Manufacturer Background

Lectromelt Furnace Corporation was a principal U.S. manufacturer of electric arc furnaces, induction furnaces, and electric melting equipment used in U.S. steel mills, foundries, and metals-industry process facilities. Lectromelt’s product line included the Lectrohearth brand of electric furnaces. Per publicly filed listserv discussion in U.S. asbestos litigation circles (July 2022), Lectromelt Furnace Corporation allegedly became a division of McGraw-Edison Company in 1956, and the assets were later acquired by Cooper Industries following Cooper’s 1985 acquisition of McGraw-Edison.

The Lectromelt / Lectrohearth furnace product line is allegedly named in publicly filed U.S. asbestos litigation regarding asbestos-bearing components used in electric arc furnace, induction furnace, and electric melting equipment construction during the 1950s-1980s asbestos era. Workers at Lectromelt manufacturing facilities, at industrial furnace installation sites, and at customer steel mills, foundries, and metals-industry facilities allegedly handled asbestos-bearing refractory, insulation, gaskets, electrical components, and structural insulating materials during the asbestos era.

Documented Asbestos-Bearing Products

  • Lectrohearth-brand electric arc furnaces for steel mill and foundry applications
  • Lectromelt induction furnaces for foundry and metals-processing applications
  • Electric melting furnaces for steel and non-ferrous metals production
  • Asbestos refractory and furnace insulation in furnace walls, roofs, and hearth construction
  • Asbestos-bearing gaskets at furnace door, electrode, and tap-hole interfaces
  • Asbestos cloth, blanket, and rope in furnace seal and electrode-clamp applications
  • Asbestos-bearing electrical components — phenolic-asbestos switch housings, Bakelite-type laminate panels, asbestos-cement-board barriers in furnace control panels
  • Asbestos electrical insulation on furnace heating-electrode bus connections and high-voltage feeders

Corporate Succession

Per publicly filed allegations in U.S. asbestos litigation:

  • Lectromelt Furnace Corporation — independent U.S. manufacturer (early-mid 20th century)
  • McGraw-Edison Company — acquired Lectromelt as a division in 1956
  • Cooper Industries — acquired McGraw-Edison in 1985, including the Lectromelt furnace assets
  • Subsequent corporate successors per Cooper Industries’ divestitures of legacy electrical-equipment businesses

The McGraw-Edison parent company is also documented as the operator of the Pennsylvania Transformer Division (Canonsburg PA) and the Toastmaster Inc. appliance division (Boonville MO) — both separately covered in dedicated AsbestosIndex Product Crosswalk pages.

How Workers Were Exposed

Per publicly filed allegations in U.S. asbestos litigation, workers were allegedly exposed to Lectromelt / Lectrohearth asbestos-bearing components during:

  • Furnace manufacturing and assembly at Lectromelt and McGraw-Edison plants — handling asbestos refractory, insulation, gaskets, and electrical components during new-furnace construction
  • Furnace installation at customer sites — refractory installation, electrical-distribution wiring, and structural assembly at steel mills, foundries, and metals-industry facilities
  • Furnace service, repair, refractory rebuild, and decommissioning at customer sites — extracting and replacing aged asbestos-bearing refractory, insulation, and gaskets (highest-exposure activity)
  • Boilermaker, refractory installer, ironworker, and millwright work at industrial steel mills and foundries servicing Lectromelt furnaces
  • Electrical maintenance — handling asbestos-bearing furnace control-panel components during in-service repair

Workforce Trade Hub

  • Industrial Substation Electrician — industrial electricians servicing Lectromelt furnace electrical-distribution
  • Refractory installers, boilermakers, ironworkers, and millwrights at customer steel mill and foundry facilities

Workers exposed to Lectromelt / Lectrohearth electric arc furnaces, induction furnaces, or asbestos-bearing furnace components at any U.S. manufacturing plant, steel mill, foundry, or metals-industry facility may have legal rights if they have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease.

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

All consultations are free. No fee unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf.

This information reflects exposure pathways and product documentation drawn from publicly filed asbestos litigation, federal regulatory records, and industry archives. It does not constitute a finding of fact or liability with respect to any specific manufacturer, supplier, or facility operator.