Yangi has added an undercut feature to its dry-forming platform for moulded fibre packaging, a capability the company says is intended to help customers adopt fibre-based alternatives to components such as coffee lids.
Undercut geometries are the small re-entrant profiles used to create snap-fit connections and secure closures in plastic packaging, giving a lid and container a reliable mechanical grip. Reproducing that format in moulded fibre is technically demanding, and Yangi is presenting the capability through a coffee lid designed to deliver a measured 6 N lid removal force.
The lid was put through 10 simulated coffee pours over 10 minutes and held a leak-tight seal and its structural integrity when exposed to hot beverages at 93°C, according to the company.
Forming fibre without a water-based step
The undercut capability builds on Cellera, Yangi's dry-forming platform, which runs on the company's patented fibre formation system, FiberIQ. Unlike conventional wet moulding, Cellera shapes fibre without a water-based forming step, an approach expected to lower water and energy requirements in the production of renewable, fibre-based packaging.
In the coffee lid application, Cellera's four-second production cycle is estimated to reach an output of 300 lids per minute. The platform is designed for high-volume, cost-competitive manufacturing, combining precise fibre distribution with advanced forming technology so that quality and functional performance stay consistent.
Fitted closures beyond lids
Yangi says the undercut technology is also suitable for fitted closures in snack containers, takeaway containers, dessert and ice cream tubs, confectionery packaging, dry and ambient food containers, and packaging for personal care products, cosmetics and consumer goods.
Carlo Semeraro, head of Commercial Partnerships at Yangi, said reaching this level of precision in dry-moulded fibre requires advanced tooling and forming expertise. He said the coffee lid shows the performance the company can deliver today, while the larger opportunity lies in applying the functionality to a much wider range of packaging applications.
Performance as the argument against plastic
CEO Johann Kaiser said the challenge has never been simply to replace plastic with fibre, but to make fibre perform at the level the market demands. He added that each new capability reinforces fibre's position as a competitive alternative to plastic by delivering the functionality, quality and industrial performance needed to drive the transition toward fibre-based packaging.
Summit display and machine platform
Yangi will show the undercut feature alongside other parts of its dry-moulded fibre packaging range at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht from 10 to 12 November 2026. Visitors to Stand 28 in the Networking Zone can view the Cellera dry forming technology through an immersive VR experience.
The news follows Yangi's announcement of the commissioning of its serial Cellera machine platform. Combining Cellera with the dry forming process is expected to reduce resource consumption and CO2 emissions by 70%–80% compared with conventional plastic alternatives, according to the company.
Separately, PulPac licensee Hébert Group has partnered with Andritz to scale up production of Dry Molded Fiber trays and lids, with the partners targeting water- and energy-efficient manufacturing that uses renewable or recycled fibres.