Yangi has added an undercut feature to its dry-forming platform for moulded fibre packaging, extending the process to components such as coffee lids that have largely depended on plastic.
Undercut geometries — moulded features that hook two parts together — are widely used in plastic packaging for snap-fit connections and secure closures, providing a reliable mechanical fit between a lid and its container. Reproducing them in moulded fibre is technically demanding, and Yangi is presenting the new capability as a step toward functional fibre-based closures.
Coffee lid shows the capability
Yangi is demonstrating the feature with a coffee lid that uses a precision-engineered undercut to deliver what the company describes as 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 and maintained a leak-tight seal and structural integrity when exposed to hot beverages at 93°C.
Beyond lids, Yangi says the undercut technology is 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.
Built on the Cellera platform
The undercut capability builds on Cellera, a dry-forming platform powered by Yangi’s patented fibre formation system, FiberIQ. Unlike conventional wet moulding, the process forms fibre without a water-based forming step, which is expected to reduce water and energy requirements in the production of renewable, fibre-based packaging.
In a 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 for consistent quality and functional performance.
“Achieving this level of precision in dry-molded fiber requires advanced tooling and forming expertise,” said Carlo Semeraro, head of Commercial Partnerships at Yangi. “The coffee lid demonstrates the performance we can deliver today, but the real opportunity is applying this functionality to a much wider range of packaging applications.”
Chief executive 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. Every new capability, he said, 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 showcase and machine rollout
Yangi will display the undercut feature, alongside its other additions to the dry-moulded fibre 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. 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.
Elsewhere in dry moulded fibre, PulPac licensee Hébert Group has partnered with Andritz to scale up production of Dry Molded Fiber trays and lids, targeting water- and energy-efficient manufacturing that uses renewable or recycled fibres.