Pulp Molding Technology

Two molding processes, one engineering team

Intrecore runs both dry press and wet press molding at our site in Kapuvár, Hungary. The process is selected against protection, surface, geometry, line handling, volume, and cost — before tooling is committed.

Dry press and wet press molding
Edge radius below 0.5 mm
Near-zero draft angles
Prototype to serial in-house

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Dry press and wet press: how we select

Our pulp molding technology covers both processes, so the recommendation is not shaped by what we happen to run. Neither process is better — they fail in different places, and the selection is an engineering decision, not a preference.

	Dry press	Wet press
Forming and drying	Formed under vacuum, then dried in a separate tunnel.	Formed under vacuum, then pressed and dried inside heated tooling.
Wall thickness	1.5–6 mm	0.7–1.5 mm
Tolerance	Wider band, set per geometry.	±0.5 mm achievable.
Surface	Mesh pattern visible on the reverse face.	Smooth on one face; both faces with post-processing.
Fiber	Recycled fiber typical.	Virgin fiber typical.
Energy and unit cost	Lower.	Higher — the pressing stage uses more energy.
Typical applications	Protective inserts, cushioning, transit packaging, volume-driven programs.	Presentation trays, beauty, electronics show faces, retail-facing packaging.

Both processes are tooled to the same targets: edge radius below 0.5 mm and near-zero draft angles, against an industry norm of R1–2 mm and several degrees of draft.

Pulp molding technology starts with the tooling

Tooling defines what either process can hold. Ours is developed in-house, from design through machining, debugging, and maintenance.

0.01 mm machining precision
Side-R down to 3 mm
200+ tooling sets per year

Design, machining, and debugging sit in the same team, so a geometry change does not travel through a third party. Mass-production tooling lead time runs 10–15 days, with a 99.5% first-time debugging success rate.

Materials and surface finishes

Recycled fiber, wood fiber, bamboo fiber, and bagasse. Fiber choice follows performance and compliance targets, and food-contact suitability is confirmed per material and application.

Recycled and virgin fiber
Dual-side slurry, no grid
Multiple surface treatments

Barrier options

Liquid, grease, and moisture resistance is the hardest engineering challenge in molded fiber, and we solve it through coating and lamination concepts. Each option changes repulpability, appearance, and unit cost, so we document the trade-off against your local end-of-life route before it is specified.

Prototype → pilot → serial

Prototype

Samples for fit, feel, and stacking.

Pilot

Line trial and transit validation against agreed pass/fail criteria.

Serial

Spec lock, inspection plan, controlled revisions, retained reference sample.

Quality and process control

Both processes run under one roof, with one engineering team and one quality system. Changing the process during development does not mean changing supplier.
We like projects where the geometry is difficult and the line is unforgiving.
Engineering a sustainable future — one project at a time.

Engineering a sustainable future — one project at a time.

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Frequently asked questions

Can the same tooling be used for both processes?

No. Wet press tooling is heated and dries the part inside the mold, so each process needs its own tool set. The process is selected before tooling is committed for exactly this reason.

Can we change process after prototyping?

Yes, up to spec lock. It means new tooling, so we test the assumption during prototype and pilot rather than after serial release.

Do both processes run at your European site?

Yes. Dry press and wet press molding both run at Kapuvár, Hungary, with tooling, prototyping, and serial production on the same site.