Created during the 24th Century, IndustrialMechs revolutionized industry in the Terran Hegemony and, as time went on, beyond. The basic SalvageMech was one of the earliest designs created by Hegemony engineers to clean up industrial spills or other accidents. There have been many versions of the basic SalvageMech, but the most common Hegemony version is still the most common today.
         Fully-articulated salvage arms allow it to pick up wreckage, while welders allow it to break larger pieces into more easily-transported segments. Pumps in each arm allow it to vacuum up, or spray back out if needed, spilled liquids. Cargo bays in the torso can carry the salvage away, keeping the SalvageMech's hands and arms free to pick up more. A powerful searchlight is used to find salvage and can be tuned to emit multiple wavelengths to spot spills that are hard to detect under normal light. It also allows operations at night, keeping SalvageMechs in constant use if time is of the essence.
         Common throughout the Human Sphere, they are now most often used to clean up battle sites, and are generally ignored. In the few cases where they are attacked, power to the welders can be boosted to the point that they can damage a moving BattleMech. The tremendous heat these generate at full power though builds up in a short amount of time, making this a defense of last resort. Some cities also use SalvageMechs as FireMechs, filling the cargo bays with fire-fighting liquids or foam, and using the pumps to spray the offending fire into submission.