John Crane Inc. — Asbestos Products Reference

Manufacturer: John Crane Inc. Headquarters: Morton Grove, Illinois Founded: 1917 Documented Asbestos Use: Through approximately 1985 Product Categories: Mechanical seals, pump packing, compressed gaskets

Company History

John Crane Inc. traces its origins to 1917, when founder John Crane established a Chicago-area manufacturing operation focused on mechanical sealing solutions for industrial machinery. Over the following decades, the company grew into one of the most widely recognized names in fluid sealing technology, supplying products to refineries, chemical processing plants, paper mills, power generation facilities, shipyards, and heavy manufacturing operations across the United States.

The company’s industrial footprint expanded significantly during the mid-twentieth century, a period when asbestos was considered a preferred material for high-temperature, high-pressure sealing applications. Asbestos offered mechanical compressibility, chemical resistance, and the ability to withstand steam and thermal cycling — properties that made it a logical choice for the demanding environments in which John Crane products were installed. The company’s products became standard components in the piping systems, pumps, and rotating equipment found throughout American industry from the post-World War II era through the early 1980s.

John Crane continued operating as a major manufacturer of sealing and fluid management products. The company is currently a subsidiary of Smiths Group plc, a British multinational. Its long history on American industrial worksites, however, has placed it at the center of substantial asbestos litigation involving workers who handled or maintained its products during the decades when asbestos-containing materials were in common use.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, John Crane manufactured and distributed several product lines that contained asbestos as a functional component. The following products have been identified in court filings and exposure testimony spanning multiple decades:

Mechanical Seals with Asbestos Components

John Crane was a leading manufacturer of mechanical seals — precision devices installed in rotating equipment such as pumps, compressors, and mixers to prevent fluid leakage along a rotating shaft. Court filings document that certain mechanical seal designs during this era incorporated asbestos-containing elements, including seal face materials and internal packing components. Plaintiffs alleged that mechanics and millwrights who removed, inspected, and replaced worn mechanical seals were exposed to asbestos-containing dust generated during those service tasks. Because mechanical seals require periodic replacement in process-intensive industries, workers in refineries, chemical plants, and power stations often performed this work repeatedly over the course of their careers.

Braided Asbestos Pump Packing

Among the products most frequently cited in asbestos litigation records involving John Crane is braided pump packing. This material — manufactured from twisted or braided asbestos fiber, sometimes combined with graphite or other lubricating compounds — was used to create compression seals around pump shafts and valve stems. Pump packing was considered a consumable maintenance item, requiring frequent replacement as it wore or degraded under service conditions.

Plaintiffs alleged that removing spent packing from a stuffing box — typically by digging it out with picks, hooks, or similar hand tools — and cutting and fitting new packing material generated respirable asbestos dust in close proximity to the worker’s face and hands. Court filings document testimony from pipefitters, pump mechanics, and maintenance workers describing repeated exposure to this process across a range of industrial settings. Braided packing from John Crane was identified by trade name and part number in numerous depositions and product identification records filed in asbestos litigation proceedings.

Compressed Asbestos Sheet Gaskets

John Crane also manufactured compressed asbestos fiber (CAF) sheet gaskets, also known as flat sheet gaskets, which were cut to size and installed between pipe flanges, valve bodies, heat exchangers, and other pressure-containing equipment. According to asbestos litigation records, these sheet gaskets were widely distributed to industrial facilities and could be found in virtually every sector that operated pressurized piping systems — including refineries, petrochemical plants, pulp and paper mills, food processing operations, and marine engineering spaces.

