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 geometry. The company is presenting the capability through a coffee lid intended as a fibre-based alternative to plastic lids.
Undercuts are common in plastic packaging, where they create mechanical interlock between lid and container. Reproducing such geometries in moulded fibre is technically demanding. Yangi says its new feature can produce a precision-engineered undercut that gives a secure, consistent fit, with a measured lid removal force of 6 N.
Performance testing
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. The announced results relate to the demonstration lid.
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. Those are target applications identified by the company, not announced commercial launches.
Platform and production claims
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. 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. The 300-lids-per-minute figure is Yangi's estimate for the lid application.
Carlo Semeraro, Yangi's head of Commercial Partnerships, said precision at this level depends on advanced tooling and forming know-how. He described the coffee lid as evidence of current performance, while the wider opportunity lies in applying the functionality to more packaging applications.
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 strengthens fibre's position as a competitive alternative by delivering the functionality, quality and industrial performance needed to support the transition to fibre-based packaging.
Summit and scale-up context
Yangi plans to display the undercut feature alongside other dry-moulded fibre packaging developments 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. Yangi says combining Cellera with dry forming is expected to reduce resource consumption and CO2 emissions by 70%-80% compared with conventional plastic alternatives. The comparison is presented as an expectation by Yangi.
Separately, 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 using renewable or recycled fibres. The two developments reflect continuing efforts to move fibre-based closures and containers from demonstration projects toward industrial production.