Product Description

FLSmidth, headquartered in Copenhagen with long-running U.S. operations centered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and other subsidiaries, was one of the dominant engineering suppliers to the American cement and mineral-processing industries throughout the twentieth century. The FLSmidth catalog covered the complete cement-plant pyroprocess line — rotary kilns, preheater towers, clinker coolers, raw mills, finish mills, dust collectors, and material-handling systems — as well as grinding and separation equipment supplied to mining and mineral operations.

FLSmidth equipment was installed at cement plants across the United States and throughout the mining sector during the decades when asbestos was the routine high-temperature sealing and insulating material for industrial process equipment. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos litigation that FLSmidth kilns, mills, and associated equipment reached American worksites with asbestos-bearing components in place and that FLSmidth service literature directed maintenance crews to reinstall asbestos-bearing gaskets, packing, and refractory during ordinary shutdown and overhaul work.

Asbestos Content

Plaintiffs alleged that FLSmidth cement and mineral-processing equipment contained asbestos in one or more of the roles common to the category:

  • Kiln refractory and insulating linings — high-temperature furnace linings, insulating backup, and refractory-brick bedding materials.
  • High-temperature gaskets and packing — flanged access points on mills, kilns, coolers, and dust-collection housings.
  • Asbestos rope, cloth, and braided seals — kiln hoods, cooler transitions, and inspection doors where flexible high-temperature sealing was required.
  • External thermal insulation — asbestos block, blanket, and cement applied to kiln shells, preheater cyclones, and cooler housings.
  • Replacement parts and service instructions — plaintiffs alleged that FLSmidth service literature specified asbestos-bearing components for routine maintenance well into the 1970s.

Workers Exposed

  • Cement-plant maintenance mechanics and millwrights — kiln, mill, and cooler overhauls.
  • Refractory bricklayers — tearing out and rebuilding kiln linings during scheduled shutdowns.
  • Insulators — applying and removing asbestos block, blanket, and cement on kiln shells and preheater housings.
  • Pipefitters — tying process piping into kiln and mill installations.
  • Bystanders — laborers, electricians, and operators sharing confined work areas during shutdown campaigns.

Take-home exposure was alleged where workers carried asbestos fibers home on contaminated work clothing.

If You Worked With FLSmidth Cement or Mineral-Processing Equipment

If you worked with FLSmidth kilns, mills, coolers, or mineral-processing equipment — or worked in cement plants and mineral operations where this equipment was in service — and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, your work history may support an asbestos claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956