IN Brief:
- SACMI has tested an automated pilot line for dry moulding cellulose packaging components.
- The equipment is designed to form caps, closures, lids and other rigid shapes without water in the moulding stage.
- Future deployment will depend on format-specific performance, food-contact requirements and recovery routes.
SACMI has completed industrial validation work on an automated pilot line for manufacturing rigid packaging components from cellulose-based materials. Developed through its FIBER-CAP research programme, the Dry Molding Line is intended to produce caps, closures and other formed articles using a dry process rather than the water-intensive preparation associated with some conventional moulded fibre technologies.
The pilot installation has produced finished components while SACMI tested output quality, process stability and the line's mechanical operation. It has also handled different cellulose materials and article formats. That moves FIBER-CAP beyond isolated laboratory prototypes, although the equipment is still a pilot line rather than a reported series of commercial installations. Industrial deployment will depend on matching the tooling, material supply and output rate to each packaging application.
FIBER-CAP was supported by the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy through its Agreements for Innovation programme. The work sits within the SACMI Rigid Packaging Lab, where researchers are investigating the processing behaviour of natural fibres and paper-based biomaterials in rigid packaging applications. Collaboration with universities and major food companies has helped shape prototypes for components that must hold their form and perform reliably in contact with products and packaging systems.
Dry moulding changes the manufacturing route compared with wet fibre-forming processes, in which a water-based fibre suspension is shaped and subsequently dewatered and dried. By avoiding water in the forming stage, SACMI says the process can shorten cycles and reduce energy requirements relative to alternative methods. The equipment must nevertheless distribute and compact cellulose material consistently to produce an article with a controlled shape, thickness and adequate strength. SACMI has concentrated on compaction at the side walls as well as the base of moulded parts.
Compaction along the side walls is especially important when tooling forms deep or irregular shapes. Differences in density or wall thickness can affect the geometry and strength of a moulded component after it leaves the tool. Flat trays present a different forming problem from caps, closures or deep containers, whose rims and side walls must withstand subsequent handling. SACMI says it developed technical solutions to compact cellulose along those surfaces while maintaining stable pilot-line operation.
SACMI lists closures, lids, single-serving containers and coffee capsules among the potential applications. Each calls for different functional properties: a closure must fit the receiving pack, while a coffee capsule must preserve its shape through filling, storage and use. Depending on the product, sealing or barrier performance could also govern whether a fibre component can replace an existing material. Pilot-line validation establishes the forming process; compatibility with the contents and food-contact requirements has to be assessed for each final format.
The finished package's recovery route also depends on its construction. SACMI says natural-fibre components can potentially enter paper recycling or organic waste collection, depending on the item. Coatings, closures, food residues and other material combinations can change that assessment. A fibre-based package therefore needs to be specified for the intended use and the relevant collection system, with its end-of-life route established for the finished component rather than assumed from the presence of cellulose alone.
The research programme has also examined the use of material from paper and cardboard recycling chains. That creates an alternative potential feedstock for certain rigid components, although the suitability of recycled fibre depends on the intended product, the material's condition and applicable food-contact requirements. For a commercial food package, the specification must cover product safety and performance as well as whether the material can be formed. Fibre quality, moisture behaviour and the interaction between the package and its contents remain central to application development.
Repeatable output is essential when a packaging technology moves from prototyping to industrial operation. Manufacturers need stable cycle times, dimensional tolerances and material feeding without frequent changes to tooling or machine settings. SACMI's validation of pilot-line stability and flexibility addresses part of that requirement, while individual formats will still need operating specifications and commissioning trials. Output specifications and commissioning requirements will vary according to the geometry and material selected for each article.
SACMI is continuing to develop the Dry Molding Line within its rigid packaging technology programme, using pilot results to define manufacturing configurations for specific formats. The next industrial tests will concern the interaction between fibre composition, forming geometry and downstream filling or sealing systems. Any transition into volume food packaging will also depend on the finished articles satisfying mechanical, hygiene and recovery requirements under their intended operating conditions.
