The McLouth Steel Detroit Complex is a source of asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of Mesothelioma. McLouth Steel Detroit Plant was built by Donald B. McLouth as a small conversion mill on Livernois Avenue in Detroit, MI. The plant was revamped to produce only stainless steel in its later years and was bought by Jones and Laughlin Steel Company in 1981.
The Detroit mill initially consisted of a small reversing hot rolling strip mill with a slab heating furnace. The original hot strip mill was known as the “Coffee Grinder” from the sounds the mill would make. In 1938, the company brought online a single 4-high reversing cold reducing mill with ancillary facilities (annealing and finishing). Throughout the next few years, modifications were made to the equipment and eventually, the company had the capacity to roll 108,000 net tons per year of hot rolled products and 60,000 net tons of cold rolled steel products.
In 1947 McLouth Steel Detroit Plant began rolling stainless steel. Two single stand reversing cold reducing mills were installed with the related supplementary equipment. In 1954, $6,000,000 of the $100,000,000 expansion plan for the new Trenton plant was used to install two 4-high reversing cold rolling mills. With this new addition to the Detroit plant, the stainless-steel production was increased to 52,000 net tons per year.
The McLouth Steel Detroit Plant is a finishing facility for sheet and strip products only. Principal operating units are two 50-inch (1,300 mm)., 4-high cold reduction mills, a cold anneal and pickle line, a temper mill, two slitting lines (36in. and 24in.), and a coil polisher. The two 50in. Reduction mills are essentially identical. Both were installed in 1953 by United and combined, they both have an annual capacity of 120,000 tons. The cold anneal and pickle line was installed in 1975 by Production Machinery. The line consists of an entry end washing section to remove rolling oils, an open-air annealing furnace where the strip is heated above 1,900 °F (1,040 °C) and three acid pickling tanks followed by rinsing and drying units. Paper is interleaved between the coil wraps at the exit take up reel to avoid surface abrasion.
Steelmaking equipment, massive and complex, requires the skills of many people such as millwrights, pipefitters, carpenters, welders and various craftsmen who perform necessary maintenance and repair work. Others behind the steelmaking scenes who contribute greatly to steel production are those employed in the Operations, Production and Supervising Departments.
Exposures to the asbestos products at the mill can cause Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, Asbestosis and other cancers 10 – 40 years later. Even if you smoked you may be entitled to compensation if you are suffering an asbestos related disease.
Slab Furnaces: The slab furnaces reheat the slabs in order to go through the roughing and finishing mills.
Pipefitter: Maintains pipes in furnace area.
Bricklayer: Repairs furnace lining and patch repair work.
Laborer: tear out of furnace lining for rebuild work.
Heater: operates slab furnaces.
Heater helper: assists heater in operation and maintenance of furnaces.
Maintenance Foreman and Supervisors: They schedule and supervise the maintenance and repair of the buildings and equipment.
First Line Supervisors/Managers Production and Operating Workers: They directly supervise and coordinate production and operations employees (Precision Workers, Inspectors, Machine Setters and Operators, Assemblers, Fabricators, and Plant and System Operators.
Maintenance: Construction and Millwrights, Bricklayers, Electricians, Insulators, Machinists, Oilers, Painters, Pipefitters, Welders and other trades. They construct, maintain and repair the buildings and equipment throughout the plant.
Heavy/Mobile Equipment Repair: Industrial Mechanics maintained and repaired Kress Carriers, payloaders, fork trucks, dump trucks, tow motors, hoists and other equipment
Material Handling: Hi-Lo Operators, Crane Operators, Equipment Operators, Laborers, Sludge Operators and Tractor Operators. They handle and move the raw materials, steel and equipment for the mill.
Transportation: Railroad Laborers, Switchman and Engineers operated the locomotives for transporting molten steel, Ingot molds, and other materials.
Receiving and Shipping: They receive and ship materials for the various plants and departments.
Asbestos exposures at McLouth Steel came from a number of sources including asbestos containing blankets, brick insulation, brakes, clothing, electrical products, fireproofing, gaskets, granite, hot tops, furnace cement, insulating cement, pipecovering, refractory insulation and sideboards.
In addition to the Gibraltar Plant, there were numerous departments and occupations that experienced heavy asbestos exposure, at McLouth’s Trenton and Gibraltar Plants.
Our extensive familiarity with various industries, manufacturers, and products enables us to efficiently and effectively identify all asbestos-containing products that may have contributed to your injury. This breadth of knowledge has been acquired through years of experience representing individuals and families affected by asbestos exposure.