Manufacturing Day (MFG Day)—organized nationally by The Manufacturing Institute—is manufacturing’s biggest annual opportunity to inspire the next generation about the industry and careers in modern manufacturing—and to say: “Creators Wanted.” MFG DAY was created to correct public perception and addresses many misperceptions by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing really is today. Launched annually on the first Friday in October, MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, and our industry partners, will celebrate the day with various in-person and virtual events. Check back to find a full list of activities. Also join the conversation or follow us on our Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages.

#MFGDay2020

Letter from the Energy Efficiency Deputy Assistant Secretary and AMO Deputy Director

Valri Lightner headshot & Alex Fitzsimmons headshot

Today, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) celebrates Manufacturing Day, when manufacturers across America inspire the next generation of skilled workers by showing the public what modern manufacturing looks like.

Manufacturing is fundamental to economic prosperity and national security in the United States. The industry is continuously improving as new technologies and innovations arise, creating opportunities for new product development, increased productivity, and more skilled jobs. It also remains resourceful and resilient despite the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bolstering domestic manufacturing is a top priority for the Trump Administration. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and AMO Deputy Director discuss how the Department of Energy is investing in new industrial technologies, materials, and processes to support the U.S. industrial base.

Read the full letter here.

The Faces of Modern Manufacturing

By Alex Fitzsimmons, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) supports research and development (R&D) in cutting-edge manufacturing technology that improves the energy efficiency, material productivity, and competitiveness of the American manufacturing sector.

These new technologies are not just improving plants and processes—they are shaping modern manufacturing careers. AMO’s education and workforce development initiatives span the office’s entire portfolio, promote regional economic development, and address the needs of community college students, graduate students, and workers currently employed in manufacturing.

Read the full blog here.

Events

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Around the Industry

The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) joins people across the country this Manufacturing Day in celebration of American manufacturing. Take a moment to click through examples of manufacturers who have partnered with AMO to advance innovative technologies, improve energy productivity, and help drive U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.

Meet the Manufacturers

Manufacturing Day 2020

1/18
Deputy Secretary of Energy, Mark Menezes, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Alex Fitzsimmons cut the ribbon on the expanded Materials Engineering Research Facility at Argonne National Laboratory.
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2/18
Glass manufacturers use high-performance computing to enable machine learning tools that can detect and correct for variations in glass furnaces in real-time. Photo Courtesy: Vitro Glass / LLNL
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3/18
An engineer monitors a feed control system for a new, energy efficient pilot process for producing ethylene, one of the most energy-intensive and commonly manufactured chemicals. Photo Courtesy: EcoCatalytic
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4/18
More than 1,400 new robots are a part of the body shop at General Motors’ Arlington Assembly plant. This facility was among the 25 GM plants that achieved DOE’s 50001 Ready status for implementing energy management systems. Photo Courtesy: GM Archive Photo
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5/18
The Enhanced Preparation for Intelligent Cybermanufacturing Systems (EPICS) program at Georgia Tech prototypes a face shield frame in response to COVID-19. EPICS prepares students for the next-generation of manufacturing careers. Photo Courtesy: Georgia Tech
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6/18
Carbon Fiber Technology Facility Director Merlin Theodore holds material meeting N95 specifications produced at the facility. The team developed process parameters for manufacturers to recalibrate melt-blown machines to address shortages. Photo Courtesy: ORNL
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7/18
Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility use metal additive manufacturing to create toolsets for reusable masks in response to COVID-19. Photo Courtesy: ORNL
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8/18
A student in the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program performs an energy assessment. The IACs, located at 31 universities around the country, provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers with recommendations to identify annual savings opportunities.
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9/18
Kevin O’Connor conducts R&D for technology that will improve energy storage performance and enable more compact devices with higher reliability through DOE’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node at Argonne National Laboratory. Photo Courtesy: ANL
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10/18
NEW Water achieved its Better Plants Challenge energy intensity reduction goal by implementing their Resource Recovery and Electrical Energy project, which replaced an existing solids handling facility and installing two anaerobic digesters to capture methane gas and produce electricity.
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11/18
Ford Motor Company won a 2020 Better Practice Award for innovative energy efficiency actions at their Dearborn Research and Engineering Campus Central Energy Plant, including real-time 3D modeling of energy systems.
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12/18
Undergraduate research assistant with equipment data visible on augmented reality Smart Glasses works on the Cyber-Physical Lab testbed at West Virginia University’s Smart Manufacturing Lab. Photo Courtesy: CESMII and Paige Nesbit
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13/18
University of Tennessee (UT) Assistant Professor of Architecture Maged Guerguis, left, and IACMI Institute Chief Technology Officer Uday Vaidya display the UT Shield in the IACMI-supported Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility on the UT campus in Knoxville. Photo Courtesy: IACMI
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14/18
Advanced Manufacturing Office Deputy Director Valri Lightner speaks with students and staff from the University of Illinois at Chicago at the school’s combined heat and power plant, which efficiently produces thermal energy and electricity for the campus. Photo Courtesy: University of Illinois, Chicago
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15/18
Researchers at DOE’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory worked with Dr. Peter Tsai, N95 material inventor, and used melt blowing to produce the filter that lines face masks and protects healthcare workers against COVID-19. Photo Courtesy: MDF
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16/18
A graduate student at Texas Tech calibrates a high current wide bandgap module test apparatus. By establishing an independent third party testing facility with funding from PowerAmerica, Texas Tech University and Group NIRE are working with companies to demonstrate long-term performance and enhancing end-user confidence in the reliability of wide bandgap devices. Photo Courtesy: PowerAmerica
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17/18
Project Manager Will Rice oversees the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Management 1 MW biogas-fueled engine-based combined heat and power (CHP) system, developed with technical support by the Southeast CHP Technical Assistance Partnership.
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18/18
Ikenna Nlebedim loads discarded hard disk drives into a specialized shredder that helps the Critical Materials Institute improve its patented, acid-free dissolution process that recovers high purity REE and Co from recycled e-waste with fewer steps. Photo Courtesy: Ames Lab
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Technician Excited About Career in Composites
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IACMI Institute – Knoxville, TN

The IACMI Institute Scale-up Research Facility (SuRF) located in Detroit, MI, is teaming up with Wayne RESA (Michigan), schools in the Detroit area, on October 2 for Manufacturing Day 2020. Students are not able to tour manufacturing plants this year due to the pandemic, so the team at IACMI and SuRF created this video.