What Is Manufacturing Day?
“Held annually on the first Friday in October with events that continue throughout the month, MFG Day—Manufacturing Day—helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers, and community leaders. As manufacturers seek to fill 4 million high-skill, high-tech, and high-paying jobs over the next decade, MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.”
Evolution of Manufacturing
Manufacturing is evolving at an all-time high. The process of designing and manufacturing parts and products is rapidly changing. Traditional manufacturing has meant removing material through milling, machining, or carving. The evolution of manufacturing is additive manufacturing (AM). In contrast to conventional, additive manufacturing “uses data computer-aided-design (CAD) software or 3D object scanners to direct hardware to deposit material, layer upon layer, in precise geometric shapes,” according to General Electric. As the name suggests, additive manufacturing adds material when creating a part or product instead of removing it.
There are numerous benefits of additive manufacturing. Here are just a few:
- The company has complete customization of products and parts that go to the end user
- Lead time can be cut, which increases supply chain mobility
- No need to bulk order and guess the amount the end user will purchase, thus reducing waste and costs
- The company can prototype more successfully and print a new product with every advancement of the project or tweak in software
- Simplifies logistics and lowers carbon footprint
DIT-MCO’s Evolution
DIT-MCO is no different when it comes to the evolution of manufacturing. We are currently transitioning in how we manufacture parts and products.
While we are only beginning to use AM, we have already implemented 3D printing for several applications. We have several 3D printers (the largest being a Peopoly XXL), which are ideal for higher-volume products and extra-large items. We also have a Mars Elegoo model for our smaller printing needs. We 3D print the prototype of PinMate, our guided-wire insertion tool, the Continuity Test Probe, various custom parts for assemblies, and a few other custom parts, such as prototype enclosures, custom fixtures, etc.
We are happy to have an excellent team at DIT-MCO that can take us into the new manufacturing age. We work on many exciting projects and products daily, and we couldn’t do that without our great team. We are eager for the future of manufacturing and for DIT-MCO to continue playing our part as a leader in the wiring test solutions industry.
