Yangi has added a new 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 as a way for customers to move components such as coffee lids from plastic to fibre-based materials.
Undercuts are commonly used in plastic packaging to create snap-fit connections and secure closures, providing a reliable mechanical fit between lid and container. Reproducing those geometries in moulded fibre is technically difficult, and Yangi says its new capability addresses that gap.
The company is demonstrating the feature with a coffee lid. According to Yangi, a precision-engineered undercut produces a secure, consistent fit with a measured lid removal force of 6 N. The lid was tested through 10 simulated coffee pours over 10 minutes, maintaining a leak-tight seal and structural integrity when exposed to hot beverages at 93°C.
Beyond coffee lids, Yangi identifies fitted closures for 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 as suitable applications.
Carlo Semeraro, head of commercial partnerships at Yangi, said achieving this level of precision in dry-moulded fibre requires advanced tooling and forming expertise. He added that the coffee lid demonstrates the performance available today, while the larger opportunity lies in applying the functionality to a wider range of packaging.
Built on Cellera
The undercut capability builds on Cellera, Yangi’s dry-forming platform powered by its patented fibre formation system, FiberIQ. 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.
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 deliver consistent quality and functional performance.
Market positioning and event
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 support the transition to fibre-based packaging.
Yangi will display the new 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 the 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 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. The partners are targeting water- and energy-efficient manufacturing that uses renewable or recycled fibres.