Product Description
Wilden Pump & Engineering, founded by Jim Wilden and headquartered in Grand Terrace, California, was one of the original manufacturers of air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pump technology. Wilden AODD pumps were installed at chemical plants, refineries, paint and coatings operations, mining sites, food processing facilities, and municipal wastewater treatment plants across the United States. Wilden pumps handled corrosive acids, solvents, slurries, adhesives, and abrasive fluids.
Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Wilden AODD pumps used during the asbestos era contained asbestos-based flange gaskets between the pump body halves, at inlet/outlet manifolds, and at the air-valve assembly interface. Replacement gasket kits and sheet-gasket stock used to rebuild Wilden pumps allegedly incorporated chrysotile asbestos supplied by Garlock, John Crane, and Anchor Packing.
Workers Exposed
Plaintiffs alleged that workers exposed to asbestos through Wilden AODD pumps included:
- Chemical-plant and refinery millwrights who broke down Wilden pumps for diaphragm and gasket replacement
- Pipefitters and maintenance mechanics who cut and scraped asbestos flange gaskets during pump rebuilds
- Paint-plant operators servicing Wilden transfer pumps handling pigments, resins, and solvents
- Wastewater and mining maintenance workers rebuilding AODD pumps handling abrasive slurries