Happy National Manufacturing Day!
National Manufacturing Day is a planned annual event to celebrate the progress of modern manufacturing. National Manufacturing Day is officially held on the first Friday in October. However, as manufacturers say, “Any day of the year can be Manufacturing Day.”
For 2017, National Manufacturing Day will take place on Oct. 6. This day is designed to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Manufacturing companies and community organizations join to hold free events, hosted by national sponsors, producers and co-producers. 1
History
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie created the first official Manufacturing Day in 2012. In its earlier inception, this event had been held mainly on the East Coast, until former President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation in 2014, making it National Manufacturing Day.
Manufacturing Day design
This national industrial event is designed to give a voice to individual manufacturers within a collective effort who share common challenges. National Manufacturing Day allows manufacturers to come together to educate Americans on how they create the goods and products we use daily, and how manufacturing helps our economy to grow. Leaders educate the public about how manufacturing creates jobs and produces competition, revitalizing the American economy.
Americans are rapidly developing products and introducing new technologies that continue to increase our economic standing. Celebrating National Manufacturing Day profiles those who proudly stand behind our goods and services and to celebrate our success.
More than 2,000 American manufacturers invite the public, government figures, educators, and students to support them in their work to inspire our young people to seek a career in engineering and manufacturing.
The manufacturing industry believes that encouraging the next generation to study technology, science, engineering, and math will inspire the next generation in manufacturing technology, and harness its potential as an economic imperative.
NASA and Whirlpool celebrations
In 2016, NASA celebrated this event by introducing attendees to its Technology Demonstration Missions in the Space Technology Mission Directorate. This enterprise seeks to develop innovative technologies to help make space travel more affordable.
NASA has deep roots in advanced manufacturing innovations for all of its missions. NASA leads its event attendees through their robotic exploration studies, laser additive manufacturing, their 3D printer development, the first ever 5.5-meter diameter Composite Cryogenic Propellant Tank, and a partial bulk metallic glass gearbox designed for next generation rovers.
Whirlpool hosts its National Manufacturing Day event by showing attendees how they can take a 14,000 roll of steel and transform it into cooking products through the use of robotics, advanced technology, and skilled workers. Shaw Industries provides a chemistry demonstration to show how they can convert raw materials into finished product, like indoor and outdoor turf.
National Manufacturing Day educational efforts
National Manufacturing Day helps the manufacturing industry to inform registered attendees about how each company works. Celebrating this day, also gives manufacturers an opportunity to address skilled labor shortage issues, connect with the next generation, and explain why manufacturing must continue to be supported.
Manufacturers place an emphasis on educators to encourage their students to consider a career in manufacturing as engineers, designers, electricians, and data scientists. Only with the next generation can manufacturing remain a global, economic power.