Yangi has introduced a precision undercut feature for its dry-forming platform for moulded fibre packaging, extending the process to closure designs that often rely on snap-fit connections in plastic packaging. The company is presenting the capability through a coffee lid, a component it sees as a candidate for fibre-based replacement.
Undercut geometries are used to create secure mechanical fits between lids and containers. Achieving them in moulded fibre is technically difficult, Yangi says. For the coffee lid, the company reports a measured lid removal force of 6 N, which it describes as a secure and consistent fit. 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, according to the company.
Applications beyond coffee lids
Yangi says the undercut technology can be used 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. That range positions the feature as a platform capability rather than a single lid design, although the coffee lid is the application used for the current demonstration.
Carlo Semeraro, head of Commercial Partnerships at Yangi, said achieving precision in dry-moulded fibre requires advanced tooling and forming expertise. He said the coffee lid shows the performance available today, while the larger opportunity lies in applying the functionality across more packaging applications.
Cellera and FiberIQ
The undercut capability builds on Cellera, a dry-forming platform powered by Yangi’s 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. In the coffee lid application, the company estimates that Cellera’s four-second production cycle can 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.
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.
Commercial and industry context
Yangi plans to display the undercut feature alongside other contributions to its dry-moulded fibre packaging range at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht from 10 to 12 November 2026. Attendees can visit Stand 28 in the Networking Zone to view Cellera dry-forming technology through a virtual reality experience. The announcement follows Yangi’s commissioning of its serial Cellera machine platform. The company says 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.
In related industry activity, PulPac licensee Hébert Group has partnered with Andritz to scale up production of dry-moulded fibre trays and lids. The partners are targeting water- and energy-efficient manufacturing using renewable or recycled fibres.