Yangi has added an undercut feature to its dry-forming platform for moulded fibre packaging, a development aimed at helping customers replace plastic components such as coffee lids with fibre-based alternatives.
Undercut geometries are used in plastic packaging to create snap-fit connections and secure closures, providing a reliable mechanical fit between a lid and a container. Translating that geometry into moulded fibre is technically demanding, because the material and forming process must hold precise shapes while still delivering consistent closure performance.
Yangi is showing the capability through a coffee lid. The lid uses a precision undercut that the company says delivers a secure and consistent fit, with a measured lid removal force of 6 N. It has been tested through 10 simulated coffee pours over 10 minutes, retaining a leak-tight seal and structural integrity when exposed to hot beverages at 93°C.
The feature is also positioned 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.
According to Carlo Semeraro, head of commercial partnerships at Yangi, reaching this level of precision in dry-moulded fibre requires advanced tooling and forming expertise. He said the coffee lid demonstrates the performance Yangi can deliver today, while the larger opportunity is to apply the functionality to a broader range of packaging applications.
The undercut capability builds on Cellera, Yangi's dry-forming platform, which is powered by its patented FiberIQ fibre formation system. 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.
In the coffee lid application, 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.
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 added that each new capability reinforces fibre's position as a competitive alternative by delivering the functionality, quality and industrial performance needed to support the transition toward fibre-based packaging.
Yangi will display the undercut feature alongside other additions to its dry-moulded fibre packaging range at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht from 10 to 12 November 2026. Visitors can see Cellera dry-forming technology through an immersive VR experience at Stand 28 in the Networking Zone.
The announcement follows Yangi's commissioning of its serial Cellera machine platform. Combining Cellera with the dry-forming process is set 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. The partners are targeting water- and energy-efficient manufacturing that uses renewable or recycled fibres.