Armstrong International Float-and-Thermostatic Traps

Product Description

Armstrong International, headquartered in Three Rivers, Michigan, has been a prominent manufacturer of steam system components for industrial and commercial applications since the late nineteenth century. Among its core product lines are float-and-thermostatic (F&T) steam traps — mechanical devices engineered to automatically discharge condensate and non-condensable gases from steam distribution systems while preventing the escape of live steam.

Float-and-thermostatic traps operate through a dual-mechanism design. A hollow float rises and falls with the level of condensate that collects inside the trap body, opening and closing a valve seat to release water as it accumulates. A separate thermostatic element — typically a bellows or bimetallic strip — responds to temperature differentials to vent air and carbon dioxide, gases that would otherwise impair heating efficiency. The result is a trap capable of handling continuous condensate loads across a wide range of operating pressures, making F&T traps well suited to large-scale industrial heating systems, process equipment, heat exchangers, and steam distribution networks in manufacturing plants, refineries, hospitals, and institutional facilities.

Armstrong’s F&T traps were engineered for durability in demanding environments. The trap bodies were cast from iron or steel, designed to withstand prolonged exposure to high-pressure steam and the corrosive byproducts of condensate systems. Because these devices were integral components of complex steam infrastructure, they were installed, maintained, and replaced repeatedly over the operational lifespans of the facilities that used them.

Asbestos Content

Litigation records document that Armstrong International F&T steam traps and related steam system components were associated with asbestos-containing materials during a significant portion of the twentieth century. Plaintiffs alleged that asbestos was present in gaskets, packing materials, and insulating components that were either supplied with the traps or specified for use during installation and maintenance.

Steam traps operate at elevated temperatures and pressures, conditions that historically made asbestos-containing gaskets and packing the materials of choice for sealing trap connections, flanged joints, and valve assemblies. Plaintiffs alleged that when workers installed, inspected, repaired, or replaced F&T traps, they routinely encountered asbestos-containing sheet gaskets that required cutting or trimming to fit, and braided rope packing that had to be removed from valve stems and stuffing boxes before replacement. Both operations are documented in occupational health literature as capable of generating airborne asbestos fibers.

Additionally, plaintiffs alleged that steam traps and the pipe systems in which they were embedded were commonly covered with asbestos pipe insulation and block insulation, and that work on or near trap assemblies necessarily disturbed this insulation. Whether the asbestos was incorporated into the trap components themselves or introduced through the surrounding thermal insulation systems, workers in proximity to F&T trap maintenance activities faced potential fiber release.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers across a broad range of trades and facilities were potentially exposed to asbestos in connection with Armstrong F&T steam trap installations and maintenance. Litigation records document claims from workers employed in settings where steam distribution systems were central to operations — including paper mills, textile plants, chemical processing facilities, oil refineries, power generating stations, automotive manufacturing plants, and large commercial or institutional buildings.

Pipefitters and steamfitters who installed and maintained trap assemblies performed tasks that litigation records identify as particularly exposure-intensive. Cutting compressed asbestos sheet gaskets to shape for flanged trap connections released respirable fiber. Scraping degraded gasket material from flange faces after trap removal could release fiber from both the gasket remnants and any bonding compounds used to seat them. Replacing asbestos rope packing from valve stems and body bonnets involved pulling and cutting friable material in confined mechanical spaces.

Millwrights and maintenance mechanics in industrial plants were commonly responsible for periodic trap surveys and trap repairs as part of routine steam system upkeep. Plaintiffs alleged that because F&T traps require periodic internal inspection — checking float mechanisms for leaks, cleaning sediment strainers, and verifying thermostatic element function — workers disassembled trap bodies regularly, disturbing internal gaskets and packing in the process.

Insulators and laggers who applied or removed thermal insulation on steam trap assemblies and the adjacent piping also faced potential exposure, particularly in facilities where asbestos pipe covering and block insulation remained in place through the 1970s and into later decades when insulation disturbance occurred during maintenance or renovation.

General industrial workers in plants with extensive steam distribution infrastructure were exposed as bystanders. Steam traps are typically installed at low points in steam lines and at the inlets and outlets of process equipment throughout a facility, meaning that trap maintenance was performed in production areas, equipment rooms, and utility corridors where other workers were present. Litigation records document that ambient fiber levels in these spaces could affect workers who were not themselves performing the maintenance task.

OSHA’s general industry standards governing asbestos exposure — codified at 29 C.F.R. § 1910.1001 — establish permissible exposure limits and require engineering controls, respiratory protection, and regulated work areas when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed. The historical record indicates that these protections were not uniformly available to workers in industrial facilities during the decades when asbestos-containing gaskets and insulation were in standard use.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

Armstrong International is classified as a Tier 2 product for purposes of asbestos litigation tracking on this platform. No dedicated Armstrong International asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established, as Armstrong International has not undergone the Chapter 11 asbestos reorganization process that results in trust fund formation under 11 U.S.C. § 524(g). Asbestos claims involving Armstrong F&T traps are pursued through the civil tort litigation system rather than through a trust claims process.

Litigation records document that plaintiffs have filed asbestos personal injury lawsuits naming Armstrong International as a defendant in connection with steam trap and steam system component exposures. Plaintiffs alleged failure to warn of the hazards associated with asbestos-containing gaskets and packing materials used with or in conjunction with Armstrong products. Claims have proceeded in state and federal courts, with plaintiffs typically alleging negligence, strict products liability, and failure to warn theories.

Workers or surviving family members who believe they were exposed to asbestos through contact with Armstrong F&T traps or associated steam system components should consult with an attorney experienced in asbestos personal injury litigation. Relevant documentation for potential claims may include employment records confirming work at facilities with Armstrong steam systems, union membership records, facility maintenance logs, product invoices or purchase records, and medical records documenting a diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease.

Statutes of limitations for asbestos claims vary by state and typically begin running from the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure. Timely legal consultation is important to preserve claim rights. Attorneys handling asbestos matters can evaluate whether claims may also exist against manufacturers of the gaskets, packing, or insulation materials used in connection with Armstrong steam system products, as multiple defendants are common in asbestos personal injury litigation.