Deutsch: Nutzenfunktion / Español: Utilidad (economía) / Português: Utilidade (economia) / Français: Utilité / Italiano: Utilità (economia)
In economics, utility is a representation of preferences over some set of goods and services. Preferences have a (continuous) utility representation so long as they are transitive, complete, and continuous. Utility is usually applied by economists in such constructs as the indifference curve, which plot the combination of commodities that an individual or a society would accept to maintain a given level of satisfaction.
In the industrial and industry context, "utility" refers to the services and resources that are necessary for the operation and maintenance of a facility, process, or system. They are often referred to as "support services" and are essential for the smooth running of an industrial or manufacturing operation.
Examples of utilities in industry include:
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Electricity: Electricity is used for power and lighting, as well as for powering equipment and machinery.
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Water: Water is used for cooling, cleaning, and various process applications in the manufacturing process.
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Natural gas: Natural gas is used as a fuel source for heating and power generation, as well as for various industrial processes such as drying, baking, and chemical reactions.
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Steam: Steam is used for heating and power generation, as well as for various industrial processes such as refining, sterilization, and distillation.
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Compressed air: Compressed air is used for power tools, pneumatic control systems, and various industrial processes such as packaging and blowing.
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Wastewater treatment: Wastewater treatment is necessary for the removal of pollutants and the discharge of clean water back into the environment.
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Cooling systems: Cooling systems are used to regulate temperatures and maintain optimal conditions for equipment and processes.
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Communication systems: Communication systems are used to connect employees, machinery, and equipment, and to transfer data and information between different parts of the facility.
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