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Speaker at WEST: Nat Frampton, Co-Founder, LECS Energy, LLC

Speaker at WEST: Brian Ellis, Founder, Docket

WEST Session: Your next efficiency breakthrough isn't hiding in a machine learning algorithm. It's walking around your shop floor right now. While manufacturing obsesses over AI, 85% of operations still depend on human expertise. The CNC programmer who knows exactly when to adjust spindle speeds. The veteran welder who spots perfect joints in seconds. The setup technician whose alignment cuts cycle times. These operators don't just run your processes, they've mastered them. They hold the institutional knowledge that separates good production from great production. But your systems can't see what they know, creating a costly blind spot. Mid-market manufacturers nationwide face the same challenge: valuable knowledge trapped in individual heads instead of being scaled digitally. The result is lost efficiency because operator expertise can’t integrate with core systems. Companies overcoming this aren’t layering more machine learning. They’re building systems that amplify human intelligence. They digitize workflows, connect teams to real-time data, and create interfaces designed around how operators think and work, not the other way around. In this session, Docket will reveal how shop floor digitization platforms close the gap between operator expertise and digital execution. You’ll gain practical insights into smart manufacturing systems that support your frontline, enabling faster setups, higher accuracy, and smoother production. At a time when manufacturers chase the next big overhaul, don’t overlook the team that got you here. The goal isn’t replacing human insight, it’s designing systems that can multiply it.

Speaker at WEST: Sean Ramirez, CEO, Tera Engineering

WEST Session: Brought to you by SME

WEST Session: This session explores how connected manufacturing processes can unify production, inventory, scheduling, and financial data into a single, real-time source of truth. By integrating critical business functions—from sales orders to production planning, quality control, and shipping—manufacturers can break down silos, eliminate redundant processes, and improve responsiveness to market changes. With access to accurate and timely information, decision-makers gain the visibility needed to identify bottlenecks, reduce errors, and optimize resource allocation. Attendees will learn how adopting a connected approach not only increases efficiency and collaboration but also positions manufacturers to adapt quickly to evolving customer demands and market conditions, ensuring long-term competitiveness and growth.

Speaker at WEST: John Eide, Founder and President, Verx Corporation

Speaker at WEST: Al Youngwerth, CTO, VersaBuilt

WEST Session: As manufacturers strive to improve machine utilization, reduce downtime, and address workforce shortages, robotic CNC machine tending has become a critical automation strategy. Advances in robotic platforms and machine-tending technologies now enable shops of all sizes to increase throughput while maintaining consistent quality in competitive markets. In this session, Verx Corporation—a FANUC Robotics Authorized System Integrator and full-service distributor for VersaBuilt —will introduce the fundamentals of robotic CNC machine tending. Attendees will gain a framework for understanding how system components—robots, grippers, workholding, and operator interfaces—work together in collaborative applications. Following this introduction, VersaBuilt will highlight key challenges and solutions specific to CNC machine tending. Topics will include gripping strategies for varied parts and high-mix applications, simplified integration methods that reduce operator complexity while improving reliability, and how VersaBuilt’s MultiGrip, DuoGrip, and Zero Point (ZPS) Automation Systems leverage FANUC CRX robots to deliver scalable automation to a broader range of manufacturers.   The session will conclude with a live Q&A, giving participants the opportunity to connect these insights with their own manufacturing challenges. Attendees will leave with both a strong conceptual foundation and practical examples for addressing common barriers in robotic machine tending.

WEST Session: Join Randy Eickhoff as he breaks down powerful tools that can significantly accelerate depreciation and boost cash flow for manufacturers, facility owners, and real estate investors. This session will cover cost segregation studies, the Section 179D energy efficiency deduction, and Section 179 expensing. With an eye on current IRS positions and pending legislation, Randy will explain how to align tax strategy with capital planning to optimize your bottom line. Expect actionable takeaways tailored for SMEs investing in new buildings, equipment, and improvements.