FMA puts out press brake handbook
The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association has published a book celebrating press brakes and the skill of their operators — a talent the association worries is getting lost as workers retire.
Bending Basics, by author Steven D. Benson, has 61 chapters covering machine operations, safety and the history of metal. Benson, the president of Asma LLC, is a retired member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 18 who teaches at Oregon Advanced Technological Center in Wilsonville, Oregon.
“When I began teaching, I found few sources for modern press brake instruction. My new book brings together information that may or may not get shared in the transfer of information to those being trained,” Benson said.
Jim Warren, the executive director of member services for FMA, said the book fills a need.
“In the age of retiring baby boomers, technicians who know how to shape and customize materials into a variety of forms are hard to find,” Warren said. “We hope this text serves as a foundational resource for skill development.”
The book can be ordered at fmanet.org/store.
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