98 MMS December 2017 mmsonline.com
BETTER PRODUCTION Shops Using Technology
M.R. MOLD AND
ENGINEERING
PROBLEM Manufacturing industry faces
lack of skilled workers
SOLUTION Participated in Manufacturing
Day Event
RESULTS Attracted hundreds of local
students to learn about the realities of
manufacturing careers
BY M AT T DA N FO R D
N
ational Taco Day. National Golf Lover's Day.
National Talk Like a Pirate Day. It seems like
there's an unofficial holiday for virtually everything,
many of which are downright silly. And yet, naming
a specific day to honor a specific area of interest
A Day Makes a Difference
in Changing Perceptions
can have a real impact, particularly when celebrat-
ing is about more than just marking the occasion
on a calendar.
Leave it to the manufacturers to make their
day a day of real action. Conceived in 2012 by
the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association,
I n te r n a ti o n a l ( F M A ) a n d p ro d u c e d a n n u a l l y
by the National Association of Manufacturers
(N A M) a n d th e M a nu fac tu r in g Insti tu te (MI),
Manufacturing Day is scheduled for the f irst
Graham Ballard, lead mold maker at M.R. Mold
and Engineering, shows visiting students a liquid
silicone rubber (LSR) part that was insert-molded in
two steps from the tool on the bench. LSR is a free-
flowing material that behaves very differently from
plastic, with molds requiring closer fits, tighter
gates and vents, vacuum sealing and more. (All
photos courtesy of M.R. Mold and Engineering).