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Speaker at WEST: Errol Burrell, National Product Manager, Matsuura USA

Speaker at WEST: George Barnych, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM)

WEST Session: Sponsored by: UiPath Moderated by: Paul Boris This panel brings together different perspectives, from a small, family-owned manufacturing company to one of the largest digital solutions providers, to discuss the deployment of advanced technologies and how the landscape continues to change rapidly.  Using AI to improve efficiency, automate tasks and analyze data allows manufacturers enhanced decision making and is even transforming entire industries.  AI is disrupting traditional thinking at an accelerated pace.  This panel will cover organizational factors/business considerations, technical challenges, skills/labor gaps, ethical considerations and other.

Speaker at WEST: Kevin Rankl, VP Tech Support, SolidCAM

Speaker at WEST: Brian Liles, Vice President, R&D, Cost Segregation &179D, CSSI-Specialty Tax Services

WEST Session: The R&D Tax Credit is a powerful federal incentive that rewards manufacturers for innovation in product design, process improvements, and new technologies. It directly reduces tax liability or payroll tax, freeing up cash to reinvest in equipment, workforce, and growth. Manufacturers often face challenges such as rising production costs, global competition, supply chain constraints, and the need to modernize with automation, robotics, and sustainable practices. The R&D Tax Credit helps offset these pressures by turning day-to-day problem-solving—like improving tooling, enhancing production efficiency, or developing prototypes—into measurable tax savings. To qualify, activities must pass the IRS “Four-Part Test”: seeking to resolve technical uncertainty, relying on science/engineering, involving experimentation, and aiming to improve a product or process. Eligible expenses include wages, materials consumed in development, and contractor costs. Two paths provide benefits: the Standard Credit , which reduces income taxes, and the Payroll Credit , which offsets up to $500,000 annually in employer payroll taxes—especially valuable for manufacturers reinvesting in growth. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025) restored immediate expensing of domestic R&D costs, eliminating the burdensome 5-year amortization. It also allows companies that capitalized expenses since 2022 to retroactively accelerate deductions. Strategies for manufacturers include building stronger documentation systems, aligning R&D tracking with engineering workflows, and leveraging tax planning to maximize credits year after year. Together, these updates give manufacturers powerful tools to manage costs, stay competitive, and invest confidently in new technologies.

Speaker at WEST: Guillermo Peregrino, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Aero Bending Company

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.