Episode 43

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Published on:

8th Dec 2025

Rethinking Manufacturing Through Additive Innovation with Jason Rolland

Welcome to The Manufacturers Network Podcast! In this insightful episode, Lisa Ryan sits down with Jason Rolland, Senior Vice President of Materials at Carbon Inc., to explore the rapidly evolving impact of additive manufacturing on how products are designed, produced, and scaled. Jason offers an insider’s view informed by years of expertise in polymer chemistry, entrepreneurship, and industrial material science.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

How Additive Manufacturing Evolved

Jason Rolland traces how 3D printing moved beyond prototyping, now enabling the production of finished parts with improved speed, precision, and material properties.

-Key Innovations Driving Production Viability

Discover the breakthroughs in materials science, hardware speed, and software that allow for faster print times, better mechanical properties, and digital-driven production processes.


- Breaking Down the Technology

Not sure about acronyms like FDM or SLA? Jason explains the main categories of 3D printing in clear, simple language and describes their pros and cons.


- Where Additive Manufacturing Makes the Biggest Impact

From footwear and sports equipment to medical devices and dental models, Jason shares real-world examples where 3D printing offers a competitive edge—especially for customized parts and foam replacements.


- Barriers to Adoption & How to Overcome Them

Find out why manufacturers hesitate to adopt new technologies, and how issues of cost, awareness, and application fit can be addressed.


- Evaluating If Additive Manufacturing Is Right for Your Business

Get practical advice on the types of products best suited for 3D printing and the factors manufacturers should consider before making the transition.


- Sustainability and Flexibility Benefits

Learn how additive manufacturing supports supply chain resilience, reshoring, reduction in carbon footprint, and new approaches for cleaning, recycling, and using bio-based materials.


- Getting Started Without Overinvesting

Jason outlines Carbon’s partnership model, emphasizing collaboration over upfront equipment sales so manufacturers can test applications risk-free.


Tangible Takeaways


1. Focus on Product Application:

Evaluate whether additive manufacturing will improve your product’s performance or unlock new design possibilities—don’t just jump in for the technology’s sake.


2. Consider Customization and Complexity:

Additive manufacturing thrives in producing complex, customized, or low-volume parts—especially when traditional tooling is cost-prohibitive or slow to adapt.


3. Factor in Speed, Cost, and Flexibility:

Digital production allows rapid switching between product types, making it ideal for nimble, local, and scalable manufacturing operations.


4. Think Sustainability:

Local production and material efficiency can lower the carbon footprint. Explore innovations in part cleaning and bio-based resins for further environmental benefits.


5. Start with Collaboration:

Instead of investing heavily upfront, partner with experienced additive manufacturers like Carbon to test the fit for your specific application.


Ready to explore additive manufacturing for your business?**

Reach out through Carbon’s website contact form to start a conversation with Jason and his team.


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Tune in next time on The Manufacturers Network Podcast for more insights, strategies, and manufacturing success stories!

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About the Podcast

The Manufacturers Network
Real conversations with leaders in manufacturing, automation, and workforce retention.
The Manufacturers’ Network is where manufacturing leaders, plant managers, and industry innovators come to talk straight about what’s working and what’s not, on the shop floor and beyond.

Each week, host Lisa Ryan sits down with people who live and breathe this business: operations executives, HR directors, engineers, and founders who are building stronger teams and smarter systems in the face of nonstop change.

Listeners gain real-world insights on:
• Employee retention and workforce engagement
• Automation, AI, and the future of skilled trades
• Supply chain and operations leadership
• Safety, sustainability, and company culture that lasts

If you’re tired of generic “leadership talk” and want practical conversations from people who get it, this podcast is for you.

New episodes drop every Monday and are short enough for your commute, sharp enough to shape your week.

Subscribe and be part of the conversation that’s connecting manufacturers across industries, one story at a time.

About your host

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Lisa Ryan

As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an award-winning speaker and author of ten books, Lisa Ryan, CSP, works with her clients to develop employee and client engagement initiatives and strategies that keep their top talent and best clients from becoming someone else’s.
Lisa’s expertise includes: strengthening workplace culture, improving employee engagement, increasing customer retention, and initiating gratitude strategies (“Grategies”) for personal and professional benefit. Lisa’s participants enjoy her high energy, enthusiastic delivery and quick wit and they leave the session with ideas they are committed to acting on immediately to make positive workplace culture changes.
Lisa costars in two films with other experts including Jack Canfield of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” She is the Past-President of the National Speakers Association, Ohio Chapter and holds an MBA from Cleveland State University.

Relevant Experience

• Keynote, breakout or workshop speaker at more than 100 national and international conferences
• Thirteen years of industrial marketing and sales experience, including seven years in the welding industry – and yes, she does weld
• Host of “Elevate Your Engagement Levels: What You Need to Know” on the Elite Expert Network and the C-Suite Network
• Creator of “The Seven Mistakes Managers Make to Crush Company Culture” video series
• Best-selling author of ten books, including “Manufacturing Engagement: 98 Proven Strategies to Attract and Retain Your Industry’s Top Talent”
• Award-winning speaker