Varden uses different proprietary technologies to wet form its fibre capsules to the world’s best standard. Our unique tooling designs allow us to create areas of different density within the paper to deliver the perfect brew, every time.

The tooling on each platen is custom made by Varden with a mix of 3D printing and CNC machining. Specific geometries are used for progressive compression and de-watering, that is designed to match the fibre lengths created, and so ensure a highly precise form ready for coating, whilst specific industrial coatings minimise change over time.

Our forming system uses a series of Promess presses that precisely control the shape during the process.

The system is reliable and highly automated with the ability to run 24/7.

The VT100+ line has a compact footprint of only 86m2 with a rated output of 120million capsules per annum.

The line is made by Bosch engineering, with specialist components supplied by “Best in Class” OEM suppliers.

Film Free Capsule Coatings

Varden completely avoids the use of polyethylene film, that many fibre capsules have typically used. Varden is able to obtain the same levels of Oxygen and Water Vapour barrier (transmission rates of sub 1 ppm/24hr/ m2, and sub 5 ppm/24hr/ m
2 respectively).

This video shows the primer coat being applied with our patented inline system.

The second coat of our two-coat system is a custom biopolymer that is sprayed into the coffee capsule. This is a natural bio-based product, that is food safe and does not create micro-plastics or micro-stickies as it is brewed, or as it breaks down in the soil at the end of life.

Our custom bio-polymer is something that we choose to manufacture in house.
Although protected by patents and in-house know-how, we choose to maintain the
highest levels of secrecy around this product. Manufacturing it in our reactors means that we can control purity and quality, as well as cost. The polymer can also be used on flow wrap and other flexible paper sheeting for confectionary and snack foods.

Fibre Technologies

Making the best capsule
starts with the fibre.

Our pulp farm is state of the art and allows us to refine fibre to a level that most pulp forming is unable to deal with, in terms of de-watering. Micro-fibrillation means that fibres are malleable and form super dense bonds, very rapidly.

Advancing Capsule Manufacturing Through Fibre Innovation

We use the Techpap SAS Morfi Neo as a core part of our ongoing QA processes in house to ensure that every batch of pulp will consistently deliver the highest quality capsules.
This accurately measures our refining level and dilution.

Where our precision engineering is

Our coffee capsule relies on four interacting elements of IP

The fibre is highly refined to levels that others cannot tolerate which gives the basis for our barrier system

The Press Tooling design and production is unique to Varden and enables greater fibre cohesion to minimise tool cleaning, and our high tolerance tooling allows us to work with highly refined fibre to create thin- walled parts with high performance

The process uses parameters and controls only seen in plastic thermoforming so we can control rapid dewatering and bond formation at a new level of precision.

The coating uses a first coat that relies on a patented application method and then a second coat of a food-safe bio-polymer manufactured in-house and sprayed onto the capsule. This coating is brew-safe and food approved, as well as being home-compostable and recyclable.

To find out more about our innovation and materials please click below

Technology