Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC to host Manufacturing Day event Oct. 12

In celebration of Manufacturing Day 2018, Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC will open its doors on Oct. 12 to students from local career techs and high schools. Planned activities include tours of the facility, as well as equipment and product manufacturing demonstrations of machining, welding, brazing, and fabrication.

In addition, blueprints and work instructions will be provided for the students to assemble an item made from cut, bent, milled, and drilled sheet metal fabricated parts. Each student will leave with a gift bag that contains an F-15 fighter jet made from metal pieces cut by waterjet and slip-fitted together. The company developed and manufactures heat exchangers for the U.S. Air Force’s F-15 fighter jets.

“With the ever-increasing skills gap for manufacturing jobs, we want to get young people excited and educate them about manufacturing as a career choice,” said Mark Saffell, operations manager. “The average age of workers in the manufacturing sector, [according to] 2017 Oklahoma state data, is 45 years of age. Only 2 percent employed in manufacturing are under age 20, and 7 percent are under the age of 24. In the upcoming decade, this will leave a huge skills shortage gap. We hope opening up our doors to the local Oklahoma City community will encourage the younger generation into manufacturing careers.”

Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC is a manufacturer of heat transfer-related assemblies and other high-temperature sheet metal components for aerospace, military, and energy production customers.