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Employee Benefit Plans - Post-Retirement Welfare Benefits Plan (Details) (Post Retirement Welfare Benefits Plan, USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 03, 2015
Post Retirement Welfare Benefits Plan
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Maximum monthly contributions per employee	$ 358kai_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumMonthlyContributionsPerEmployeeAmount / us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanNameAxis = kai_PostRetirementWelfareBenefitsPlanMember
Percentage paid by Kadant for Welfare Benefits Plan members with retirement date prior to January 1, 2005	75.00%kai_PostemploymentBenefitsPercentagePaidbyEmployerforWelfareBenefitsPlanRetirementDateFirstPeriodRange / us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanNameAxis = kai_PostRetirementWelfareBenefitsPlanMember
Percentage paid by Kadant for Welfare Benefits Plan members with retirement date after January 1, 2005	50.00%kai_PostemploymentBenefitsPercentagePaidbyEmployerforWelfareBenefitsPlanRetirementDatePeriodRange2 / us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanNameAxis = kai_PostRetirementWelfareBenefitsPlanMember

X

- Definition

Defined Contribution Plan, Maximum Monthly Contributions Per Employee, Amount

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	kai_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Percentage paid by employer for postretirement welfare benefit plan for retirees with a retirement date, first period of plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	kai_PostemploymentBenefitsPercentagePaidbyEmployerforWelfareBenefitsPlanRetirementDateFirstPeriodRange
Namespace Prefix:	kai_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Percentage paid by employer for postretirement welfare benefit plan for retirees with a retirement date, second period range.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	kai_PostemploymentBenefitsPercentagePaidbyEmployerforWelfareBenefitsPlanRetirementDatePeriodRange2
Namespace Prefix:	kai_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration