Metso Minerals and Asbestos-Containing Mining Equipment

Company History

Metso Minerals is a manufacturer of heavy industrial equipment used primarily in the mining, aggregates, and minerals processing industries. The company’s product lines have historically included crushers, screens, feeders, conveyors, and related processing equipment designed for use in quarries, open-pit mines, and underground mining operations across the United States and internationally.

The Metso name as it exists today emerged through a series of corporate mergers and acquisitions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The company traces its lineage through several predecessor entities, most notably Nordberg Manufacturing Company, a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of mining and crushing equipment, and Svedala Industries, a Swedish industrial company with significant American operations. Nordberg was acquired by Raytheon in the 1970s before ultimately passing through additional corporate transitions that contributed to the eventual formation of Metso. Understanding this corporate genealogy is significant for workers researching historical asbestos exposure, as liability in asbestos litigation typically follows the chain of corporate succession.

According to publicly available corporate records and industry histories, Nordberg Manufacturing Company had an established presence in American mining and quarrying operations dating back well into the mid-twentieth century, placing its equipment on jobsites during the decades when asbestos use in industrial manufacturing was at its peak — roughly the 1940s through the early 1980s.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Specific product documentation for Metso Minerals and its predecessor entities in the context of asbestos content is limited in publicly available records. However, according to asbestos litigation records, plaintiffs alleged that heavy mining and minerals processing equipment manufactured by Nordberg and related predecessor companies incorporated asbestos-containing components as part of their standard construction and design during the mid-twentieth century.

Court filings document allegations that equipment of this type commonly contained asbestos in several applications, including:

  • Gaskets and packing materials used in crushers, mills, and screening equipment to seal joints and prevent leakage under high-heat and high-pressure operating conditions
  • Insulation materials applied to equipment housings, drive components, and processing systems to manage heat generated during continuous industrial operation
  • Friction materials used in clutch assemblies, brake mechanisms, and drive systems integral to the operation of large-scale crushing and conveying equipment
  • Refractory and cement products used in the installation, maintenance, and repair of processing equipment in mineral handling facilities

Plaintiffs alleged that Nordberg crushers — including cone crushers, jaw crushers, and gyratory crushers — were among the equipment types that may have incorporated these asbestos-containing components during manufacture or that required asbestos-containing replacement parts and maintenance materials during routine service. Court filings also document allegations related to screening equipment and associated structural and mechanical components used in aggregate and mining operations.

It is important to note that even where original equipment itself did not contain asbestos as a primary component, workers performing maintenance, repair, or overhaul of this type of heavy equipment were frequently exposed to asbestos through the use of gaskets, packing, and insulating materials sourced from third-party suppliers and specified in manufacturer maintenance documentation of the era. Plaintiffs have alleged in various proceedings that this secondary exposure pathway was significant for mechanics and maintenance workers in the mining industry.

Occupational Exposure

Workers in the mining, quarrying, and minerals processing industries represent a population with well-documented historical asbestos exposure risk. According to asbestos litigation records, the trades and job roles most commonly identified in claims involving mining equipment manufacturers include:

Mine mechanics and equipment maintenance workers who performed regular service on crushing, screening, and conveying equipment. This work frequently involved removing and replacing gaskets, packing, and insulating materials — tasks that plaintiffs alleged generated significant airborne asbestos fiber when performed without appropriate protective equipment, which was largely absent or inadequate during the relevant decades.

Millwrights and industrial mechanics responsible for the installation, alignment, and commissioning of large processing equipment in mineral handling facilities. Court filings document allegations that installation of this equipment often required cutting, shaping, or fitting asbestos-containing materials to accommodate site-specific configurations.

Equipment operators who worked in close proximity to running machinery and who may have been exposed to asbestos fibers released from deteriorating insulation, gaskets, or packing materials during normal equipment operation.

Laborers and general workers in mine and quarry settings who assisted with equipment maintenance, cleanup, and debris removal in environments where asbestos-containing materials may have been disturbed.

Supervision and engineering personnel who spent time in mine processing facilities overseeing equipment operation and maintenance activities, potentially receiving bystander exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases — the time between first exposure and disease diagnosis — typically ranges from 20 to 50 years. This means that workers who handled equipment in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s may be receiving diagnoses of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer today. Workers do not need to have been employed directly by a manufacturer to have a viable legal claim; exposure through the use of a manufacturer’s equipment on a jobsite has formed the basis of asbestos litigation across the country.

Family members of mine and quarry workers should also be aware that secondary or take-home asbestos exposure — occurring when workers carried asbestos fibers home on clothing, skin, or hair — has been recognized as a source of disease in household contacts of industrial workers.

Metso Minerals and its predecessor entities, including Nordberg Manufacturing Company, have been named as defendants in asbestos personal injury litigation in the United States. According to asbestos litigation records, these cases have generally proceeded through the civil court system. As of the time of this writing, no dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust has been established by Metso Minerals to compensate victims of asbestos exposure related to its products or those of its predecessors.

Court filings document that plaintiffs in these cases have alleged exposure to asbestos through Nordberg and related equipment, asserting claims under theories of negligence, failure to warn, and strict product liability. Because no trust fund exists for this defendant, individuals seeking compensation must pursue claims through direct litigation against the company or its successors in the appropriate civil court.

The absence of a trust fund does not mean that compensation is unavailable. Claimants may still have viable legal options depending on their documented exposure history, the specific equipment involved, the corporate successor currently bearing liability, and applicable statutes of limitation. Because mining equipment commonly contained components from multiple manufacturers, workers may also have valid claims against gasket, packing, and insulation manufacturers that have established asbestos bankruptcy trusts — many of which are currently accepting claims.

Who may be affected: Workers who operated, serviced, or worked near Nordberg or Metso Minerals crushing, screening, or conveying equipment in mining and quarrying operations from approximately the 1940s through the early 1980s, as well as their family members who may have experienced secondary exposure.

Diagnosed conditions: Mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related pleural disease, and lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure are the primary conditions at issue in litigation of this type.

Trust fund status: No asbestos bankruptcy trust has been established for Metso Minerals or Nordberg Manufacturing Company. Compensation claims must be pursued through civil litigation.

Other potential sources of recovery: Because mining and processing operations involved equipment and materials from many manufacturers, workers may have valid claims against multiple defendants, including manufacturers of asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and insulation who have established bankruptcy trusts. An experienced asbestos attorney can evaluate the full range of potential defendants based on a claimant’s complete work history.

Time limits: Statutes of limitation for asbestos claims vary and are generally measured from the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure. Workers and family members who have received a recent diagnosis should consult with an attorney as promptly as possible to protect their legal rights.

This article is provided for informational and historical reference purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals with potential asbestos exposure claims should consult a qualified asbestos litigation attorney to evaluate their specific circumstances.