Yangi has introduced an undercut feature for its dry-forming platform for moulded fibre packaging, adding a closure geometry that is common in plastic packaging but difficult to produce in fibre. The company says the capability is intended to help customers replace components such as coffee lids with fibre-based alternatives.
Undercuts are precise recessed geometries used in snap-fit connections and secure closures. In plastic packaging, they enable a reliable mechanical fit between a lid and a container. Yangi says transferring that format to moulded fibre is technically demanding, requiring tight control of tooling and forming.
The company is demonstrating the feature with a coffee lid. According to Yangi, the precision-engineered undercut provides a secure and consistent fit, with a measured lid removal force of 6 N. The lid has also been tested through 10 simulated coffee pours over 10 minutes. Yangi reports that it maintained a leak-tight seal and structural integrity when exposed to hot beverages at 93°C.
Yangi sees fitted closures as a broader opportunity. The undercut technology is suitable for applications including 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.
Carlo Semeraro, head of commercial partnerships at Yangi, said achieving that precision in dry-moulded fibre requires advanced tooling and forming expertise. He described the coffee lid as evidence of current performance and said the bigger opportunity lies in wider applications.
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.
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 has never been 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.
Yangi will show the undercut feature 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. The company says combining Cellera with dry forming is set to reduce resource consumption and CO2 emissions by 70%–80% compared with conventional plastic alternatives.