Air Floating Stage is a device that uses compressed air to levitate and transport objects. It is used in ultra-precision semiconductor and display processes that are vulnerable to contamination. This is especially important in flat panel display (FPD) processes, such as LCD and OLED, as it prevents surface scratches, contamination, and static electricity on glass substrates caused by contact. It is a specialized technology, and not many companies have a global presence.

K&I, located in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, is an air floating solutions company with world-class technology in the air floating field. Since its establishment in 2009, it has been designing, manufacturing, and delivering customized air floating systems for 16 years, gaining trust in the industry. 

Leading domestic air floating technology!

Starting as a domestic agency for an international air floating company, K&I acquired the world’s most advanced and precise GLASS levitation control technology, which can levitate and control conveyances with uniform pressure. 

“Air floating is a specialized niche market. We are recognized as the most advanced company in Korea, and we are receiving most of the requests for replacements of existing products and new installations” says K&I CEO Heejin Hwang.

The company’s Air Floating Stage is used as a key piece of equipment in the most challenging LCD and OLED coating process. The precise and technologically advanced air floatation solution enables precise transfer of coated substrates and is non-contact and static-free.

“Normally, when we make LCDs, we have to move the glass substrate around, and if there are rollers or something like that, it can scratch the glass and stress the glass, which can cause it to crack or break later when we cut it to size. To avoid these problems and eliminate static electricity, we use an air floating system” explains Hwang.

“Our air floating systems are used in the LCD and OLED display process for coating, cleaning, and inspection. The coating process, which applies fine chemicals, uses positive and negative pressure, so the negative pressure side is often clogged, causing problems and shutting down the line, but our product does not cause such problems, which helps productivity. It also makes the equipment more durable and lighter because the glass substrate underneath moves around rather than the large equipment (coater) that applies the chemicals” adds Hwang.

K&I has a staff of 14-15 year veterans consulting and building customized air floating systems, including Hwang, who has been in the air floating business for 20 years.

“We have a lot of know-how, so when we do a new project, we can offer suggestions and discuss what problems arise and how to solve them. We design the equipment in consultation with the customer” says Hwang.

Presenting excellence of Korean air floating technology in the world!

K&I takes great pride in its air floating solution technology, which is 100% customizable to meet the needs of each client.

“Clients want to replace an existing process with air floating, and they ask us what the challenges are, and they ask us what the process is, and they ask us to customize it. We build trust with our clients and gain recognition in the industry by creating customized products that address their needs” says Hwang.

K&I has a reputation for being a great place to work. Hwang believes in working eight hours, but working efficiently, using eight hours for personal development and hobbies, and sleeping eight hours. In other words, Hwang emphasizes on importance of balance.

“The primary focus is on glass transport, but there is talk of film as well. There is still no technology that can flatten films with a thickness of 0.1mm or less like glass. We are looking to perfect our air floating technology in the film field, and in the long term, we are thinking about a special listing of our technology” says Hwang.

Meanwhile, the company is trying to export K&I’s air floating system to equipment companies exporting overseas. To this end, the company is in direct contact with overseas equipment companies and plans to export through a Japanese agent as a first step.