Yangi has added a precision undercut feature to its dry-forming platform for moulded fibre packaging, a development aimed at helping customers replace plastic closure components with fibre-based alternatives. The company is demonstrating the capability with a coffee lid.
Undercut geometries are commonly used in plastic packaging to create snap-fit connections and secure closures, providing a reliable mechanical fit between a lid and a container. Reproducing those shapes in moulded fibre is technically difficult, particularly when the closure must remain secure and consistent in use. Yangi says its new feature allows precise undercut geometry to be formed in dry-moulded fibre.
Coffee-lid trial sets performance markers
In the coffee-lid application, the undercut is described as delivering a secure and consistent fit with a measured lid removal force of 6 N. The lid was tested through 10 simulated coffee pours over 10 minutes, according to the company, and maintained a leak-tight seal and structural integrity when exposed to hot beverages at 93°C.
Yangi says the technology is also suitable for fitted closures in several packaging categories beyond coffee lids.
- Snack and takeaway containers
- Dessert and ice cream tubs
- Confectionery packaging
- Dry and ambient food containers
- Personal care, cosmetics and consumer goods
Carlo Semeraro, head of commercial partnerships at Yangi, said achieving this level of precision in dry-moulded fibre requires advanced tooling and forming expertise. The coffee lid demonstrates the performance available today, he added, but the larger opportunity is to apply the same functionality across a broader range of packaging.
Cellera platform and production claims
The undercut capability builds on Cellera, Yangi’s dry-forming platform, which uses the company’s patented FiberIQ fibre formation system. Unlike conventional wet moulding, the process forms fibre without a water-based forming step. Yangi expects this to reduce water and energy requirements in the production of renewable, fibre-based packaging.
For coffee lids, Cellera’s four-second production cycle is estimated to reach an output of 300 lids per minute. Yangi says the platform is designed for high-volume, cost-competitive manufacturing, combining precise fibre distribution with advanced forming technology to support consistent quality and functional performance.
Johann Kaiser, Yangi’s chief executive, said the challenge is not simply to replace plastic with fibre but to make fibre perform at the level the market demands. Each new capability, he argued, strengthens fibre’s position as a competitive alternative by delivering the functionality, quality and industrial performance needed to support the transition to fibre-based packaging.
Summit display and wider context
Yangi plans to show the undercut feature at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht from 10 to 12 November 2026. Visitors to Stand 28 in the Networking Zone will be able to view Cellera dry-forming technology through an immersive VR experience.
The announcement follows Yangi’s 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% to 80% compared with conventional plastic alternatives, according to the company.
Separately, PulPac licensee Hébert Group has partnered with Andritz to scale production of Dry Molded Fiber trays and lids. The partners are targeting water- and energy-efficient manufacturing using renewable or recycled fibres.