, chemical or other change processes, and a different product is obtained.
- Transport A material (raw or processed) is received and positioned in other places according to a specific distribution or marketing plan.
- Control Another process is taken into account as an initial input and is controlled or managed from its beginning to its end, resulting in its success, or its increase in effectiveness or performance.
Examples of technical system
A nuclear power plant:
- Material components Technological equipment for nuclear reaction treatment; enriched uranium as raw material; the territorial location on which to build the plant; lab coats and other daily work materials; radiation detectors for personnel and environments; the water to boil; turbines to generate electricity with water vapor.
- Agent components The different levels of human operators: technicians, cleaning staff, scientists, administrators, managers, operators, etc.
- Structure It includes a series of transformation processes of enriched uranium into radioactive elements, through a controlled atomic reaction that generates a lot of energy. This energy is transmitted to the water that boils and mobilizes the turbines. The waste must then be gathered, mobilized and disposed of appropriately.
- Results Energy and radioactive plutonium (toxic waste) in lead barrels.
A book distributor:
- Material components The books and publications that must be distributed to the different commercial headquarters in the city, as well as the essential transport vehicles to cover the distances quickly, the warehouse where all the printing material is received and the boxes to load it.
- Agent components Warehouse operators, transporters, administrators and supervising managers.
- Structure The material is received in massive packages and divided into smaller sets destined for each of the specific sales centers. Then they are sent to you and the entire operation is recorded in receipt formats.
- Results The books available in each bookstore.
Technical System of Units
A technical system of units consists of a methodology for measuring magnitudes of some kind made up of fundamental units and a proportion and convertibility relationship between them.
There are several systems of this type, although The most accepted is the so-called International System of Weights and Measures (SI) or metric-decimal system. In this, kilograms are used to measure mass, the meter or centimeter to measure length, the second as a unit of time, the kilogram-force or kilopond as a unit of force and the calorie as a unit of heat. This is based on the Earth's gravitational attraction, which is why it is sometimes called the gravitational system or the Earth's system of units.