- FMA
- The FABRICATOR
- Nuts, Bolts & ThingamajigsFoundation
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Our Publications
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
Trade Showcase
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
![ASMA LLC Steve Benson](jpg/steve-benson-1572995862.jpg)
Steve Benson
ASMA LLC
2952 Doaks Ferry Road N.W.
Salem, OR 97301-4468
503-399-7514
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Shop strategies for crack-free bending in V-grooved brass sheet metal
- By Steve Benson
- Jul 24, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Annealing can help reduce cracking, if done correctly. But if you’re bending brass or any material with a grain direction, try forming against the grain. Changing the bend’s orientation to the material grain can make a world of difference.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Prevent edge cracking in sheet metal bending
- By Steve Benson
- Jun 17, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Why do metal fabricators get edge cracking near a bend on metal parts? Hardness variation from a cut’s heat-affected zone might be to blame.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Boosting bottom-bending accuracy on the press brake with these tips
- By Steve Benson
- May 25, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Article
When bottom bending on a press brake, the punch tip determines the radius and the die angle determines your bend angle. Sounds simple, yet the variables still abound for metal fabrication shops.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Bump bending and air forming sheet metal on the press brake
- By Steve Benson
- Apr 20, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Press brake guru Steve Benson answers questions about air forming and bump bending, including the many variables involved in each application.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Laminate tooling, depression grooving, and more about bending sheet metal
- By Steve Benson
- Mar 21, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Bending guru Steve Benson answers questions about laminate press brake tooling, 6061-T6 aluminum, and radius formation in air bending sheet metal.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Yield, tensile, and bending small metal parts on the press brake
- By Steve Benson
- Feb 22, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Steve Benson answers questions about sheet metal forming terminology, including yield strength and ultimate tensile strength, and describes the creativity behind bending very small parts.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Press brake controllers and the bend deduction of sheet metal
- By Steve Benson
- Jan 18, 2023
- Bending and Forming
- Article
A reader from the U.K. finds a discrepancy in how his press brake controller performs its bend calculations on certain sheet metal thickness.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Angle adjustment fundamentals at the press brake
- By Steve Benson
- Dec 12, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Adjusting bend angles at the press brake control eventually becomes intuitive, but for the novice operator in a metal fabrication shop, the concepts can be difficult to grasp.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
What excess tonnage does to a press brake and tooling
- By Steve Benson
- Nov 28, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Excess tonnage can damage a metal fabrication shop's press brake and embed tools into the bed and ram. The best practice is to avoid excess tonnage in the first place.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Getting back to air forming and bending basics on the press brake
- By Steve Benson
- Oct 27, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Misconceptions about how air bending forms the radius still permeate the sheet metal industry. Yes, the punch radius does affect the process on the press brake, but it does not dictate the radius.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
How to heat aluminum to avoid cracking after bending
- By Steve Benson
- Sep 29, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
High-temper aluminum can crack during bending, so press brake operators might need to anneal it. Aluminum doesn’t change color when heated. If a metal fabrication shop doesn’t have a temperature gun, watch the soot.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
The art of gauging on the press brake
- By Steve Benson
- Aug 22, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Imagine the overall dimension of a panel is just a little off during a press brake operation. It’s within spec, but what happens when that panel reaches assembly? Little errors can add up.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Press brake tooling: Planer or precision-ground?
- By Steve Benson
- Aug 2, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
A metal fabrication shop has used American planed tooling for three decades for its press brake operations. Should it upgrade to precision-ground New Standard tools? That depends on the parts being produced.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
Air-formed bend radii, magnetizing press brake tools, and more
- By Steve Benson
- Jun 20, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
Press brake guru Steve Benson answers reader questions on predicting the bend radius, press brake tools becoming magnetized, and how the die opening affects the bend deduction.
-
- From The FABRICATOR
New to the press brake? Establish best practices in the fab shop from the start
- By Steve Benson
- May 26, 2022
- Bending and Forming
- Article
If you're new to operating a press brake in a metal fabrication shop, ask yourself these questions from the start to establish best practices: Do you know the safe working limits of your machine and its tooling? Do you have the right tools to make repeatable bends?
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 07/25/2023
- Running Time:
- 56:59
This week, Jessica Considine – a welder, fabricator, and artist based in the Detroit-area – joins The Fabricator...
- Trending Articles
The ups and downs of organizing a Ford Bronco and aftermarket parts event
![The ups and downs of organizing a Ford Bronco and aftermarket parts event](jpg/the-ups-and-down-of-organizing-a-ford-bronco-and-aftermarket-parts-event-16900610373656.jpg?size=x100)
The rise of the collaborative robots on display at Automate 2023 in Detroit
![The rise of the collaborative robots on display at Automate 2023 in Detroit](jpg/automate-2023-in-detroit-displays-the-rise-of-the-collaborative-robots-16902131093656.jpg?size=x100)
Optimizing metal manufacturing performance like Formula One racing
![Optimizing metal manufacturing performance like Formula One racing](jpg/optimizing-metal-manufacturing-performance-like-formula-one-racing-16898060553656.jpg?size=x100)
Robey's Welding Cancer Awareness Press Brake
![Robey's Welding Cancer Awareness Press Brake](jpg/robeys-welding-cancer-awareness-press-brake-16896893473656.jpg?size=x100)
Majestic Steel founder dies
![Majestic Steel founder dies](jpg/majestic-steel-founder-dies-16899617983656.jpg?size=x100)
- Industry Events
Precision Press Brake Certificate
- July 31 - August 1, 2023
- Elgin, IL
Laser Welding Certificate Course
- August 1 - 3, 2023
- Farmington Hills, MI
Golf 4 Manufacturing -Chicago
- August 21, 2023
- Waukegan,