Dry fiber packaging

ILLIG introduces new product segment with a modular production system for manufacturing dry fiber packaging with a higher output than other natural fiber processes (scalable from 20 to 120 million packages per year) for themselves at the Heilbronn site from the fourth quarter of 2024.
This semi-finished product is a nonwoven material made of natural fibers. In contrast to wet-formed fiber, it can be produced and processed with significantly lower energy and without the use of water. The raw material based on natural fibers is cost-efficient and also sustainable in terms of production and recycling.
The system was developed for the production of fiber packaging (including trays, lids and cups) with barrier properties. The barrier can be applied using various methods in the manufacturing process: gor example, inline lamination or upstream coating is possible in order to produce the necessary barrier properties depending on the application. It is also possible to use dry fiber in the non-food sector, where it offers more diverse design options for packaging shapes than solid cardboard solutions.
The unique feature of the ILLIG machine concept (patent pending) is the high drawing ratio compared to solutions already on the market. With the new dry fiber process developed by ILLIG, more varied and, most importantly, deeper shapes can be produced. ILLIG has been working very closely with manufacturers of machines for the production of nonwoven materials based on the airlaid process right from the start in order to optimize the manufacturing process. The process was also developed in close cooperation with technical institutes and experts in the field of fibers.
Dry fiber packaging is produced without the use of process water and the necessary infrastructure. Compared to other manufacturing processes such as wet fiber/pulp, packaging solutions made from dry fiber can be produced more sustainably and economically.