Heil Company and Asbestos-Containing Products

Company History

The Heil Company is an American industrial manufacturer with roots in heavy equipment and thermal processing systems. Over the course of the twentieth century, Heil built a reputation as a supplier of large-scale industrial equipment to manufacturing plants, refineries, foundries, and processing facilities across the United States. The company’s product lines evolved over the decades to serve sectors where high-temperature operations demanded robust, heat-resistant construction.

During the mid-twentieth century, asbestos was the predominant material used in industrial insulation, gaskets, and high-heat components. Manufacturers of industrial furnaces, dryers, and thermal processing equipment — including companies such as Heil — routinely incorporated asbestos-containing materials into their products during this era, either as original components or as specified maintenance materials. This practice was consistent with industry standards of the time, and asbestos was widely regarded by engineers and manufacturers as the most effective solution for thermal management and fire resistance in heavy industrial applications.

According to asbestos litigation records, Heil Company equipment appeared at a range of industrial jobsites throughout the United States from the mid-twentieth century through approximately the early 1980s, when the company is believed to have phased out the use of asbestos-containing components in its products.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Court filings document that Heil Company manufactured and supplied industrial furnaces and related thermal processing equipment that plaintiffs alleged contained asbestos-containing materials. The categories of equipment associated with Heil in asbestos litigation include industrial furnaces, dryers, and large-scale heat processing systems used in manufacturing and industrial settings.

Plaintiffs alleged that asbestos-containing materials were incorporated into Heil equipment in several ways common to industrial furnace construction of the period:

  • Refractory insulation: Industrial furnaces of this era were commonly lined with asbestos-containing refractory materials, including asbestos board, block insulation, and castable refractory products. These materials were used to contain heat within the furnace chamber and protect the outer shell.

  • Gaskets and rope seals: Access doors, inspection ports, and high-temperature flanged connections on industrial furnaces were typically sealed with woven asbestos rope, asbestos-containing compressed gaskets, or other packing materials that could withstand extreme temperatures.

  • Insulating blankets and wrapping: External insulation applied to furnace housings, ductwork, and connecting piping frequently consisted of asbestos-containing blanket or block insulation, often finished with an asbestos cloth or canvas outer layer.

  • Cement and adhesive compounds: Asbestos-containing cements were routinely used during furnace installation and repair to seal joints, anchor refractory linings, and patch damaged insulation.

According to asbestos litigation records, the presence of these materials meant that workers who installed, operated, serviced, or demolished Heil industrial furnaces may have encountered asbestos-containing components throughout the operational life of the equipment — not only during initial installation but during routine maintenance and repair cycles that required disturbing existing insulation or replacing worn seals and gaskets.

Court filings document that Heil equipment was identified at jobsites in a range of industries where large industrial furnaces were commonly used, including steel and metal production, chemical processing, automotive manufacturing, and general heavy industry.

Occupational Exposure

Workers in trades and industries associated with the installation, operation, maintenance, and teardown of industrial furnaces represent the primary population with potential asbestos exposure linked to Heil Company equipment, according to asbestos litigation records.

Trades with potential exposure include:

  • Insulators and pipe coverers who applied, repaired, or removed the thermal insulation surrounding furnace bodies, connecting ductwork, and associated piping
  • Millwrights and ironworkers who assembled and installed furnace structures at industrial facilities
  • Maintenance mechanics and boilermakers who performed routine repairs, replaced worn gaskets and rope packing, and patched damaged refractory linings
  • Refractory workers who installed or removed brick and block insulation lining furnace chambers
  • Industrial plant operators who worked in proximity to furnace equipment during normal operations
  • Demolition and abatement workers who dismantled aging furnace systems during plant renovations or decommissioning

Plaintiffs alleged in court filings that the highest-risk exposures typically occurred during activities that disturbed asbestos-containing materials — cutting insulation to fit, removing old gaskets, chipping out deteriorated refractory, or sawing and sanding asbestos board. These activities are documented to release respirable asbestos fibers into the ambient air.

Bystander exposure was also documented in litigation records. Workers in adjacent trades who were present on the same jobsite — welders, electricians, pipefitters — may have inhaled asbestos fibers released during insulation or maintenance work performed on nearby furnace equipment without themselves directly handling the materials.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases is well established in medical literature as typically ranging from ten to fifty years following initial exposure. This means that workers who encountered asbestos-containing components associated with Heil industrial furnaces during the peak use period — roughly the 1940s through the early 1980s — may only be receiving diagnoses of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer in recent decades.

The industries most heavily represented in litigation involving industrial furnace manufacturers include:

  • Steel mills and foundries
  • Automotive assembly plants
  • Petroleum refineries and petrochemical facilities
  • Paper and pulp mills
  • Food processing and agricultural drying facilities
  • General manufacturing plants

According to asbestos litigation records, Heil industrial furnaces appeared across many of these industrial categories, and workers in these environments may have encountered Heil equipment as one of several asbestos-containing products present at a given jobsite.

Heil Company has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation. According to available litigation records, the company does not appear to have established a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund, which distinguishes its legal status from manufacturers that reorganized under Chapter 11 bankruptcy and created structured settlement trusts for claimants.

The absence of a trust fund means that individuals who believe they were exposed to asbestos through Heil Company equipment and have developed a related illness would typically pursue claims through the civil court system rather than through a trust fund claims process.

Important considerations for workers and families:

  • Asbestos civil litigation involves statutes of limitations that vary by jurisdiction and generally begin to run from the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure. Timely filing is essential.
  • Mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related pleural disease, and asbestos-related lung cancer are the diagnoses most commonly associated with asbestos exposure claims. A confirmed diagnosis is generally required to pursue litigation.
  • Because most industrial jobsites involved multiple manufacturers’ equipment, asbestos claims frequently name numerous defendants simultaneously. Heil Company equipment may have been one of several asbestos-containing products present at a given worksite.
  • Product identification is a critical element of asbestos litigation. Employment records, union records, coworker testimony, plant maintenance logs, and equipment purchase records can all help establish the presence of specific manufacturers’ equipment at a jobsite.
  • Surviving family members of workers who have died from mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease may be eligible to bring wrongful death claims under applicable state law.

Summary

The Heil Company manufactured industrial furnaces and related thermal processing equipment that, according to asbestos litigation records and court filings, plaintiffs alleged contained asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, refractory materials, and sealing compounds. The company is believed to have used asbestos-containing materials in its products from the mid-twentieth century through approximately the early 1980s.

Workers who installed, serviced, repaired, or demolished Heil industrial furnaces — along with bystanders working in proximity to this equipment — may have been exposed to asbestos fibers released from these materials. Industries with documented Heil equipment presence include steel production, chemical processing, automotive manufacturing, and general heavy industry.

Heil Company does not appear to have established a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer who have a documented history of work on or near Heil industrial furnaces may have legal options through the civil court system. Consulting with an attorney experienced in asbestos personal injury litigation is the recommended first step for evaluating potential claims.