sustainability<\/a> in our manufacturing processes, which are energy and water efficient and where we can use materials of renewable or recycled origin that are free from fossil fuels,\u201d continues Julien H\u00e9bert. \u201cAnd this is why we have made the decision to add Dry Molded Fiber to our process offerings.\u201d<\/p>\nTo launch its Dry Molded Fiber journey, the group formed a separate business unit in 2023 \u2013 Herpulp \u2013 and since then has invested in several first-generation Modula lines incorporating ANDRITZ Dan-Web mill-to-web forming technology. In 2024, ANDRITZ stepped in to support the group with a dedicated expert team to complete the commissioning and stabilize process and product consistency. Throughout 2025, the H\u00e9bert Group benefited from technical visits, parameter optimization and process upgrades including the signing of a comprehensive service contract. The service contract enables ANDRITZ to continue supporting the H\u00e9bert Group during the commissioning of the lines, with the objective being to achieve a Site Acceptance Test (SAT) and to ensure proper and reliable operation of the lines.<\/p>\n
\u201cFiber integration began even before the installation of our first line in Orgelet, with the construction of a dedicated facility designed to prevent any risk of cross contamination,\u201d says Mathieu H\u00e9bert, Chief Operating Officer at the H\u00e9bert Group. \u201cToday, we are incorporating this activity into the scope of our standards and, in the long term, aim to position this technology as a complement to our core business, allowing us to extend our product portfolio and meet a wider range of customer requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been supported in this process by the experienced ANDRITZ team that is highly dynamic, motivated and committed. Customer feedback is already highlighting the cost effectiveness, high quality finishing and unique premium perception of our Dry Molded Fiber products.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company currently produces trays and lids using Dry Molded Fiber technology under its Herpulp brand name and is investigating deep-draw products for production in the future.<\/p>\n
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: PARTNERSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL<\/h4>\n
Regulatory pressure to phase out single-use plastics, rising customer expectations and the need to maintain cost and performance standards are all challenges for the future. Packaging specialists are on the front line. Success requires strong technology partners who not only supply equipment but actively support optimization and long-term service.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe strongly believe in the Dry Molded Fiber concept as a way to scale up sustainable packaging, even more so since we started working with ANDRITZ,\u201d says Julien H\u00e9bert. \u201cFor us, this partnership represents an excellent opportunity for several reasons: ANDRITZ\u2019s extensive experience in providing complete industrial solutions to the pulp and paper industry, technical support in project management, and strong market demand for this type of packaging solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur next ambitions together include lowering the cost to the market, securing the stabilization of production lines and co-developing molds tailored to the Dry Molded Fiber technology.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The H\u00e9bert Group-ANDRITZ collaboration is a clear example of how targeted investment, technical expertise and shared vision can deliver truly sustainable packaging that is better for the planet without compromising quality or speed.<\/p>\n
WHAT DOES ANDRITZ OFFER FOR SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS?<\/h4>\n
Bruno Roche, Senior Vice President, ANDRITZ Nonwoven & Textile, explains:<\/p>\n
\u201cReplacing single use plastic by natural cellulosic fibers is definitely the most sustainable path forward for packaging. Dry Molded Fiber is made industrially possible by combining well-known, proven technologies \u2013 Airlaid forming, nonwoven converting, and thermo-forming \u2013 all recognized solutions within the ANDRITZ portfolio, now integrated into a seamless industrial process that significantly reduces water and energy consumption while supporting recyclable and circular packaging solutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor ANDRITZ, Dry Molded Fiber is a natural extension of its long-standing DNA, rooted in decades of expertise in pulp, paper, and tissue technologies. The opportunity is substantial: even a fraction of single-use plastic packaging converted to fiber would justify new pulp mill investments \u2014 at the core of ANDRITZ’s businesses. Economically viable Dry Molded Fiber starts with affordable, fit-for-purpose raw materials, where ANDRITZ brings both vast expertise and a full suite of sustainable energy solutions. Add to this our proven industrial know-how in scalable pressing and molding \u2013 drawn from our position in the automotive sector \u2013 and ANDRITZ is uniquely placed to industrialize Dry Molded Fiber at the scale brand owners require. With pioneers like H\u00e9bert Group, we are building this value chain together, with ambition and humility.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo accelerate Dry Molded Fiber industrialization, ANDRITZ has invested in a complete Airlaid Dry Molded Fiber Technical Center in the “Cellulose Valley” in Grenoble, France, purpose-built to support pioneers like H\u00e9bert Group from day one. Proximity and deep collaboration between our teams create a unique advantage: solutions validated in a full industrial environment in Orgelet, from fiber formulation and forming through to mold validation and end-product applications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough its Solution as a Service concept, ANDRITZ de-risks innovation under strict confidentiality \u2014 helping producers move with confidence from pilot trials to fullscale turnkey DMF lines, and from ambition to market.\u201d<\/p>\n
BUILDING THE DRY MOLDED FIBER ECOSYSTEM TOGETHER<\/h4>\n
PulPac works closely with licensees, machine partners, and technology partners to industrialize Dry Molded Fiber and bring fiber-based applications to market. The progress made by H\u00e9bert Group and ANDRITZ is an important example of how this ecosystem moves forward in practice, combining industrial commitment with application know-how, process insight and scalable machine technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDry Molded Fiber is moving forward because committed people and companies are making it happen. Together with licensees like H\u00e9bert Group and machine partners like ANDRITZ, we are building the industrial foundation needed to scale the technology. This is how Dry Molded Fiber moves from ambition to industrial reality,\u201d says Sanna Fager, Chief Commercial Officer at PulPac.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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