Balluff hosts Manufacturing Day event at U.S. headquarters
By Canadian Packaging staff
Automation Balluff GmbH Balluff Inc. Deloitte Manufacturing Day 2016 Manufacturing Institute Purdue University STEM education TECHFIT The College of CharlestonOver 200 students and community members take part in event meant to inspire the next generation of talent in the manufacturing sector.
Florence, KY—Balluff Inc. hosted its second annual Manufacturing Day event on October 7, 2016.
Manufacturing Day is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers, to whit why over 200 students and local community members attended the event at the Florence, KY Balluff facility to learn more about modern manufacturing and automation.
The event included several popular hands-on activities and games which provided first-hand experience for kids and adults to learn how sensors and automation work to improve manufacturing outcomes. Visitors also experienced automation in action firsthand in the Balluff Demo Van equipped with the latest automation solutions and toured Balluff’s semi-automated warehouse and electronic assembly facility.
“As a part of the manufacturing industry we struggle and we see our customers struggle with a growing skills gap,” states Balluff strategic marketing manager Will Healy III. “By 2025 Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute predict there will be a two million job skills gap in the manufacturing workforce due to multiple factors including baby boomer retirements, strength of the economy, attractiveness of industry and increase in skilled positions.”
Shannan Topolski attended the event and shared, “It was educational, informative, and fun. The best of Manufacturing Day was my son being able to experience first-hand the importance of STEM (“Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education .”
Balluff president and chief executive officer Tony Canonaco says, “Our purpose in hosting this visit is to help share the wonders of advanced manufacturing technologies and educate students on the possible career opportunities available in the manufacturing market.
He continues, “We hope everyone that attended walked away with an understanding of how important manufacturing is for the people of the U.S. and especially for our home state of Kentucky.”
Adds Healy: ”We feel there is a need to participate in building excitement for manufacturing and the opportunities it can provide for future generations, so we regularly encourage and support STEM initiatives locally and regionally with a focus on manufacturing opportunities.”
Balluff supports several other STEM initiatives for students in the local community and participates in TECHFIT (Teaching Engineering Concepts to Harness Future Innovators and Technologists) programs at Purdue University and The College of Charleston. Balluff also supports educational opportunities with their student co-op programs, partnering with several local colleges and universities.
Manufacturing Day has become a national collective effort for manufacturers, employers, and educators to open their doors and demonstrate modern manufacturing technology. The event is also a way for manufacturers to define the many opportunities that exist in today’s manufacturing environments and why more individuals should consider pathways into manufacturing careers.
About Balluff Inc.
Balluff Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Balluff GmbH, Neuhausen, Germany, is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of inductive, photoelectric, vision, capacitive and magnetic sensors as well as linear position transducers, RFID (radio frequency identification) systems, and networking products. Balluff products for OEM (original equipment manufacturers) and factory floor solutions are used to control, regulate, automate, assemble, position, and monitor manufacturing, assembly, and packaging sequences for industries including: metalworking, automotive, plastics, material handling, wood processing, aerospace, alternative energy, medical, electrical, and electronics. For company information, visit www.balluff.us.
Advertisement