Court filings document that workers who fabricated custom gaskets from sheet stock — using knives, scissors, or die-cutting equipment — and those who removed old, baked-on gaskets from flanges using wire brushes, grinders, or scraping tools were potentially exposed to asbestos fiber release during those tasks. Plaintiffs alleged that the physical manipulation of compressed asbestos sheet, particularly when cutting or abrading the material, created airborne fiber concentrations at or near the worker’s breathing zone.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, workers across a broad range of trades and industries encountered John Crane products in the course of their regular job duties. The following occupational groups appear most frequently in court filings related to John Crane product exposure:

  • Pipefitters and steamfitters who cut sheet gaskets and removed old gasket material from flanges during maintenance or turnaround work
  • Pump mechanics and millwrights who replaced braided packing and mechanical seals in rotating equipment as part of ongoing preventive and corrective maintenance
  • Refinery and chemical plant operators and maintenance workers who worked in environments where John Crane products were installed throughout process piping and pump systems
  • Shipyard workers and marine engineers who maintained pump and valve systems aboard vessels, where braided packing and compressed gaskets were standard components
  • Power plant workers who serviced boiler feed pumps, condensate systems, and other high-pressure equipment where John Crane packing and gaskets were commonly specified
  • Industrial insulators and general maintenance workers who worked in proximity to tasks involving gasket or packing removal and replacement

Plaintiffs alleged in numerous cases that the exposure risk associated with John Crane products was not limited to the primary mechanic performing the work, but extended to bystanders and co-workers present in the same work area during cutting, removal, or installation activities.

The duration and repetitive nature of these tasks — particularly in industries where pump packing might be replaced on a quarterly or annual cycle across dozens of pumps — contributed to the cumulative exposure allegations documented in court filings. Workers in these industries frequently testified to handling or working near John Crane products over employment spans measured in decades.

John Crane Inc. does not currently operate an asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. The company has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization as a result of asbestos liability, which distinguishes it from many other asbestos defendants that resolved their litigation exposure through the trust system established under Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code.

Instead, John Crane has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation in civil courts across the United States. According to asbestos litigation records, the company has been a defendant in a substantial number of cases involving claims that its gasket and packing products caused mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer in exposed workers and, in some cases, their household members through secondary exposure.

Court filings document that the litigation surrounding John Crane’s pump packing products has produced significant appellate decisions addressing core issues in asbestos tort law, including questions of manufacturer duty to warn, the adequacy of product warnings during the period of asbestos use, and standards governing evidence of causation in fiber-release cases. The case John Crane Inc. v. Hardick, decided by the Virginia Supreme Court, is among the more widely cited decisions arising from John Crane litigation and addressed issues of duty and warning obligations relevant to asbestos packing products. Related appellate decisions in other jurisdictions have similarly examined how courts analyze liability theories in cases involving braided packing and gasket products.

Because John Crane remains a solvent, operating company, individuals with documented exposure to its products who develop qualifying asbestos-related diseases must pursue compensation through direct civil litigation rather than through a trust claim process.

If you or a family member worked with or around John Crane gaskets, pump packing, or mechanical seals — particularly in refinery, chemical plant, shipyard, power generation, or heavy industrial settings — and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease, the following points summarize your potential legal options:

No trust fund exists. John Crane has not established an asbestos bankruptcy trust. Compensation claims cannot be submitted through an administrative trust process.

Civil litigation is the available legal pathway. Claims against John Crane proceed as personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits filed in civil court. These cases typically involve product identification — establishing that John Crane products specifically were present at your worksite — along with medical evidence linking your diagnosis to asbestos exposure.

Product identification is critical. Because John Crane products were sold under specific trade names and part numbers, attorneys handling these cases typically work with industrial hygienists, former co-workers, and employment records to document which products were present and how they were used.

Statutes of limitations apply. Filing deadlines for asbestos claims vary by state and are generally measured from the date of diagnosis, not the date of exposure. Prompt consultation with an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation is advisable following any qualifying diagnosis.

Secondary exposure claims may also be viable. Family members who washed work clothes contaminated with asbestos dust, or who were otherwise exposed through contact with a worker who handled John Crane products, have asserted claims in asbestos litigation in some jurisdictions.

This article is provided for historical and informational reference. It documents products and litigation history as reflected in publicly available court records and regulatory sources. It does not constitute legal advice.