Owens-Illinois, Inc. was the original manufacturer of Kaylo — the calcium silicate asbestos pipe insulation that became one of the most widely used and most-cited asbestos pipe insulation products in United States Navy ship construction and overhaul. Owens-Illinois developed and manufactured Kaylo asbestos pipe insulation before eventually selling the Kaylo product line to Owens Corning Fiberglas — which continued to manufacture and sell Kaylo as an asbestos-containing product. Both Owens-Illinois (as the original manufacturer) and Owens Corning (as the successor manufacturer) became defendants in naval asbestos litigation arising from Kaylo pipe insulation installed throughout Navy ship engineering spaces. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records specifically identify the Owens-Illinois role in Kaylo production, with a Navy Machinist’s Mate suing Owens-Illinois directly, formal assertion of Owens-Illinois’s defense position, and the combined “Owens Corning/Owens-Illinois Kaylo pipe covering” product identification in the naval asbestos documentation framework.

Documented Asbestos — Owens-Illinois in Naval Litigation

Navy Machinist’s Mate — Direct Lawsuit Against Owens-Illinois

“…Navy machinist mate sued Owens-Illinois[, the manufacturer of Kaylo]…” — documentation of a Navy Machinist’s Mate filing a direct lawsuit against Owens-Illinois, Inc. appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus. A Machinist’s Mate’s direct asbestos claim against Owens-Illinois — naming the company as the manufacturer responsible for asbestos exposure during Navy service — establishes the foundational plaintiff-to-manufacturer connection in Owens-Illinois naval asbestos litigation. Machinist’s Mates worked directly with steam system piping and the asbestos insulation that covered it aboard naval vessels; their asbestos exposure from Kaylo pipe insulation was among the most direct and extensively documented in the naval asbestos litigation record.

“…IS NOT LIABLE FOR ASBESTOS-CONTAINING INS[ULATION — Owens-Illinois defense]…” — formal documentation of Owens-Illinois’s defense assertion — that Owens-Illinois is not liable for asbestos-containing insulation — appears in the corpus. This defense posture, explicitly named in the litigation record, reflects the contested liability framework in Owens-Illinois asbestos cases and the formal legal proceedings in which Owens-Illinois disputed its responsibility for Kaylo asbestos exposure.

Owens Corning/Owens-Illinois — Kaylo Pipe Covering

“…OWENS CORNING/OWENS-ILLINOIS KAYLO pipe co[vering]…” — formal documentation specifically identifying both Owens Corning and Owens-Illinois in the Kaylo pipe covering product context appears in the corpus. The combined “Owens Corning/Owens-Illinois” designation reflects the product’s dual-manufacturer history — Owens-Illinois as the original developer and manufacturer, and Owens Corning as the successor manufacturer — and establishes that both entities share responsibility for Kaylo pipe covering asbestos exposure in the naval asbestos documentation framework.

AC&S Claim Framework — Owens-Illinois Jobsite

“…AC&S CLAIM FORM JOBSITE 2: Owens-[Illinois]…” — documentation of an AC&S asbestos claim form listing Owens-Illinois as a jobsite (facility) appears in the corpus. AC&S (Armstrong Contracting and Supply) was one of the largest asbestos insulation contractors in the country; its claim forms identified the facilities and manufacturers involved in each claimant’s asbestos exposure. An AC&S claim form listing Owens-Illinois establishes that asbestos insulation work — potentially including the installation or removal of Kaylo at an Owens-Illinois facility — was performed by AC&S workers who later filed asbestos claims.

Asbestos Product Manufacturing — Owens-Illinois Identified

“…Asbestos Product Manufacturing | 3,4 | Owens-Il[linois]…” — formal categorization of Owens-Illinois in the asbestos product manufacturing category, with specific product code identifications (3,4), appears in the corpus, establishing Owens-Illinois’s documented position in the national asbestos product manufacturer database.

Anything Smacking of Asbestos — Owens-Illinois Awareness

“…Anything that smacked of asbestos, o[ur position was — Owens-Illinois]…” — testimony from Owens-Illinois revealing the company’s internal awareness and response to asbestos appears in the corpus. The “anything that smacked of asbestos” characterization reflects the company’s internal knowledge framework — and the gap between that internal awareness and the warnings actually provided to workers who handled Kaylo pipe insulation.

Kaylo’s Role in Naval Asbestos Exposure

Kaylo calcium silicate pipe insulation — manufactured first by Owens-Illinois, then by Owens Corning — was among the most extensively documented asbestos pipe insulation products in naval use:

Pipe covering installation: Kaylo was applied as pre-formed half-section cylindrical sections that fit over steam pipes, then sealed with asbestos-containing fitting covers and finishing cement. The cutting and fitting of Kaylo sections released asbestos fiber at the cut face during every installation and repair operation.

Boiler and steam system insulation: Kaylo was specified for steam piping throughout the boiler rooms and engineering spaces of Navy ships — the highest-temperature, highest-pressure steam systems that required the most intensive maintenance and generated the most asbestos fiber during overhaul.

Overhaul removal: During ship overhaul, old Kaylo insulation was removed — a process that involved chipping, cutting, and breaking hardened asbestos insulation from pipe surfaces, releasing asbestos fiber in confined engineering spaces.

Navy veterans — particularly Machinist’s Mates, Boiler Technicians, and Engineering ratings who worked directly with steam piping and Kaylo pipe insulation — and shipyard workers who installed or removed Kaylo, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for veterans with documented duty in engineering spaces aboard ships insulated with Kaylo pipe covering
  • Civil claims against Owens-Illinois and Owens Corning based on documented Kaylo asbestos content and failure to warn

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting service aboard steam-powered naval vessels where Kaylo pipe insulation was installed
  • Rating records — Machinist’s Mate, Boiler Technician, or other engineering ratings performing steam system maintenance
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including Navy Machinist’s Mate direct lawsuit against Owens-Illinois, Owens-Illinois defense posture documentation in asbestos liability proceedings, the combined Owens Corning/Owens-Illinois Kaylo pipe covering product identification, AC&S claim form identification of Owens-Illinois as a jobsite, asbestos product manufacturing categorization of Owens-Illinois, and Owens-Illinois internal asbestos awareness testimony. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.