Three Rivers, Mich., June 8, 2020 – Kadant Johnson LLC, a subsidiary of Kadant Inc. (NYSE: KAI), launched the new PT2X steam joint for paper drying applications. The patent-pending design is capable of 25% higher operating pressure than traditional paper dryer steam joints and a new cartridge design includes a high-visibility wear indicator and a protective shroud. This enables paper mills to increase operating pressures, plan maintenance, and improve uptime.

“Containerboard packaging producers’ growing preference for steel dryers that operate at high steam pressures challenged us to innovate at a whole new level using an iterative approach,” said Wes Martz, president of Kadant Johnson. “The patent-pending PT2X steam joint was designed for high-pressure drying applications using 200 psig steam to maximize drying capacity in combination with extended seal life and enhanced safety and maintenance features.”

Isaac Romero, lead PT2X rotary joint design engineer, added, “When we developed this product, we understood extended time between planned maintenance and serviceability makes plants more profitable. By designing a high-visibility wear indicator, plant personnel can assess the wear of the seal ring at a glance with no measuring tools needed. When service is needed, the seal cartridge design makes it easy to swap out a worn seal cartridge.”

The PT2X rotary joint is part of a system that includes Kadant Johnson stationary syphons and Turbulator^® Tube™ bars. Together, they allow paper dryers to operate their steam and condensate system over a wide range of conditions, with flexibility and reliability.

About Kadant Johnson

Kadant Johnson LLC, based in Three Rivers, Michigan, is a leading provider of rotary joints, precision unions, and fluid handling systems and equipment used to optimize the transfer of power, fluid, and data in rotary sealing applications found in process industries. The Company’s systems division specializes in the engineering, design, and supply of steam systems, controls, and related equipment used to manage steam and condensate flow. It also provides project management and remote monitoring to optimize steam energy utilization.

About Kadant

Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of high-value, critical components and engineered systems used in process industries worldwide. The Company’s products, technologies, and services play an integral role in enhancing process efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in resource-intensive industries. Kadant is based in Westford, Massachusetts, with approximately 2,800 employees in 20 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kadant.com

Safe Harbor Statement

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 customers, products, technologies, and markets. These forward-looking statements represent our expectations as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including those set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in Kadant’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2019 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.