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
If You Worked With Asten Dryer Felts
If you installed, changed out, or worked alongside Asten paper-machine dryer felts, forming fabrics, or press felts during the asbestos era — including at any major U.S. or Canadian pulp-and-paper mill — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness — you may have legal rights.
Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956