Kadant Web Systems Introduces New Air-Assisted Blade Holder
Auburn, Mass., June 3, 2009 – Kadant Web Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Kadant Inc. (NYSE:KAI), launched its latest design in advanced doctor blade holders with its air-assisted AirSet™ blade holder. The AirSet blade holder incorporates integrated cavities for targeted delivery of air that boosts the cleaning action of the doctor blade. Air can be targeted behind the blade for dewatering drilled rolls or ahead of the blade for cleaning grooved rolls or belts.
The natural vacuum found in doctoring applications is amplified with the introduction of air. This in turn allows the AirSet blade holder to efficiently remove water from the roll surface. More specifically, the patent-pending shape of the holder creates an entrainment zone suspending the removed water from the surface of the roll for removal by a second doctor blade or pan. In-house testing has shown improvements in vacuum efficiency to be more than 25 percent, and in some cases up to 50 percent, compared to installations not using the air-assist feature. For ease of installation, the Airset blade holder can be mounted to the doctor utilizing Kadant’s patented UniTrak™ blade holder installation and removal tool.
Kadant Web Systems Inc., based in Auburn, Massachusetts is a leading provider of doctor blades, doctor blade holders, doctoring systems, and paper machine accessories to the pulp, paper, and related industries.
Kadant Inc. is a leading supplier to the global pulp and paper industry, with a range of products and services for improving efficiency and quality in pulp and paper production, including paper machine accessories and systems for stock preparation, fluid handling, and water management. Our fluid-handling products are also used to optimize production in the steel, rubber, plastics, food, and textile industries. In addition, we produce granules from papermaking byproducts for agricultural and lawn and garden applications. Kadant is based in Westford, Massachusetts, with revenues of $329 million in 2008 and 1,700 employees in 16 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kadant.com.
The following constitutes a “Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including forward-looking statements about our products, technologies, and customers. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such statements are set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Kadant’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended April 4, 2009. These include risks and uncertainties relating to our dependence on the pulp and paper industry; significance of sales and operation of manufacturing facilities in China; international sales and operations; competition; soundness of suppliers and customers; our debt obligations; restrictions in our credit agreement; soundness of financial institutions; litigation and warranty costs related to our discontinued operation; our acquisition strategy; future restructurings; factors influencing our fiber-based products business; protection of patents and proprietary rights; fluctuations in our share price; and anti-takeover provisions. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.