Manufacturing your future at Quinsigamond Community College's Manufacturing Day event

The National Association of Manufacturers is looking to once again get the word out about manufacturing careers and inspire the next generation of manufacturers through Manufacturing Day, a national public recognition day about today’s manufacturing, held annually since 2012 in early October.

Quinsigamond Community College will be participating in the nationwide  a Manufacturing Day event on Friday, October 6, from 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., for QCC students and the general public. The event is designed to highlight the vast manufacturing career opportunities available today, as well as showcase the array of manufacturing programs available at QCC.

The day will kick-off in Hebert Auditorium where attendees will view several brief videos of modern day manufacturing. They will also hear from Mike Ciprari, owner of SJC Drums in Southbridge, followed by a panel discussion with current QCC students and former QCC students, who are working in the manufacturing industry. Panelists herald from local companies such as: AKUITY Technologies, of Auburn; Hyde Tools, of Southbridge, and American Fabrication of Clinton.  

Immediately following the panel discussion manufacturing technology demonstrations will be held in the QuEST Center, the Advanced Manufacturing Lab and the Harrington Learning Center. QCC’s Fab Lab will also be showcased. This is an MIT-developed collaborative workspace that offers a networked maker space, which enables students to use a vast array of high tech tools; from digital printers and laser cutters, CAD design software; to design development and manufacturing products. Fab Labs are linked to a worldwide network enabling QCC students to participate in video conferences with other Fab Labs, sharing ideas and receiving technical assistance on projects with any Fab Lab participant in the world.

Attendees to QCC’s event can also witness hands-on robotics demonstrations and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) programs running mill and lathe programs; lasers performing precision cutting and Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) that test for accuracy. Employers from AKUITY Technologies, American Fabrication, Hyde Tools, Karl Storz Endovision, IPG Photonics and Saint-Gobain will also be stationed at different demonstration locations, discussing how the equipment is being used in their businesses.