Dayton Engineer

By Adrienne Zandvoort '19, communications intern

Since 2012, MFG DAY has celebrated modern developments in manufacturing. This nationally recognized event also spreads awareness of manufacturing opportunities within engineering.

Again this year, the Department of Engineering Management, Systems & Technology (EMST) partnered with the Dayton Regional Manufacturers Association to host their annual manufacturing symposium as part of MFG DAY.  

Students were shuttled from UD's RecPlex to the city of Dayton's Convention Center, where they entered an arena packed with vendors. The event provided students with an opportunity to explore careers in manufacturing while connecting classroom learning to professional skill sets.

“While classes and transportation can pose a challenge, more than 60 students along with other faculty and professionals came over for the symposium,” said Mark Diller, professor of practice in EMST.  “The speaker lineup was excellent and demonstrated the world-class manufacturing opportunities in the Dayton region.”  Diller said that Dayton began celebrating MFG DAY through this symposium a few years ago with comparable goals in mind.

The theme of MFG DAY this year was automation and robotics. UD actively participated by inviting industry experts to engage with students on this year’s topic. The Dayton Convention Center had exhibitions, machines and automation centers on display.  Each booth served Halloween candy alongside demos, automation and robots to attract potential partners.  

"The Manufacturing Symposium was an excellent opportunity to see current trends in manufacturing and automation," said James Tinch, a senior mechanical engineering technology student.

Manufacturing companies across Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio attend the event to display their innovations and new models. Hundreds of manufacturing professionals were on hand to  promote their products and make new business connections.  

“It was our pleasure to participate and, hopefully, inspire some future participants in welding automation,” said Gord Attridge, business director at Production Design Services, Inc.

The School of Engineering encourages its students to attend events like AMTS to further their education and promote networking opportunities.