WESTEC News
Below you will find past news coverage on WESTEC, the leading West Coast Manufacturing event. For questions, or to submit a story email us at westec@sme.org.
Apr 14, 2022
Intel Launches Training Programs to Recruit Oregon Students for Chip Manufacturing
Grappling with a global shortage for skilled technology workers, Intel launched two new training programs Monday aimed at directing Oregon students toward careers in semiconductor production. One program is a…
Mar 30, 2022
Collaborative Robots in Manufacturing Drive Sustainability
Implementing collaborative robots in manufacturing plants is one way manufacturers can become more sustainable. Having sustainable operations is a long-term goal for many of these companies. Collaborative robots, also known…
Feb 16, 2022
UW-Amazon Science Hub Launched to Advance Innovation in Core Robotics and AI
Amazon and the University of Washington (UW) have joined forces to launch the UW-Amazon Science Hub to advance innovation in core robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and their applications.…
Jan 20, 2022
Oregon’s First 3D-printed Home Construction Set to Begin in 2022
The future of home building is coming to Oregon, but it’s not coming to Portland, Eugene, Salem, Bend or any other large metropolitan area. It’s coming to John Day. The…
Dec 10, 2021
Washington’s Moment to Shine in Offshore Wind Energy
A new industry is emerging in the U.S. that promises to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and create stable, living-wage careers, and Washington state has a prime opportunity to…
Nov 04, 2021
FANUC Features Its Easy-To-Use CRX Cobot and Factory Automation Solutions at WESTEC
FANUC America, the leading supplier of CNCs, robotics, and ROBOMACHINEs will feature its latest CRX collaborative robot and unique factory automation solutions at Westec, Nov. 16-18 in Long Beach, CA…
Nov 02, 2021
3D Printing Offers Outstanding Sustainability Benefits, While Also Avoiding Supply Chain Issues
Several startups are positioning 3D printing as the next, most-attractive sustainable, efficient and affordable option for home construction. The innovation is improving at warp speed, gathering the attention of some…
Oct 15, 2021
Merck Completes New Viral Vector Contract Development Manufacturing Facility for Gene Therapy
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the opening of its second Carlsbad, California-based facility, significantly expanding its global CDMO footprint. Read More
Aug 04, 2021
Manufacturing – Powered by Nature
A team of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory demonstrated the ability to additively manufacture power poles from bioderived and recycled materials, which could more quickly restore electricity after natural…
Jul 23, 2021
CAES Rolls Out Aerospace, Defense Apprenticeship Program in California
CAES has launched an apprenticeship program in San Jose, California, in an effort to help advance the manufacturing workforce of Silicon Valley and ensure a pipeline of highly skilled technicians. The trainees of…
Jul 06, 2021
California Manufacturing Leading Aerospace and Green Industries
California manufacturing has long been ahead of the curve. From autonomous transportation to sustainable solutions, California is continuing to evolve and elevate advanced manufacturing. With cities like Long Beach and…
May 19, 2021
How Digital Transformation Enables Greater Sustainability
The norm in manufacturing has changed dramatically. While remote collaboration was concentrated to a small number of teams and sectors in the design and make space, it quickly developed into…
Apr 26, 2021
Pacific Manufacturing Trends
Pacific manufacturing is cutting edge, often pioneering technology before it dominates the manufacturing industry. The current wave of the industrial revolution – Industry 4.0, proves why the adoption of technology…
Mar 19, 2021
Nalgene Outdoor Increases Its Commitment to Manufacturing with Recycled Materials
Nalgene Outdoor, maker of reusable water bottles, today announced a significant increase to its commitment to manufacturing with recycled materials. By the end of 2021, Nalgene will strive to convert…
Mar 15, 2021
Cobots: The Future of Collaboration
Robotics and automation isn’t new in the world of manufacturing, but the world of collaborative robots, or Cobots, are quickly gaining traction as the future of the industry. Robots are…
Feb 03, 2021
Forbes Energy Awards 2020: NextEra Energy, Bigger Than Exxon, Greener Than Tesla
After a year of endless disasters, distractions and sub-zero oil prices, it’s time to look back at the people and companies that defined the energy sector in 2020. You will…
Aug 15, 2020
