WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –National Manufacturing Day carries special significance for Purdue University as it marks the founding of the pioneering Manufacturing and Materials Research Laboratories (MMRL).
MMRL represents a transformative initiative, bringing together 10 faculty members, particularly emerging national leaders, from diverse engineering disciplines, including industrial, materials, mechanical, and nuclear engineering. The purpose of this collaboration is to advance manufacturing research, secure funding, and foster industry partnerships, with additional disciplines anticipated to join in the future.
Arvind Raman, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering and Robert V. Adams Professor in Mechanical Engineering, described MMRL as an “umbrella” organization that will house experimental facilities for physical domain manufacturing. This approach is designed to strengthen the university’s ties with industry partners and federal agencies, enabling collaborative endeavors leading to federal funding, industry alliances, and workforce development.
Moreover, MMRL will play a pivotal role in education and workforce development by offering interdisciplinary manufacturing-related professional master’s degrees, executive education programs, and undergraduate minors and certificates. The initiative aims to bolster Purdue’s intellectual property portfolio in manufacturing science and engineering, industrial innovations, and expedite technology commercialization.
The state-of-the-art collaborative working environment is expected to attract top talent, including faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, to the College of Engineering.
Ajay Malshe, the inaugural director of MMRL and the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, emphasized the vital role of manufacturing and operations in the commerce and security of the United States. He noted that Purdue, situated at the geographical crossroads of America, is strategically positioned to establish advanced infrastructure like MMRL in physical manufacturing, which complements digital and sustainable manufacturing. This is mission-critical for leading the nation and forging coalitions, considering Indiana’s high density of manufacturing industries.
National Manufacturing Day, celebrated on the first Friday of every October, serves as a platform to showcase the manufacturing sector and its career opportunities to students, parents, and the public. The event was initiated by the Manufacturing USA Institutes, created in 2014 to strengthen U.S. manufacturing resilience and competitiveness and build a robust national manufacturing R&D base.
MMRL, focusing on manufacturing research and experimentation, stands as one of the initial outcomes of Purdue’s eXcellence in Manufacturing and Operations (XMO) initiative. XMO is a collaboration between the College of Engineering, the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, the College of Agriculture, and the College of Science, rooted in Purdue’s longstanding commitment to innovative manufacturing.
XMO is co-chaired by Ajay Malshe and Stephan Biller, the Harold T. Amrine Distinguished Professor in the Purdue School of Industrial Engineering and Purdue’s Daniels School of Business. Biller highlighted ongoing digital manufacturing efforts at the Dauch Center for the Management of Manufacturing Enterprises as an example of work that complements MMRL’s mission.
Purdue University is dedicated to leading a resurgence in U.S. manufacturing and operations and enhancing resilience through pioneering advancements in various sectors, including semiconductors, aerospace, defense, transportation, agriculture and food biomanufacturing, and healthcare.
XMO and MMRL are integral components of this resurgence in U.S. manufacturing, logistics, and supply chains, reflecting the nation’s renewed commitment to revitalizing its industrial legacy by uniting physical, digital, and sustainable manufacturing into a resilient, sustainable ecosystem that safeguards jobs and national security.