In Part Two of this Solutionology Story, Stephanie Hendrixson, Editor-in-Chief at Additive Manufacturing Media, dives deeper into the paradigm shift of mass customization in manufacturing. She recently reported on the topic directly from the DI Labs facility in Minnesota.

Stephanie talks with Brian and Carl Douglass about how AM is redefining production by enabling uniquely tailored products on demand, enhancing consumer satisfaction, and optimizing production processes. Hear about real-world applications like personalized eyewear and footwear, the role of AI in design and manufacturing, and Stephanie’s vision for the future of mass customization. This episode offers practical insights and explores the significant shift from mass production to individual customization.

Stephanie Hendrixson, Editor-in-Chief at Additive Manufacturing Media, joined Brian and Carl Douglass on Solutionology Stories episode #30 to share some fascinating stories and groundbreaking innovations in additive manufacturing (AM). In fact, the episode was so good that we split it into two parts!

In Part One, Stephanie shares the unexpected path she traveled from English literature to additive manufacturing and what inspired her to become a teacher and storyteller about highly technical topics in manufacturing. She has been recognized among Temboo's 20 Women Influencing Manufacturing and plays a critical role as an educator and advocate shaping the future of additive! She's incredibly enthusiastic about the future of additive manufacturing and says, "If you've held back (from exploring additive) because you're waiting for the right time, the right time is anytime! Just jump right in."

She provides insights into AM’s rapid growth and shares experiences hosting "The Cool Parts Show" and "AM Radio Podcast."

In this follow-up to Part One of our conversation with Bud Runquist, VP of Sales and Marketing at Stratasys Direct, we go beyond the incredible disaster response story of additive manufacturing told in Episode #28. (https://youtu.be/t0GsB9hil3w)

As two leaders deeply embedded in the additive manufacturing space, DI Labs and Stratasys Direct share a mutual commitment to raising the bar for quality, reliability, and scalable production. Together, they explore how distributed networks of trusted partners can provide rapid, resilient responses to supply chain disruptions—something both companies have experienced firsthand.

Bud outlines how additive is moving beyond prototyping into just-in-time, localized production, offering dramatic cost and logistical advantages. Carl and Brian reflect on their own challenges and successes in building confidence among clients and suppliers, reinforcing that standardization, validation, and collaboration are critical for additive to reach its full potential.

The discussion ends with a powerful focus on medical applications, a space where both Stratasys Direct and DI Labs see immense potential to improve lives. With passion, technical insight, and shared optimism, this episode offers a compelling look at how distributed manufacturing is not only possible—it’s already happening.

00:00 – Intro: Why Distributed Manufacturing Matters
01:00 – Why Distributed Manufacturing Is Gaining Ground
05:40 – From Shelf Space to Digital Warehouses
07:17 – Where Are We in the Additive Adoption Curve?
09:19 – The Culture of Collaboration
10:16 – Medical Applications: Additive’s Next Big Opportunity
11:35 – A Call to Innovate and Push Boundaries
12:27 – Wrap-Up and Appreciation

Watch PART ONE of this Solutionology Stories conversation: https://youtu.be/t0GsB9hil3w
Follow our Solutionology Stories Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMo39wYkklXud2wHcfBRLQ2_cMjl0B3hQ&si=YtWMfJpMhUFmhUfT
More about DI Labs: https://dilabs.cc/
More about Stratasys Direct: https://www.stratasys.com/en/stratasysdirect/

The Story of a Distributed Manufacturing Response Led by Stratasys Direct

In October 2024, a major hurricane struck the U.S., leaving destruction in its wake—including the disruption of a critical injection molding supply chain for a top automotive manufacturer. With production at a standstill and losses mounting by the hour, the company turned to Stratasys Direct, one of the world’s largest additive manufacturing service providers, for a solution. Justin "Bud" Runquist, VP of Sales and Marketing at Stratasys Direct, led the charge in mobilizing an emergency manufacturing response. They quickly recognized that meeting the demand—500 parts per day, with the first shipment needed within seven days—required a network approach and reached out to trusted partners, including DI Labs, to expand capacity.

The response from the additive manufacturing community was overwhelmingly positive. Manufacturers across the industry stepped in, demonstrating the power of distributed manufacturing: a collaborative, decentralized approach that allows for rapid scaling.

In this episode of Solutionology Stories, hosts Carl and Brian Douglass sit down with Bud to talk about the challenges, innovations, and impact of this inspiring story and how it can be a blueprint for additive manufacturing's role in times of crisis and beyond.

00:00 Welcome Bud
02:31 Line Down!
11:00 Quality Standards for Distributed Manufacturing
15:21 Pushing Use Cases for Volume Production
25:34 A Tipping Point for Additive Manufacturing

Solutionology Stories YouTube Playlist

More about DI Labs: https://dilabs.cc/

More about Stratasys Direct: https://www.stratasys.com/en/stratasysdirect/

Welcome to the latest edition of our Solutionology Stories newsletter and podcast featuring insights from our client, Jamie Duininck the CEO of Prinsco, Inc. He's a third-generation owner and leader of a family business that provides water management solutions to the agricultural, stormwater, residential, and onsite markets. Jamie is a creative, out-of-the-box thinker who is well respected across his company and industry for his leadership, candor, and ability to build relationships that have positively impacted his company's opportunities for growth and success.

