In 1709 Abraham Darby developed a method of producing high-grade iron in a blast furnace fuelled by coke rather than charcoal, which was a major step forward in the production of iron as a raw material. Further developments in iron making during the 18th century - most notably new techniques of potting and stamping and Henry Cort's puddling process - and the resulting decrease in cost of iron and steel made possible many of the major changes in manufacturing, production and transportation that played such a central role in the Industrial Revolution.