Manufacturer: Buffalo Forge Company Headquarters: Buffalo, New York Founded: 1878 Documented Asbestos Use: Mid-twentieth century (allegations in litigation records) Product Categories: Ventilation and exhaust fans; forced-draft blowers; turbine gland exhausters; axial and tube-axial fans Legal Status: Tier 2 — Active and historical litigation; no bankruptcy trust established

Company History

Buffalo Forge Company was founded in 1878 in Buffalo, New York, by brothers William F. and Henry Wendt. The company began as a manufacturer of blacksmith forges and mechanical blowers, and over the following decades expanded into a broad line of air-moving and heat-transfer equipment. By the early twentieth century Buffalo Forge had become a nationally recognized maker of centrifugal blowers, propeller and axial fans, exhausters, and mechanical-draft equipment used to heat and ventilate factories, mills, public buildings, ships, and power plants. It was at Buffalo Forge that engineer Willis Carrier developed early work in air conditioning around 1902.

Buffalo Forge fans, blowers, and draft equipment were distributed broadly across American industry throughout the mid-twentieth century, appearing in heating and ventilating systems, boiler forced-draft and induced-draft installations, and marine machinery spaces. The company was later acquired by Ampco-Pittsburgh in 1981.

According to U.S. Navy machinery and equipment records, Buffalo Forge air-handling equipment was documented as installed original equipment (OEM) aboard U.S. Navy vessels, including aircraft carriers such as USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59). In shipboard service, fans, blowers, and gland exhausters were installed in engineering, boiler, and ventilation spaces where they operated in proximity to insulated steam and machinery systems.

During the decades when air-handling and draft equipment of this type was manufactured — roughly the 1940s through the early 1980s — asbestos was a standard material in mechanical sealing, high-temperature gaskets, and thermal insulation across the industry. According to asbestos litigation records, workers who installed or maintained Buffalo Forge equipment during this era have alleged exposure to asbestos-containing components associated with those products.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Buffalo Forge did not manufacture asbestos as a raw material. However, according to asbestos litigation records, certain fans, blowers, and draft equipment associated with the company were alleged to have incorporated, or to have been installed and maintained with, asbestos-containing components during the period of their manufacture and use.

Gaskets were among the components most commonly identified in litigation involving air-handling and draft equipment of this type. Compressed asbestos fiber gaskets were an industry standard for sealing housings, access doors, flanged duct connections, and bearing assemblies during the mid-twentieth century. Plaintiffs have alleged that fans and blowers of this era were furnished and serviced with asbestos-containing gaskets.

Forced-draft blowers and turbine gland exhausters served boiler and turbine installations that operated at elevated temperatures. Court filings in cases involving comparable equipment allege that high-temperature gaskets, packing, and external insulation lagging associated with draft equipment contained asbestos, and that these materials could release fibers when the equipment was assembled, opened, or maintained.

Thermal insulation and lagging applied to hot-running fan casings, ductwork, and adjacent steam machinery is documented in litigation records involving air-handling equipment as an alleged source of asbestos fiber. Because insulation degrades and requires periodic replacement, plaintiffs have alleged that removal and reapplication of lagging around this equipment disturbed asbestos-containing material.

Whether a specific Buffalo Forge model incorporated asbestos-containing components, and the extent of any such use, varies across individual cases and jurisdictions. Individuals seeking to confirm the composition of a particular unit are encouraged to consult product documentation from the relevant era or an attorney with access to product identification records.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, exposure associated with air-handling and draft equipment of this type has been alleged across a range of industrial and marine occupations. The following worker categories appear with regularity in claims involving fans, blowers, and related equipment:

Boilermakers and Boiler-Room Workers — Workers who installed and maintained forced-draft blowers and induced-draft fans in boiler installations handled gaskets, packing, and insulation associated with this equipment.

Pipefitters and Millwrights — Maintenance personnel who opened housings, replaced gaskets and bearings, and reassembled fan and blower units were among those who could disturb asbestos-containing sealing materials, according to plaintiffs’ allegations.

HVAC and Sheet-Metal Workers — Installers and service workers who connected fans and blowers to ductwork and heating and ventilating systems have alleged exposure to gaskets and insulation used with this equipment.

Insulators — Workers who applied or removed thermal lagging on fan casings, ducts, and adjacent machinery have alleged exposure to asbestos-containing insulation.

Navy Personnel and Shipyard Workers — Machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, and shipyard trades who operated and maintained ventilation and draft equipment aboard naval vessels worked in enclosed machinery spaces where insulated systems and equipment were in close proximity.

Bystander and Secondary Exposure — Litigation records also reflect claims by workers who were not directly servicing this equipment but worked nearby while others disturbed asbestos-containing gaskets or insulation, as well as family members exposed through take-home contamination on work clothing.

The period of heaviest alleged exposure corresponds approximately to the 1940s through the early 1980s, consistent with the broader industrial use of asbestos-containing materials before regulatory action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prompted a significant reduction in asbestos use across American industry. Buffalo Forge equipment is understood to have been furnished with asbestos-containing sealing and insulation components consistent with industry practice of that period.

It should be noted that the latency period for asbestos-related diseases — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer — is typically between 20 and 50 years following initial exposure.

Trust Fund / Legal Status

Buffalo Forge Company is classified as a Tier 2 manufacturer for purposes of this reference site. This designation means that the company has been named as a defendant in asbestos-related litigation, but no dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established in its name. Accordingly, claims involving Buffalo Forge equipment are not resolved through a trust fund claims process in the same manner as claims against companies that reorganized under Chapter 11 specifically due to asbestos liability.

Plaintiffs have alleged in asbestos cases that asbestos-containing components were associated with Buffalo Forge fans, blowers, and draft equipment. Because the company has operated through corporate acquisitions over its history, individuals pursuing legal claims may need to account for corporate succession when identifying appropriate defendants. An experienced asbestos attorney can assist in tracing corporate histories and identifying responsible parties.

For individuals who worked with Buffalo Forge equipment and were also exposed to asbestos-containing products from other manufacturers — a common circumstance in industrial and marine environments — separate trust fund claims may be available through those manufacturers’ established asbestos trusts.

If you or a family member worked with or around Buffalo Forge fans, blowers, or draft equipment during the 1940s through the early 1980s and has since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, legal options may be available.

Key points to understand:

  • Buffalo Forge has been named in asbestos litigation, but does not operate a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Claims would be pursued through direct civil litigation rather than a trust claims process.
  • Corporate succession involving later ownership of Buffalo Forge may be relevant to identifying proper defendants.
  • Workers exposed to multiple asbestos-containing products — as was common in power plants, shipyards, and other industrial settings — may be eligible to file claims against multiple responsible parties, including manufacturers with established trust funds.
  • The long latency period for asbestos-related disease means that exposure from decades ago can give rise to claims today.
  • An attorney specializing in asbestos litigation can review your work history, identify relevant products and manufacturers, and advise on available legal remedies.

Documentation of your work history — including employers, job sites, job titles, and any product names or model numbers you can recall — is valuable when consulting with an attorney and should be preserved.

This reference article is provided for informational purposes to workers, families, and legal professionals researching asbestos exposure history. It does not constitute legal advice. Product identification and litigation history are drawn from publicly available court records and regulatory documentation.