Why America is running out of aluminum cans
A shortage of one of the most mundane items in daily life -- the humble aluminum can -- means beer fans are likely to find that some of their favorite…
Jul 15, 2020
Tesla May Temporarily Shut Down Its California Factory Soon
While the possibility of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) building a new factory in Texas is gaining traction, the automaker is also focused on its current U.S. facility in Fremont, California. Electrek.co, a website that follows the…
Jun 15, 2020
Manufacturing is big business in San Jose, and it’s ready to get back to work
Virag Saksena’s whisky, which he makes at 10th Street Distillery in San Jose, is sitting in barrels ready to bottle, but his hands have been tied for months due to…
Apr 15, 2020
Vehicle Emissions Have Dropped, But The Effect On SoCal’s Air Is Complicated
You don't need us to tell you that Los Angeles' skies are cleaner and clearer right now as the COVID-19 pandemic has the majority of us staying in our homes…
Mar 15, 2020
Southern California is a leader in electric vehicle industry, report says
California leads the nation in the design, manufacturing and adoption of electric vehicles, with Southern California playing an important role, according to the report released this week by the Los…
Feb 14, 2020
Coronavirus Impact: How To Prepare Your Supply Chain
Today’s supply chain is global. Prior to 2020, supply chain leaders laughed when they said, “When local supply chains sneeze the global process catches a cold.” The severe contagious disease outbreak known…
Jan 15, 2020
2019 California Manufacturing Facts
Manufacturers in California account for 10.67% of the total output in the state, employing 7.72% of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was $316.76 billion in 2018. In addition, there…
Oct 01, 2019
California’s Manufacturing Sector is Truly ‘Golden’
There’s a good reason that WESTEC, a trade show and conference produced by SME and AMT—The Association for Manufacturing Technology, takes place in Southern California every other year. California, the…
Sep 12, 2019
WESTEC – First-Hand Insight into the Latest Technologies Revolutionizing the Industrial Sector
WESTEC, produced by SME and AMT, is an industry-leading west coast manufacturing trade show. As a biennial event, in 2017, WESTEC attracted over 10,000 guests and 428 exhibitors. This year WESTEC…
Sep 12, 2019
Manufacturing Technology Series: Great location + perfect timing = can’t-miss events
“Location, location, location.” “Timing is everything.” We most often use these maxims in relation to the real estate business, but they also apply to the manufacturing industry in general and…
Sep 06, 2019
How Manufacturers Save Time and Money with WISER Systems’ Micro-Location
This is a guest blog written for WESTEC by WISER Systems Losing things is a universal problem. What’s worse, lost assets usually mean lost money for manufacturers of every kind.…
Aug 01, 2019
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence Division Selects Greater Toronto Area for New Canadian Headquarters
North Kingstown, RI – July 30, 2019 – Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division announced it has selected the Greater Toronto Area for the site of its new Canadian headquarters in Oakville,…
Jul 24, 2019
West Coast Manufacturing: Surfing a Wave of Prosperity
The West Coast is known for many things, including Hollywood movies, juicy oranges, sandy beaches, snow-capped mountains, redwood forests, a rugged coastline, crashing surf and thousands of wineries. West Coast…
Jul 02, 2019
Smart Manufacturing: It’s Time to Get Smart
With all the changes in technology over the past 20 years, many buzz words and phrases have arisen. “Smart manufacturing” is one of them, and it’s got a definite “wow”…
Jun 24, 2019
Want to see California on the rise? Look inland
What comes to mind when you think of California? Is it Hollywood or Silicon Valley? Disneyland, perhaps? Conventional narratives about California have long focused on the areas closest to its…
May 23, 2019
First 3D-Printed Car Marks Manufacturing Milestone
To see the first 3D-printed car may be something you never thought you would do in your lifetime. Looking back, who would have thought when the first mass-produced Ford Model…
Apr 11, 2019
Skilled Trades: Enhancing the Talent Pipeline with SME PRIME
By now we’ve all heard about the impending skills gap in manufacturing — and how the combination of baby boomer retirements, economic expansion and new technology will likely cause some 2…
Oct 04, 2018
How Do Ambitious Climate Pledges Impact Economic Growth? For Insight, Compare Texas And California.
