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Did you work with Asten Asbestos Dryer Felts, Forming Fabrics, Press Felts for Paper Machines? According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, it allegedly contained asbestos. Here is what it was, who was exposed, and who is responsible. Asten Asbestos Dryer Felts, Forming Fabrics, Press Felts for Paper Machines, made by Asten Johnson, sold from around the 1940s until the 1980s. Asten-Johnson (and predecessor Asten Group) manufactured paper-machine dryer felts, forming fabrics, and press felts for the U.S. pulp-and-paper industry. Plaintiffs allege Asten asbestos-loaded dryer felts released respirable chrysotile fibers during installation, change-out, and operation in paper mills. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, this product allegedly contained the following: chrysotile asbestos fiber in paper-machine dryer felts and asbestos-loaded specialty fabrics. Workers allegedly exposed around this product included Paper-mill maintenance workers, Paper machine tenders, and Pulp-and-paper mill millwrights. Asbestos claims are brought against the companies that made the products. If you worked with or around Asten Asbestos Dryer Felts, Forming Fabrics, Press Felts for Paper Machines and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.
Product Description
Asten-Johnson, Inc. (and the historic Asten Group, headquartered Charleston, South Carolina) manufactured through the asbestos era a major U.S. line of paper-machine dryer felts, forming fabrics, and press felts specified for installation on the dryer-can sections of U.S. and Canadian pulp-and-paper machines. Asbestos-loaded dryer felts were the industry standard from the 1940s through the late 1970s, valued for their heat resistance against the 200-250°F dryer cans of large kraft and newsprint paper machines.
Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Asten dryer felts and related paper-mill specialty fabrics contained chrysotile asbestos throughout the documented production era and that paper-mill maintenance workers, paper machine tenders, and millwrights who installed, changed out, and ran Asten asbestos dryer felts released respirable asbestos fibers — particularly during felt change-outs when worn felts were cut out and replaced on running machines and during routine paper-machine operation as fibers shed from the running felt.
Asten-Johnson / Asten Group has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.
Workers Exposed
- Paper-mill maintenance workers changing out dryer felts
- Paper machine tenders and operators
- Pulp-and-paper mill millwrights
- United Paperworkers / United Steelworkers / Pulp & Paperworkers members