Bendix Corporation Clutch Facings with Chrysotile

Product Description

Bendix Corporation was one of the most prominent manufacturers of friction materials in the United States throughout much of the twentieth century. Among its extensive product lines, Bendix produced clutch facings — the friction components that engage and disengage the drive train in automotive, commercial vehicle, and industrial power transmission applications. These clutch facings were engineered to withstand the intense heat and mechanical stress generated each time a clutch was engaged, and for decades the material of choice for achieving those performance characteristics was asbestos, specifically in the form of chrysotile fibers.

Clutch facings are annular or segmented friction discs that are bonded or woven onto clutch plates. When the driver or operator releases the clutch pedal, the facing presses against the flywheel or pressure plate, creating the frictional contact that transfers engine power to the transmission. The facing must resist extremely high temperatures generated at the friction interface, maintain consistent coefficients of friction across a range of operating conditions, and endure repeated mechanical loading without delaminating or cracking. Chrysotile asbestos, with its heat resistance, tensile strength, and compatibility with bonding resins, was considered the technically superior reinforcement material for these components for much of the industry’s history.

Bendix manufactured clutch facings for a wide range of applications, supplying both original equipment manufacturers and the automotive and industrial aftermarket. Their products reached passenger cars, heavy trucks, agricultural machinery, construction equipment, and stationary industrial power equipment. The Bendix name in friction products was well established, and the company’s manufacturing operations and product distribution extended across the country.

Asbestos Content

Bendix clutch facings in this product category were manufactured using chrysotile asbestos as a primary constituent material. Chrysotile, also known as white asbestos, belongs to the serpentine mineral group and was the most commercially prevalent form of asbestos used in friction material manufacturing throughout most of the twentieth century.

In clutch facing manufacture, chrysotile fibers were incorporated through several production methods. Woven facings used chrysotile yarn or thread interlaced with metal wire to form a fabric that was then impregnated with binding resins and cured under heat and pressure. Molded facings combined chrysotile fibers with fillers, friction modifiers, and thermosetting resins, which were then compression-molded into the finished shape. In both processes, the chrysotile fibers were distributed throughout the body of the facing, providing the structural reinforcement and thermal stability required for the component to function under operating conditions.

The proportion of asbestos in clutch facings varied by formulation and application but was typically substantial, as the fiber content was directly tied to the friction and heat resistance properties the product was designed to deliver. This high fiber content is relevant to understanding the potential for fiber release during the product’s lifecycle, from manufacture through installation and service.

How Workers Were Exposed

Litigation records document that industrial workers and others who manufactured, installed, serviced, or worked in proximity to Bendix chrysotile clutch facings faced potential exposure to airborne asbestos fibers at multiple points in the product’s lifecycle.

During manufacturing, workers who processed raw chrysotile fiber, blended formulations, operated molding equipment, and performed finishing and trimming operations on clutch facings were potentially exposed to airborne chrysotile dust generated at each of these production stages. Dry fiber handling and machining operations — including grinding, drilling, and cutting of cured facings to finished dimensions — were stages at which fiber release was documented as a recognized industrial hygiene concern.

During installation and replacement, clutch facings that had worn in service were removed and new facings were installed. Plaintiffs alleged that worn clutch facings, which had been subjected to repeated high-temperature friction cycles, released asbestos-containing dust when disturbed during removal. Additionally, new facings were sometimes trimmed or fitted to specific applications, and any machining of asbestos-containing friction material generates respirable dust.

During service operations in industrial settings, workers operating or maintaining equipment fitted with Bendix clutch facings could encounter accumulated asbestos-containing dust in clutch housings, transmission casings, and the surrounding machinery. Blowing out clutch assemblies with compressed air — a common maintenance practice for many years — was identified in occupational health literature as a particularly high-exposure task, as it dispersed accumulated asbestos dust directly into the breathing zone of the worker and into the surrounding work environment.

Litigation records document that industrial workers generally constituted a significant portion of those alleging exposure to Bendix clutch facings, including workers in manufacturing plants, equipment maintenance facilities, and other industrial settings where power transmission equipment was regularly serviced. Plaintiffs alleged that Bendix was aware of the hazards associated with chrysotile asbestos in its friction products and that warnings adequate to protect workers were not provided in a timely manner.

The latency characteristics of asbestos-related diseases — which can take decades to manifest after initial exposure — mean that individuals exposed to Bendix clutch facings during peak production and use years may only now be receiving diagnoses of asbestos-related conditions.

Documented Product Identification

The following details are drawn from public asbestos litigation records, manufacturer catalog pages, technical manuals, and corporate history materials. Each item reflects the product as documented in those sources.

Documented asbestos-use period: 1930-1987

Corporate context: Bendix manufactured brakes and brake linings from 1930 through 1987. The company is now part of Honeywell International, Inc., which handles service of process through Illinois Corporation Service Company in Springfield, IL.

Brand identification: Bendix, BULLS-EYE, ECLIPSE, EDF, FK / FRICTION KING, FK II, Marshall, Marshall-Eclipse, S.L., SLADE

Documented asbestos components: brake linings, brake blocks, brake shoes, disc brake pads, clutch facings, arcuate segments.

Documented asbestos-component suppliers: the public records lists the following external suppliers of asbestos-bearing packing, gaskets, and seals used in conjunction with this manufacturer’s equipment — North American Asbestos Corporation (1970-1974).

Industries served: Automotive (cars, trucks, trailers, buses), Farm equipment, Construction equipment, Aviation (airplanes), Golf carts, Military vehicles.

Documented product lines:

  • Bendix Hydraulic Assemblies & Shoes (1934-??). Hydraulic brake assemblies and shoes for automotive applications — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Brake Blocks (1948-1988). Brake blocks for automotive braking systems — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Brake Linings (1939-1988). Replacement and original equipment brake linings — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Brake Assemblies & Lined Brake Shoes (1932-1988). Complete brake assemblies with lined brake shoes — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Lined Disc Brakes & Shoes (1966-1988). Disc brake pads and shoes with friction linings — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • BULLS-EYE Brake Linings (1939-1948). Brand name brake lining product line — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • ECLIPSE Brake Linings (1939-1987). Brand name brake lining product line — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • EDF Brake Linings (1946-1987). Brand name brake lining product line — asbestos components: brake linings.

Bendix was the exclusive brake lining supplier for Ford light trucks for over 20 years and supplied 100% of Ford brakes from mid-1960s until disc brakes emerged. Also sole supplier for military jeeps and M-151 vehicles, and 100% of AMC/Nash drum brakes.