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A reckoning is taking place at smaller job shops — the family-owned businesses that often lack the capital and internal resources to deploy high-end automation solutions. These shops, usually by necessity, rely on creativity, tribal knowledge and practicality to manage or improve shopfloor operations. But it seems clear that new technologies powered by artificial intelligence are driving automation in a way that we at Modern Machine Shop haven’t seen since the widespread adoption of CNC in the 1970s and ’80s.

This explosive change is why we created (August 12–13 in downtown Indianapolis), which features programming specifically for smaller or medium-sized shops. We believe that the future of jobs shops will not be defined by the biggest or most expensive tools and tech, but by the smartest applications of automation. Practical applications for CNC automation, robotics, digital integration and even front-office systems are why this technical conference exists. If you are an owner, leader or operator at a small- or medium-sized job shop, TASC was designed for you.

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The 2025 TASC agenda promises practical takeaways from shop owners, automation integrators, software providers and manufacturing technology leaders. With registration now officially open, here are 10 sessions from this year’s agenda that exemplify the mission:

1. Accelerating CNC Programming with Artificial Intelligence

CloudNC CEO Theo Saville will showcase how AI-driven CAM tools — already in use at hundreds of U.S. shops — are streamlining toolpath creation. As the opening session, this promises to demonstrate that AI is no longer on the horizon, it is here now and already reducing programming time and improving consistency.

2. Extending Lights-Out Production into the Weekend

Robert McCrory from will share how the shop expanded lights-out machining into the weekend through methodical but practical approaches. The presentation will cover everything from tooling strategies to workholding improvements that allowed for unattended, multipart production over extended weekend shifts.

3. Automation in High-Mix CNC Environments

Here’s a big challenge many job shops face: frequent changeovers and variable part runs. Nick Tonti from will show how the company tackled this challenge and offer a framework for evaluating and implementing robotic automation in unpredictable production environments.

4. Automating the Front Office Delivers Gains on the Shop Floor

ProShop ERP and Olson Custom Designs are teaming up to explore how front-end digital automation — from job review to inventory planning — can dramatically improve downstream machining performance. This session should serve as a valuable reminder that not all automation requires a robot.

5. Icon-Based Programming Cuts Automation Complexity

Jason Reeves from , a key player in the field of industrial and aerospace automation, will detail how low-code, visual interfaces helped streamline robotic programming, refocus their workforce on new skills and even improve organization of robotic program versions. If your shop is short on programming talent, this session is for you.

6. Bringing Automation into a Prototyping Shop

Brian Kippen of KAD Models will explain how automation doesn’t have to wait for high-volume production. His team created a palletized automation strategy that enabled lights-out machining at a prototyping shop, then took full advantage of the capability by reorganizing their production floor.

7. Designing for Infinite Possibilities: How Fusion 360 Configuration Tables Automate Rotor and Pattern Production

Don’t be intimidated by the long title: Kelly Strzok of will share how her team uses parametric CAD/CAM automation to eliminate repetitive tasks, accelerate production cycles and maintain design consistency. This session will show how job shops can use off-the-shelf software like Fusion 360 to turn variability into a strategic advantage.

8. Process Control for Machine Tools and Industrial Robots

Robots and machine tools side by side. It’s a familiar dance, but how do they maintain harmony? Renishaw and will show how practical calibration and process control strategies can enhance accuracy and stability in automated cells — particularly critical for dancing in the dark.

9. Are We Facing a Skills Gap — or a Productivity Gap?

If AI is the new frontier, then Al Whatmough is a frontiersman. In this session, the CEO will reframe the workforce conversation. Rather than chasing after traditional skillsets, this session offers a different suggestion: Empowering people through smarter workflows and tools. What new roles are emerging, and what skills will matter in tomorrow’s shops?

10. Artificial Intelligence in CNC Machining: Real-World Strategies and Results

TASC’s grand finale session will bring together three of the most forward-thinking leaders in AI for metalworking. We’ve gathered the leaders from CloudNC, MachineMetrics and Toolpath Labs to appear on one stage to provide a comprehensive view of how AI is transforming production and decision-making. This will be an interactive session and a rare chance to interact with leaders who are driving AI adoption in machine shops.

What all of this year’s TASC sessions have in common is that the lessons and strategies being offered aren’t hypothetical. Investigating robotics, rethinking your ERP, digitizing tool management and simply trying to make a machine run for more hours per week is achievable. TASC was designed to offer real-world solutions from and for shops just like yours.

In a moment when automation is no longer a nice-to-have but a competitive necessity, TASC provides a rare opportunity to step back, see what’s working across the industry, and return to the shop floor with specific ideas you can implement. If you’re looking for a shortcut to smarter machining — not just faster, but more resilient and more profitable — this is the conference to attend.

[Note: Early-bird registration discount ends July 11. Click to register.]