Compared to other places, like Texas – known for its oil and gas production – California’s economy is performing better on most measures, showing that it is entirely possible to…
Sep 05, 2018
Renishaw Opens Additive Manufacturing Demo Center in California
Advanced metal additive manufacturing systems manufacturer Renishaw (West Dundee, IL) opened a new Additive Manufacturing Demonstration Center in Newbury Park, CA. Working in collaboration with Ibex Engineering (Newbury Park, CA), the Demonstration Center is…
Jun 08, 2018
The Virtuous Cycle of Closed-Loop Manufacturing
Closed-loop manufacturing is a strategy for increasing revenue and reducing costs that relies on data from all parts of an organization. The data is used to inform development teams of…
Oct 09, 2017
Over-the-Air Software Updates Beckon in AM, Just Beyond Cultural Hurdles
LOS ANGELES—In the “factory of the future,” manufacturers will adopt over-the-air software upgrades used by Carbon and Tesla as the modus operandi, Carbon CEO Joe DeSimone said yesterday at the…
Oct 09, 2017
Participa Estado en Westec 2017
Con los objetivos de promover la economía y de atraer proveedoras de procesos especiales a Baja California, promotores del Gobierno del Estado participaron en el evento Westec 2017, el cual…
Oct 08, 2017
CNC Provides High-Speed Machining with Accurate Surface Finishes
Westec 2017: The Fagor 8065 CNC is designed for high-performance applications and equipped with features for high-speed machining while maintaining accuracy and surface finish. The Fagor 8065 CNC is designed…
Oct 05, 2017
Software’s AM Module Simulates Hybrid Manufacturing Processes
Westec 2017: CGTech will demonstrate the newest version of its CNC machine simulation, verification and optimization software, Vericut 8.1. CGTech will demonstrate the newest version of its CNC machine simulation,…
Oct 05, 2017
Control & Simulation Software Enables Intelligent Robots
Reiterating again that software is the heart and ‘soul’ of artificial intelligence (AI), the equally largest part of AI is robotics. The two go together like orange and chocolate. Energid…
Oct 05, 2017
Manufacturing’s Future is Bright at WESTEC 2017
WESTEC 2017 — the premier West Coast manufacturing event — opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. WESTEC showcases the latest in…
Oct 05, 2017
What We Learned at WESTEC 2017
Westec offered a useful mix of emerging technology and practical applications. This slide show reflects this mix in its eclectic coverage of what exhibitors had to offer. I can honestly…
Sep 08, 2017
Top 3 Downtime Killers
An exclusive blog for WESTEC 2017 from Shop Floor Automations (Booth 1935) The manufacturing industry is expensive. The fruits of our labor are not only costly, but so are the…
May 05, 2017
An open letter to Apple: Manufacturing thanks you
Dear Tim Cook, On behalf of SME, thank you. Thank you for standing up for manufacturing. Thank you for investing your financial strength in the manufacturing industry that truly drives…
May 04, 2017
Digital Manufacturing Boosts Competitiveness
In a column for The Huffington Post (5/4, Holt, Contributor) Proto Labs President and CEO Vicki Holt writes that “for businesses looking to operate more efficiently and competitively, digital manufacturing…
Apr 20, 2017
2017 Trends for Manufacturing
Engineers and technologists are using technology to their advantage for projects in a number of fields such as Additive Manufacturing, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Automation and Robotics. Read full…
Apr 20, 2017
Tools for Managing Tools
Machinists today can create some of the most complex, efficient, and precise parts ever made. However, with precision comes complexity. This is especially true in the choice of cutting tools…
Jan 16, 2017
2017 Manufacturing Trends
There are many opportunities that lie ahead for the manufacturing industry. These include disruptive processes such as additive manufacturing and the internet of things as well as newly created materials…
Jan 04, 2017
America’s Job Center of California in Santa Clarita
America’s Job Center of California (AJCC), located at College of the Canyons, sees thousands of Santa Clarita residents come through its doors every year. Like hundreds across the county and…
Aug 13, 2016
SME AND AMT Announce Major Partnership
(CHICAGO, Sept. 13, 2016) – AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and SME have announced a major new partnership for a series of regional co-branded trade shows focused on the manufacturing technology…
