WEST Session: Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing nearly every industry—but many manufacturing operations are still missing out. Over the past five years, a growing divide has emerged. Some manufacturers are embracing Industry 4.0 and reaping the rewards. Others remain stuck—struggling with disconnected machines, underutilized data, and manual workflows that slow down operations. From isolated systems to paper-based logs, the American manufacturing sector often lacks the connectivity required to stay competitive in a global market. So what needs to change? The first step is breaking down data silos. To enable true Industry 4.0 capabilities, manufacturers must connect the factory floor with IT systems like ERP, MES, and WES. This connectivity lays the groundwork for advanced capabilities like predictive maintenance—where machine learning models monitor operations, learn normal patterns, and predict failures before they happen. It's also about integrating design and execution. Bridging CAD and CAM systems directly to production equipment eliminates manual recipe entry and reduces errors. By creating a unified namespace, manufacturers can abstract away proprietary device protocols and enable seamless communication between all components in the process. And this is where AI truly shines. With a connected infrastructure and unified data model, manufacturers can build digital twins—virtual representations of their production environments. These models power real-time optimization, simulation, and automation in ways that were once unimaginable. This talk presents real examples, practical steps, and the mindset shift required to modernize operations—so manufacturers don’t just keep up with Industry 4.0, but lead it.
