Was D-M-E Corporation (I.T. Quarnstrom) — asbestos documented in litigation?

D-M-E Corporation (I.T. Quarnstrom) — is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to D-M-E Corporation (I.T. Quarnstrom) — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to D-M-E Corporation (I.T. Quarnstrom) — products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Phenolic-Compounds

D-M-E Standard Mold Bases and Mold-Base Components for Plastics Injection Molding

⚖ Litigation Record1943-present (asbestos era through 1980s)Asbestos gasket and insulating-board components, asbestos electrical insulation on heater elements, asbestos heat-shield material in mold-base hot-runner systems

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Product Description

D-M-E Corporation (today DME Company LLC, headquartered Madison Heights Michigan; founded 1943 in Detroit by I.T. Quarnstrom) manufactured and marketed the first standard mold base for plastics injection molding — a foundational contribution to the U.S. plastics-molding industry credited by DuBois “Plastics History U.S.A.” (1972) as “a major contribution to all molding.” From the original 1943 standard mold base D-M-E expanded its product line to include standard mold components, heater elements, hot-runner systems, ejector pins, leader pins, mold inserts, and the full catalog of supplied mold-construction parts used in virtually every U.S. plastics injection molding shop through the asbestos era.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that D-M-E Corporation mold-base components and accessories were specified through the asbestos era with:

Asbestos insulating board and heat-shield material in hot-runner mold systems
Asbestos gasket material at mold-base fitted joints
Asbestos electrical wire insulation on heater-element wiring sold with D-M-E hot-runner systems
Asbestos heat-shielding used in mold-base construction for high-temperature applications

Mold-shop machinists who fabricated injection molds using D-M-E components, injection-molding setup workers who installed and serviced D-M-E hot-runner systems, and plant millwrights who serviced D-M-E components during routine mold maintenance disturbed asbestos as part of normal work.

D-M-E Corporation has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Mold-shop machinists fabricating injection molds with D-M-E components
Injection-molding setup workers installing D-M-E hot-runner systems
Plant millwrights servicing D-M-E components in operating injection-molding shops
Mold-base and mold-makers at independent and captive mold-shop facilities

If You Worked With D-M-E Mold-Base Components

If you fabricated, installed, or serviced D-M-E Corporation mold-base components, hot-runner systems, or heater elements during the asbestos era — 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

Product Facts

Trade NameD-M-E Standard Mold Bases and Mold-Base Components for Plastics Injection Molding

Years Produced1943-present (asbestos era through 1980s)

Asbestos ContentAsbestos gasket and insulating-board components, asbestos electrical insulation on heater elements, asbestos heat-shield material in mold-base hot-runner systems

CategoryPhenolic-Compounds Molding-Machines Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Mold-shop machinistsInjection-molding setup workersMold-base fabricatorsPlant millwrights

Sponsored Legal Resource — Attorney Advertising

Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

Free case evaluation — no obligation to hire
No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
Trust fund claims, civil lawsuits, and VA benefits pursued simultaneously

Call: (314) 207-2823 Free consultation — available now

O’Brien Law Firm

Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

Get a Free Case Evaluation

Attorney Advertising. This website is published by Rights Watch Media Group LLC, an independent media organization, and is not a law firm. Visiting this site or submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. O’Brien Law Firm is a licensed Missouri law firm. Free consultations are offered at no obligation. Legal representation is provided on a contingency basis — there is no charge unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf. Individual results vary; past results do not guarantee future outcomes. This site receives compensation when visitors connect with participating law firms.