The event kicked off with an engaging keynote address from Ryan Patry, a Lockheed Martin Fellow in Manufacturing Technology at Sikorsky Aircraft in Connecticut. Patry shared insights from his work in advanced aerospace manufacturing and later led a panel discussion with four engineering students from RPI, representing mechanical and biomedical engineering disciplines.

Following the keynote and panel, students rotated through several hands-on lab tours in small groups. They explored cutting-edge facilities including the Mercer XLab, the Student Machine Shop, and the ProFab student-led fabrication space. Demonstrations in the high-bay robotics lab introduced them to advanced technologies such as wire-arc additive manufacturing, cold spray cells, and metal 3D printing using the state-of-the-art FormAlloy system.

Students were especially amazed by the newly opened Douglas A. Mercer ’77 Innovation and Exploration Lab, a hub for creative problem-solving and interdisciplinary collaboration. "It was like walking into the future," one student remarked.

By the end of the day, students left not only with smiles but with a deeper appreciation for modern manufacturing and its exciting possibilities.

“It was great to see the students so engaged and asking questions. You could tell they were really inspired,” chaperone Ms. Curry shared.

National Manufacturing Day aims to introduce students to the world of advanced manufacturing and engineering, and this visit made that mission a success.