SPX Corporation and Asbestos-Containing Products

Company History

SPX Corporation is an American diversified industrial manufacturer with roots reaching back to the early twentieth century. Originally known as Sealed Power Corporation, a Michigan-based manufacturer of piston rings and engine components, the company underwent significant expansion and diversification over the decades before rebranding as SPX Corporation. Through a series of acquisitions and mergers spanning much of the twentieth century, SPX grew into a broad industrial conglomerate with business segments covering flow control, power generation, vehicle service equipment, and industrial tools.

During the postwar industrial expansion of the 1940s through the 1970s, SPX and its predecessor and subsidiary entities manufactured and distributed a wide range of mechanical and fluid-handling equipment destined for heavy industry, manufacturing facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction sites. This period coincided with widespread industry reliance on asbestos as an insulating, sealing, and fireproofing material in industrial equipment — including the types of pump and flow-control components that SPX and its affiliates produced or distributed.

According to asbestos litigation records, SPX Corporation has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury lawsuits, with plaintiffs alleging exposure to asbestos-containing materials associated with equipment manufactured or sold under the SPX corporate umbrella or through its predecessor companies. The company ceased incorporating asbestos-containing materials into its products at approximately the beginning of the 1980s, consistent with broader industry trends following increased regulatory scrutiny and the emergence of health-based restrictions on asbestos use in industrial products.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records and court filings, plaintiffs alleged that asbestos-containing materials were present in various pump and fluid-handling components associated with SPX Corporation and its predecessor or subsidiary companies. The product types most frequently identified in litigation included:

Industrial Pumps and Pump Components Plaintiffs alleged that pumps manufactured or distributed under the SPX corporate structure incorporated asbestos-containing gaskets, packing materials, and insulation. Industrial pumps designed for high-temperature or high-pressure service commonly relied on asbestos-based sealing components because of asbestos’s heat resistance and durability under demanding process conditions. Court filings document claims that these components were present in equipment used across petrochemical, power generation, and heavy manufacturing environments.

Valve Packing and Mechanical Seals Asbestos litigation records reflect claims that valve packing materials and mechanical seals associated with SPX pump and flow-control equipment contained asbestos fibers. Braided asbestos packing was an industry-standard sealing material for rotating shafts and valve stems throughout much of the mid-twentieth century, and plaintiffs alleged that workers who installed, operated, or maintained this equipment encountered asbestos-containing packing as a matter of routine service procedure.

Gaskets and Sealing Materials Court filings document allegations that asbestos-containing compressed sheet gaskets were specified for use with SPX-affiliated pump and piping equipment. These gaskets were used to seal flanged pipe connections, pump covers, and other joint surfaces subject to elevated temperatures and pressures. Plaintiffs alleged that cutting, trimming, or removing these gaskets released respirable asbestos fibers into the breathing zone of workers performing maintenance tasks.

Thermal Insulation Applied to Equipment In some litigation contexts, plaintiffs alleged that asbestos-containing insulation was applied over pump casings, pipe sections, and related equipment at job sites where SPX products were installed. While external insulation was often applied by separate trades rather than incorporated by the manufacturer, court filings in certain cases attributed exposure to the cumulative work environment created by multiple asbestos-containing products, including equipment insulation, in close proximity to the primary machinery.

It is important to note that the specific product formulations, models, and asbestos content percentages associated with SPX Corporation’s equipment are matters reflected in litigation allegations and technical discovery records rather than independently verified public documentation. The information presented here is drawn from the body of asbestos litigation rather than from regulatory enforcement findings or manufacturer disclosures.

Occupational Exposure

Workers across a range of industrial trades and job classifications potentially encountered asbestos-containing materials associated with SPX pump and flow-control equipment. According to asbestos litigation records, the most commonly identified exposure scenarios involved:

Pipefitters and Steamfitters Pipefitters and steamfitters installing or maintaining fluid-handling systems frequently worked directly with the gaskets, packing, and sealing materials associated with industrial pumps. Plaintiffs in this occupational category alleged repeated exposure during the installation of new equipment and during routine maintenance operations, including repacking pump shafts and replacing worn flange gaskets.

Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics Millwrights responsible for pump installation, alignment, and mechanical repair alleged exposure when disassembling pump housings, extracting deteriorated packing, and replacing sealing components. Court filings document claims that dry, degraded asbestos packing and gasket materials were particularly prone to generating dust during removal.

Power Plant and Refinery Workers SPX-affiliated pumps were used extensively in power generation and petrochemical refining applications, where high-temperature process fluids required robust sealing solutions. Operators, maintenance mechanics, and instrument technicians employed at these facilities were identified in litigation as having potentially sustained repeated, long-term exposure to asbestos-containing pump components over the course of careers spanning multiple decades.

Shipyard Workers Shipyards relied heavily on industrial pumps for bilge systems, cooling circuits, and fuel handling. Asbestos litigation records reflect claims from shipyard workers, including machinists and marine pipefitters, who alleged exposure to asbestos-containing materials in pumping systems installed during ship construction and repair. Given the confined spaces typical of shipboard work, even brief maintenance tasks could result in concentrated asbestos exposure in poorly ventilated areas.

Industrial Maintenance Contractors Third-party maintenance contractors who serviced pump equipment at industrial facilities were also identified as a potentially exposed population in asbestos litigation records. These workers moved between multiple job sites and multiple pieces of equipment, sometimes accumulating exposure from a variety of manufacturers and product types over the course of their working lives.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases — the interval between initial exposure and the development of conditions such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer — typically ranges from ten to fifty years. Workers exposed to asbestos-containing pump components in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s may be presenting with asbestos-related illness today.

SPX Corporation has not established an asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. As of the publication of this reference article, SPX Corporation has not filed for asbestos-related bankruptcy protection, and no dedicated asbestos claims trust exists through which individuals may submit claims directly against the company’s former asbestos-containing product lines.

According to asbestos litigation records, SPX Corporation has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury lawsuits filed in civil courts. Plaintiffs alleged that exposure to asbestos-containing materials associated with SPX and its predecessor or subsidiary entities caused serious and compensable injury. Court filings document that these claims have been litigated in the civil tort system rather than resolved through a centralized bankruptcy trust mechanism.

Individuals who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials associated with SPX Corporation or its affiliated product lines and who have subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, or other asbestos-related conditions have several potential avenues to explore:

  • Civil litigation against SPX Corporation as a named defendant, pursued through the standard tort system with the assistance of an attorney experienced in asbestos personal injury claims
  • Claims against other responsible parties, including the manufacturers of specific gasket, packing, or insulation materials used in conjunction with SPX equipment, many of whom have established bankruptcy trusts
  • Veterans’ benefits for individuals whose exposure occurred during military service, including shipyard work performed under Navy contracts

Because SPX has no associated trust fund, claims involving alleged exposure to its equipment require direct legal action. Documentation supporting such claims may include employment records, union membership records, job site affidavits, co-worker testimony, and product identification evidence linking specific SPX equipment to particular job sites and time periods.

Summary

SPX Corporation, a diversified industrial manufacturer with origins in engine components, grew through acquisitions to supply pump and flow-control equipment across American heavy industry from the mid-twentieth century onward. According to asbestos litigation records, plaintiffs alleged that gaskets, packing materials, and sealing components associated with SPX-affiliated pump equipment contained asbestos and exposed workers in power plants, refineries, shipyards, and industrial facilities to harmful asbestos fibers. The company is estimated to have ceased asbestos use by approximately the early 1980s.

SPX Corporation has not established an asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Workers or family members seeking compensation for asbestos-related illness connected to SPX equipment should consult with an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation to evaluate their exposure history and identify all potentially responsible parties, including any co-defendants whose products may also have contributed to documented asbestos exposure on the same job sites.