In this episode, Jamie shares the formula he's developed and used over his 28-year career to successfully drive innovation and embrace change. His perspective offers valuable lessons for anyone seeking to make a lasting impact in their field.

00:00 Welcome
01:25 A Journey From Sales to CEO
03:06 Driving Innovation
11:10 Pro4 Story
20:34 Rewarding Relationships
21:38 Lessons on Leadership

Learn more about the Pro4 product development story, listen to Solutionology Stories Episode #26.

See the Pro4 case study: https://youtu.be/Tg1A12zf1DI

Learn more about Prinsco: https://ww.prinsco.com

Learn more about DI Labs: https://dilabs.cc

Join us behind the scenes of DI Labs' largest product development and launch program to date, powered by a digital-first approach. Spanning eight years, this transformative journey began in 2015 with a rough business plan. It culminated in 2024 with the launch of a groundbreaking four-model product portfolio for Prinsco, a leader in water management solutions. Our guests on this episode of Solutionology Stories are Jason Ahrenholz, Prinsco's Director of Engineering, and Judd Effinger, Prinsco's Onsite Sales Manager.

Prinsco set out to disrupt a monopolized market by introducing a high-performance product alternative in the onsite septic industry. Achieving this vision required an unprecedented commitment to resource allocation, leadership alignment, and long-term success—all underpinned by a digital mindset.

As Prinsco's development partner, DI Labs utilized cutting-edge digital manufacturing techniques, including additive manufacturing, to innovate, prototype, and create a full-scale model for prelaunch marketing. Tune in to discover how this digital approach enabled breakthrough solutions and redefined product development success.

00:00 Intro
03:24 Market Opportunity
7:47 Injection Molding to Thermoforming
15:41 Back to Injection Molding
24:06 Market Launch
31:01 Project Takeaways

Watch an on-location report from the testing pit.

Follow the Solutionology Podcast on our website, YouTube, and all major listening platforms!

Learn more about DI Labs: dilabs.cc

Our Solutionology podcast shares behind-the-scenes stories of projects and problem-solving using a digital mindset. In Episode #25, Carl Douglass, DI Lab CEO, and Brian Douglass, DI Labs COO, have an in-depth discussion about quality with Hannah Kinder, DI Labs Production Manager.

Quality can be a touchy subject in additive manufacturing because it often seems ambiguous and expectations can be wildly different between each client and project. Brian states that quality, which is considered a deliverable, and a digital mindset, which is a state of constant transition, can feel like oil & water. That’s because when people think of quality, they think of standardization and repeatability - not constant change.

As the industry continues to evolve and mature, having a digital mindset is critical to our success, especially when it comes to quality. DI Labs is in a constant state of transition to new levels of performance, capabilities and standards of quality. As Hannah said in the wrap-up, change is inevitable especially if you want to be better. And we always do.

Listen to the full episode to learn more.

Chapters & Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
01:02 Structure of quality
01:27 Digital mindset and quality - oil and water
03:15 Quality is a tradeoff
04:06 Definitions of quality
05:50 Culture supports quality
07:51 Our ISO9001 onboarding process
11:53 Understanding client expectations
15:45 How quality drives scrap rates
18:59 Scrap from 10-25%
19:11 Current improvements

More Solutionology Stories Podcast Episodes: https://dilabs.cc/podcast/

What is a digital mindset, and how does it add value to the product development, design, management & manufacturing process?

In Episode #24 of the Solutionology Podcast Carl Douglass, P.E. and Brian Douglass from DI Labs dig into this topic.

Brian starts by providing a simple definition of a digital mindset from the DI Labs perspective. "A digital mindset is a way for us to stay flexible throughout a process or project... so that we're not locked into a preconceived bias... it's the ability to create rapid changes and store them in a quick and lightweight format like digital..."

Carl then quotes an article from the Harvard Business Review by Tsedal Neeley and Paul Leonardi called, "*Developing a Digital Mindset." Under the section "Change as a Constant" he reads:

According to change management theory, organizations move from a current state to a transitional state and then on to a future state... In a digitally driven world, however, there is no endpoint to the transitional phase.

This excerpt resonated with Brian and Carl due to the never-ending state of transition, which is a mindset they embrace. Listen to the full episode to hear more.

**Find the full article here.

At DI Labs, we've been applying a digital mindset for a long time and now help clients build it into their programs and products, leading us to what's next! Stay tuned to learn more about the custom-designed Solutionology Sessions we'll be offering to companies interested in mobilizing their teams with a digital mindset.

More about DI Labs: dilabs.cc
Find more episodes of the Solutionology Podcast on YouTube.