French packaging specialist Hébert Group, based in Orgelet and a PulPac licensee, is partnering with ANDRITZ to scale up Dry Molded Fiber (DMF) production, a cellulose-based alternative to single-use plastic. After beginning market analysis in 2020, Hébert Group launched a dedicated unit, Herpulp, in 2023, installing Modula lines built on ANDRITZ's Dan-Web forming technology. ANDRITZ has since provided ongoing technical support, including commissioning assistance in 2024 and a comprehensive service contract signed in 2025 to help stabilize production and quality.
Herpulp currently manufactures trays and lids, with deep-draw products under investigation. Hébert Group executives credit the partnership with cost efficiency, strong finish quality, and a premium market perception for their products.
On the ANDRITZ side, Bruno Roche (SVP, Nonwoven & Textile) frames DMF as a natural extension of the company's expertise in pulp, paper, and tissue technology, combined with pressing/molding know-how from its automotive business. ANDRITZ has invested in an Airlaid DMF Technical Center in Grenoble ("Cellulose Valley") to help producers move from pilot trials to full-scale lines under its "Solution as a Service" model.
PulPac's Chief Commercial Officer Sanna Fager frames the collaboration as a model for how licensees and machine partners are jointly building out the DMF industrial ecosystem.
