Carl Bass Joins Formlabs Board

SLA and SLS 3D printing startup Formlabs has announced that Carl Bass will be joining its Board of Directors.

Carl Bass in his studio. The CEO/Maker is set to join Formlabs' Board of Directors.(Image Courtesy of Autodesk)

Bass, formerly the CEO of Autodesk, has been an influential figure in the world of manufacturing and design since the mid-eighties. During that decade, he started Flying Moose Systems and Graphics Ltd., commercializing the HOOPS graphics system. Since that time, he’s been in and out of the C-suite at Autodesk. However, regardless of his position at the CAD giant, Bass has helped the company grow to be a dominant player in the 3D design software market.

More important than being a prominent executive is the fact that Bass is also an engineer, or at least a tinkerer at heart. That’s one of the greatest advantages Bass will bring to Formlabs.

While I can’t say for sure if Bass owns a Form1 or Form2 3D printer, I wouldn’t be surprised if his decked out shop has a few of the SLA machines churning out prototypes for his latest ideas. Even if he isn’t using the company’s SLA technology, his penchant for innovation will likely lead Bass to be a vocal member of the Board, bringing intuition and real-world engineering concerns to the product development process.

That same sentiment was echoed by Formlabs’ CEO, Max Lobovsky: “We’re honored to have Carl join the board. I’m also personally thrilled to have another board member who is a passionate creator and uses CAD, 3D printers, and other tools himself. His experience and expertise will be invaluable for Formlabs as we continue charting new territories in professional 3D printing.”

It needs to be said that Formlabs has made a big impression on the 3D printing landscape since the company emerged a few years ago. Their desktop SLA printers deliver quality results, a wide range of materials, and most importantly, are affordable. Recently, the company has announced that it will be delivering an SLS printer to the market in the coming months, making another prototyping technology accessible to the masses.

With Bass on board, I imagine that Formlabs will continue to innovate at breakneck speeds, and the product they create will genuinely reflect the needs of makers and engineers that require a reliable and affordable prototyping system.

Let’s hope that Bass can deliver that result and help prevent Formlabs from becoming a subscription business!