In ancient hydraulic machinery, there were downstroke or upstroke turbines (water mills), windmills and turbines. The horizontal downdraft turbine was improved from the early water mill and has been used as the power for mining, crushing and smelting in the 12 and 13 centuries. After improvement, this turbine developed into a large updraft turbine in the14th century, which was used to lift ore. During this period, great progress has been made in hydraulic utilization in western Europe, and the number of turbine workshops has increased rapidly.

From 1500 to 1750, mechanical technology has developed very rapidly. The progress in materials is mainly manifested in the use of steel, especially pig iron, instead of wood to manufacture machines, instruments and tools. At the same time, in order to solve the transportation problem in mining, Britain developed horse-drawn rail cars around 1770. Wooden railings were first used, and later they were replaced by railings.

Water pumps were also developed during this period, mainly used to solve the problems of mine drainage and urban water supply at that time, including mine drainage pumps, forward rotation pumps (1588) and centrifugal pumps (1689).

At this time, Italy invented the hydraulic air compressor (commonly known as water bellows), which can be used as a blower for steelmaking instead of the old-fashioned leather tiger. 1759 Large blowers appear again. Wind-driven machinery, such as windmills, has been widely used and its number has increased. There are thousands in Britain alone, which are used for grinding, pumping water and sawing wood.

During this period, engineering science was born in Europe. Many scientists, such as Newton, Galileo, Leibniz, Boyle and Hooke, have laid various theoretical foundations for this new science.