Was Injection Molders Supply (IMS) asbestos documented in litigation?

Injection Molders Supply (IMS) 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 Injection Molders Supply (IMS) asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Injection Molders Supply (IMS) 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.

Molding-Machines

Injection Molders Supply (IMS) asbestos-insulated replacement cylinders and band heaters

Historical Referencec. 1950s-1970s

Overview Product Facts Trades

Historical Reference: Drawn from regulatory records and industry literature. Does not represent a legal finding.

Product Description

Injection Molders Supply Co. (IMS), headquartered at 3514 Lee Road, Cleveland 20, Ohio, was an aftermarket supplier of replacement cylinders, band heaters, heated nozzles, and ancillary components for the major U.S. injection molding machine lines of the postwar era. IMS published replacement cylinder and heater assemblies dimensioned specifically for popular machines including the Reed-Prentice 8-ounce frame, and supplied molders nationally with rebuild and upgrade components.

Per contemporaneous trade-press records, IMS marketed double-capacity replacement cylinders with twice the wattage of original-equipment heaters while operating at lower surface temperatures — products positioned for plastic molders producing thin-wall sections requiring improved heat distribution.

Asbestos Content

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed asbestos litigation that IMS replacement cylinders, band heaters, and nozzle assemblies were supplied with asbestos-containing thermal insulation through at least the early 1970s. The asbestos insulation was specified to retain process heat, protect operators, and stabilize melt temperature on the heated process surfaces.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers replacing IMS-supplied cylinders and band heaters on Reed-Prentice and other injection molding machines were exposed during installation, removal, and replacement work:

Cylinder installation — Unpacking and installing new IMS replacement cylinders required handling asbestos insulation jackets
Band heater replacement — Routine maintenance work that disturbed asbestos cylinder and band insulation
Cylinder removal during major rebuilds — Stripping and replacing the entire IMS cylinder assembly handled asbestos-bearing components
Field service work by IMS technicians, used-equipment dealers, and rebuild shops handling IMS-supplied components

Plaintiffs alleged that plastic molding operators, plant maintenance mechanics, millwrights, and field-service technicians were exposed to airborne asbestos fiber during these routine activities.

Plants Where IMS Components Were Installed

IMS aftermarket cylinders and band heaters were installed at U.S. plastic molders running Reed-Prentice 8-ounce and other-capacity machines from the 1950s through the 1970s — including molders producing dispenser pumps, trigger sprayers, electrical components, household products, and packaging.

This information reflects facility history, 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.

Documented End-User Plants and Worker Populations

IMS-supplied aftermarket replacement cylinders, band heaters, and nozzle assemblies were installed at U.S. plastic-molding plants running Reed-Prentice and other major-brand injection-molding machines from the 1950s through the 1970s. IMS-related worker exposure occurred at:

Plastic Dispenser, Sprayer, and Packaging Molders

Trigger-sprayer, finger-pump, dispenser-pump, plastic-bottle, plastic-jar, plastic-closure, and rigid-container molders running Reed-Prentice and other major-brand machines supplied with IMS aftermarket cylinders and heaters

Electrical-Component, Small-Appliance, Automotive, and Industrial Molders

Electrical-switchgear and panelboard molders, small-appliance plastic-component molders, automotive plastic-component molders, and independent plastic-molding houses running Reed-Prentice and other major-brand machines that received IMS aftermarket cylinder and band-heater replacements

Worker Populations Across All End-User Plants

Plastic molding operators, plant maintenance mechanics, millwrights, machinist-rebuild crews, and bystander workers at all of these end-user plants were exposed to airborne asbestos fiber from IMS-supplied cylinder insulation, band-heater insulation, and nozzle assemblies during routine installation, band-heater replacement, cylinder rewrap, and machine rebuild work throughout the asbestos era.

All The Ways Someone May Have Been Exposed to IMS Aftermarket Cylinder and Band-Heater Asbestos-Bearing Insulation

Direct Worker Exposure at Plants Installing IMS Replacement Components

Plastic-molding press operators running Reed-Prentice 8-oz and other major-brand machines retrofitted with IMS aftermarket cylinders, band heaters, and nozzles
Maintenance mechanics, millwrights, and machinist-rebuild crews performing the actual cylinder installation, band-heater replacement, and nozzle assembly work
Plant electricians servicing heater wiring, thermocouples, and contactors at IMS-retrofitted presses
Used-equipment dealers and rebuild shops installing IMS components on used presses for resale

Field-Service Technicians and Specialty Service Providers

IMS field-service technicians performing on-site customer cylinder and heater installations
Independent plastic-machinery service contractors installing IMS replacement components
Reed-Prentice service technicians (independent or factory-affiliated) installing aftermarket replacement components

Named End-User Plant Industries

Trigger-sprayer, finger-pump, dispenser-pump, plastic-bottle, plastic-jar, plastic-closure, and rigid-container molders running Reed-Prentice machines with IMS retrofits
Electrical-component molders (Square D, Westinghouse, GE, Federal Pacific phenolic suppliers)
Small-appliance plastic-component molders (McGraw-Edison Toastmaster supplier base)
Automotive plastic-component molders
Independent plastic-molding houses nationwide running Reed-Prentice and similar major-brand machines

Plant Auxiliary and Bystander Worker Exposure

Plant maintenance mechanics, millwrights, pipefitters, and plant electricians
Plant janitorial and housekeeping crews
Plant cafeteria, security, and front-office personnel (HVAC bystander)

Used-Equipment, Auction, and Plant-Closure Exposure

Plant-closure auction workers removing IMS-retrofitted presses
Used-equipment dealers and rebuild shops handling IMS replacement components
Equipment-relocation riggers

Worker Family, Take-Home, and Bystander Exposure

Spouses laundering work clothes of IMS-component installation workers
Children and household members
Carpool partners

Community and Environmental Exposure

Plastic-molding-plant community residents
Demolition crews at former plastic-molding plants

Regulatory and Research Contact

OSHA inspectors and industrial hygienists at plastic-molding plants
NIOSH plastics-industry researchers
EPA Superfund contractors

Free Case Review — Attorney Advertising

If You Worked at Injection Molders Supply (IMS) asbestos-insulated replacement cylinders and band heaters

If you or a family member worked at Injection Molders Supply (IMS) asbestos-insulated replacement cylinders and band heaters and were exposed to asbestos-containing materials at this facility — and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease — you may have a legal claim. Time-sensitive filing deadlines apply.

✓ Free case evaluation — no obligation
✓ No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
✓ Trust fund claims and civil lawsuits pursued simultaneously

Speak with an attorney

(314) 207-2823

O'Brien Law Firm · Free consultation

Get a Free Case Evaluation ›

O'Brien Law Firm — Attorney Advertising. Visiting this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. No fee unless a financial recovery is made.

Product Facts

Trade NameInjection Molders Supply (IMS) asbestos-insulated replacement cylinders and band heaters

Years Producedc. 1950s-1970s

CategoryMolding-Machines

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Plastic molding operatorsIndustrial maintenance mechanics

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 have a legal claim. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

Living with a diagnosis?

If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.

Lost a loved one to mesothelioma?

Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.

Free case evaluation — no obligation to hire
No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
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.