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Boulton & Watt
Defunct British engineering firm (1775–1895) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boulton & Watt was an early British engineering and manufacturing firm. They were very significant in the early industrial revolution. The partners were the English manufacturer Matthew Boulton and the Scottish engineer James Watt.
Company type | General partnership |
---|---|
Industry | Engineering |
Founded | Birmingham, England (1775) |
Founder | Matthew Boulton and James Watt |
Defunct | c. 1895 |
Key people | Matthew Boulton James Watt William Murdoch |
Products | Steam engines (stationary and marine) |
Services | Engineering consulting |
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The firm designed and made marine and stationary steam engines. It was founded in the English West Midlands around Birmingham in 1775, and grew to be a major producer of steam engines in the 19th century.
The Boulton and Watt steam engine was the first to use steam at above atmospheric pressure. This was a great step in the development of the steam engine. Watt's invention was a key point in the Industrial Revolution. Their engines were used for pumping water in canals, mines, and waterworks, and for driving machines.