Manufacturer Background

Spaulding Fibre Company, Inc. was historically headquartered in Tonawanda, New York and was a principal U.S. manufacturer of vulcanized fibre, phenolic laminate, and structural insulating components. Spaulding Fibre is identified on internal Bakelite (Union Carbide) sales records as a major customer / processor of phenolic compound during the asbestos era. Spaulding Fibre’s asbestos-bearing laminate and fibre products were allegedly supplied to large U.S. power transformer manufacturers, motor manufacturers, switchgear and breaker plants, and broader industrial customers across the 1950s-1980s asbestos era.

Documented Asbestos-Bearing Products

  • Spaulding Spauldite phenolic-asbestos laminate (also covered in a dedicated AP product page)
  • Spaulding vulcanized fibre — sheets, rods, tubes, and machined components
  • Spaulding transformer spacers — tube spacers, coil spacers, winding spacers, oil duct spacers, spacer sticks
  • Spaulding coil-end insulation and winding bobbins
  • Spaulding motor brush-holder insulators and end-bell components
  • Spaulding structural insulating components for switchgear and breaker assemblies

Documented Applications and Recipient Industries

Spaulding Fibre laminate and vulcanized fibre products were allegedly used by major U.S. power transformer manufacturers (Westinghouse, GE, Allis-Chalmers, McGraw-Edison / Pennsylvania Transformer Division, Cooper Power Systems, Federal Pacific, Niagara Transformer) for transformer spacers, coil-end insulation, and structural barriers. Spaulding products also entered the motor industry, the switchgear industry (Square D, Allen-Bradley, Cutler-Hammer/Eaton), and broader U.S. industrial markets.

How Workers Were Exposed

Per publicly filed allegations in U.S. asbestos litigation, workers exposed to Spaulding Fibre laminate, fibre, and structural insulating products allegedly handled them during:

  • Raw stock cutting, sawing, drilling, and machining — finishing operations on cured phenolic laminate or vulcanized fibre release fiber from the matrix
  • Component assembly — fitting laminate parts into transformer, switchgear, motor, and electrical-equipment assemblies
  • Field maintenance and rebuild — handling aged Spaulding Fibre components during equipment overhaul
  • Quality control and inspection — dimensional and electrical testing of cured laminate parts
  • Receiving, stockroom, and shipping — moving bulk laminate sheets and machined components in and out of the plant

The occupational health risks associated with asbestos inhalation are well established under OSHA standards and documented by regulatory bodies including the EPA. Diseases associated with asbestos exposure include mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related conditions, which may have latency periods of decades between initial exposure and clinical diagnosis.

Workers exposed to Spaulding Fibre laminate, vulcanized fibre, transformer board, or structural insulating components at any U.S. transformer plant, electrical equipment manufacturer, motor manufacturer, switchgear plant, or industrial 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.