MD&M Midwest

Advanced manufacturing technology is presented across aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, medical device equipment, and defense, spanning high-end manufacturing equipment, smart manufacturing, and robotic automation. Featured technologies include additive manufacturing; CAD, CAE, and CAM; industrial IoT and Industry 4.0; cybersecurity and digital transformation; materials and metallurgy; tooling and machining; factory automation, robotics, inspection, and machine vision; energy and environmental efficiency; and machine tools and fabrication. SME Mission Critical: Workforce 2030 is a featured experience focused on manufacturers’ workforce challenges and solutions intended to unlock human potential.

The program combines manufacturing exhibits with an executive perspectives keynote panel series and featured presentations across manufacturing disciplines. Exhibit and technology areas include automation, robotics, smart manufacturing, precision machining, additive manufacturing, software, industrial IoT, advanced materials, cybersecurity, and energy and environmental efficiency. The Smart Manufacturing Experience Knowledge Bars focus on advanced manufacturing technologies and how technology, innovation, and AI can help small and medium-sized manufacturers address technology adoption challenges. The event also features SME Mission Critical: Workforce 2030, focused on manufacturers’ workforce challenges, and the Bright Minds College Experience, with panels, roundtables, executive insights, peer learning, and hands-on exploration of manufacturing technologies.

The conference brings together engineers, designers, managers, and educators to exchange expertise, best practices, challenges, and application developments in additive manufacturing. The program includes keynote presentations, technical sessions, panel discussions, training sessions, hands-on workshops, the Technical Competition, the Innovators Showcase, and AMUGexpo. Tracks cover aerospace and defense applications such as flight-certified parts, satellite components, qualification, repair, and sustainment; automotive, infrastructure, energy, and battery applications; business topics including capital equipment, return on investment, market research, and mergers and acquisitions; and design, metrology, scanning, and in-situ monitoring. Other track areas include additive manufacturing education and standards; emerging technologies and research-to-industry translation; healthcare and dental applications; industrial automation, tooling, hybrid manufacturing, robotics, and digital thread; materials, powder recycling, feedstock innovation, heat treatment, and post-processing; manufacturing safety and cybersecurity; and simulation, AI, digital twins, and process optimization. Attendance is limited to individuals from organizations that directly own commercially available additive manufacturing equipment used in a professional environment.

The event features manufacturing, distribution, and supply-chain equipment and systems, hands-on demonstrations of equipment and technology, expert-led educational sessions, and in-person business connections. Featured keynote themes include the 2027 MHI Annual Industry Report, innovation at scale, and teamwork and leadership.

The event features exhibits in automation, robotics, smart manufacturing, precision machining, software, industrial IoT, and cybersecurity, alongside an executive keynote panel series and presentations, technology demonstrations, and interactive Knowledge Bars. The Knowledge Bars address how technology, innovation, and AI can help small and medium-sized manufacturers adopt technology. Featured technology areas also include additive manufacturing, advanced materials, digital transformation, energy and environmental efficiency, and manufacturing engineering. SME Mission Critical: Workforce 2030 focuses on manufacturers’ workforce challenges.

The first program day examines the move from automated processes toward intelligent, connected systems capable of decision-making, optimization, and adaptive control. Sessions cover programmable cloud laboratory nodes for AI materials and manufacturing, Sandia’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation, the Alabama Materials Institute, and an autonomous robotic metallurgist materials innovation platform. The program also connects self-driving and autonomous laboratory efforts associated with the Genesis Mission and Programmable Cloud Laboratories agendas to real-world applications, collaboration, and the future of autonomous manufacturing systems. An industry technology exhibition and demonstrations are included. The second program day explores Internet of Things for Manufacturing (IoTfM) use cases, implementation lessons, standards for connectivity and interoperability, and the future direction of IoTfM. Sessions address OPC UA, digital technologies and digital twins, factory-floor digital transformation, automation and additive manufacturing, manufacturing data, practical industrial IoT, and technologies shaping future factories. The program also includes advanced manufacturing pilot facility tour stations and demonstrations.

Exhibit areas include automation, robotics, smart manufacturing, precision machining, software solutions, industrial IoT, and cybersecurity. The Executive Perspectives series features panels with manufacturing-company executives and technology providers; Knowledge Bars cover advanced manufacturing technologies and how innovation and AI adoption can address technology challenges for small and midsize manufacturers. Other listed features include the SME Mission Critical: Workforce 2030 experience on manufacturers’ workforce challenges; a Pop Up Factory demonstrating an assembly and inspection workflow that captures data and connects apps, devices, and analytics; and a Corporate and Institutional Roundtable addressing the manufacturing skills gap, alignment between academic outcomes and workforce needs, and strategies for manufacturing’s future. The Bright Minds College Experience includes executive chats, student-led sessions, hands-on exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies, industry roundtables, and discussions about the manufacturing workforce.

The technical program covers semiconductor and electronic-device technology, design, manufacturing, physics, and modeling, including CMOS transistor technology, advanced memory, displays, sensors, MEMS, quantum and nanoscale devices, optoelectronics, power and energy-harvesting devices, and emerging material systems. Featured technical themes include AI-driven semiconductor scaling and system integration; memory technologies and system co-optimization; IDM manufacturing trends; chiplets, heterogeneous integration, and 3D stacking; AI and machine learning in physics-based semiconductor modeling; advanced-packaging reliability; cryogenic electronics for quantum computing; and optical devices for co-packaged optics and optical I/O. Short-course subjects include AI-era logic scaling, atomic-layer processing, HBM, NAND, spintronics, and memory-centric computing.

The event features exhibits in automation, robotics, smart manufacturing, precision machining, software solutions, industrial IoT, and cybersecurity. Its Executive Perspectives series is a thought-leadership panel program featuring manufacturing-company executives and technology providers; featured presentations cover diverse manufacturing disciplines. The Smart Manufacturing Experience includes exhibits on smart manufacturing and cybersecurity, plus Knowledge Bar conversations about advanced manufacturing technology, innovation, AI, and technology-adoption challenges for small and medium-sized manufacturers. SME Mission Critical: Workforce 2030 focuses on manufacturers’ workforce challenges.