Yangi has added an undercut feature to its dry-forming platform for moulded fibre packaging, extending the process to closure designs that rely on precise snap-fit geometries. The company is presenting the capability through a coffee lid, a component that has been difficult to produce in moulded fibre at the tolerances needed for a reliable fit.
Undercuts are commonly used in plastic packaging to create secure closures, with the geometry allowing a lid to snap onto a container and remain in place. Reproducing that shape in moulded fibre is technically demanding. Yangi says its new capability delivers a precision-engineered undercut that provides a secure and consistent fit, with a measured lid removal force of 6 N.
The coffee lid was tested through 10 simulated coffee pours over 10 minutes. According to Yangi, it 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 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. The company is positioning the feature as a way to replace plastic components in applications where a mechanical fit between lid and container is important.
Carlo Semeraro, head of Commercial Partnerships at Yangi, said achieving this precision in dry-moulded fibre requires advanced tooling and forming expertise. He said the coffee lid demonstrates the performance available today, but the bigger opportunity is applying the functionality to a wider range of packaging applications.
Built on Cellera dry forming
The undercut capability builds on Cellera, Yangi’s dry-forming platform powered by its patented fibre formation system, FiberIQ. Unlike conventional wet moulding, Cellera 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 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 to support consistent quality and functional performance.
Performance and scale
Yangi CEO Johann Kaiser said the challenge is not simply to replace plastic with fibre, but to make fibre perform at the level the market demands. He said each new capability reinforces fibre’s position as a competitive alternative by delivering the functionality, quality and industrial performance needed for the transition to fibre-based packaging.
The company 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 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. The company says combining Cellera with the dry-forming process is set to reduce resource consumption and CO2 emissions by 70% to 80% compared with conventional plastic alternatives.
Separately, PulPac licensee Hébert Group has partnered with Andritz to scale up production of Dry Molded Fiber trays and lids. The partners are targeting water- and energy-efficient manufacturing using renewable or recycled fibres.