Manufacturing Day… every day: Design & Engineering

The mood of MFG Day, the annual celebration of U.S. manufacturing that took place Oct. 6, doesn’t cease after the plant tours and information sessions end and the participating students, parents and educators head home.

“MFG Day is more than a one-time event,” said Dave Tilstone, president of the National Tooling and Machining Association. “The spirit of MFG Day lives on throughout the year. We know that the more people learn about modern manufacturing, the easier it will be to recruit the workforce our industry needs to remain competitive for
the future.”

One program NTMA employs to attract young people to the industry and keep them engaged in manufacturing is its National Robotics League, Tilstone said. Students at junior high schools, high schools, tech schools and occasionally junior colleges design and build 15-lb. (6.8kg) robots for battle. “They are competitive robots that fight to the finish,” he said. “It really lights up the interest of the students when they see their robots and how they operate.”

Tim Golling of Jergens Inc., Cleveland, leads a panel discussion on MFG Day at the workholder manufacturer’s facility. Image courtesy of Jergens.

Tilstone added, “It’s a great way for young people to be exposed to the industry in a way that they find interesting and exciting.” In addition, it challenges them to draw on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects taugh in school.