GEW drives fast LED transition in narrow web technology

Converters at Labelexpo Europe 2025 sent a clear message that the shift to LED curing is now driven as much by economic discipline as by sustainability targets. GEW international sales director Marcus Greenbrook says demand is rising for faster curing, lower energy use and effortless upgrades to LED without the overhead of water chillers or major reconfiguration.

Greenbrook describes the mood in Barcelona as focused, technical and investment ready. Retrofit friendly LED systems and accurate curing control emerged as the levers converters want to pull first as they scale up automation and reduce waste. 

LED speed and accuracy improve

“Converters can print faster across all narrow web machines, all whilst enjoying the benefits that come with a switch to UV LED, without adding the energy hungry water chiller,” Greenbrook says. He points to AeroLED2, a high-power air-cooled system capable of curing up to 70 centimetres wide and delivering a dose up to 170mJ per cm2 with a UV irradiance of 26W per cm2, confirming that speed increases are now achievable across a wider range of presses.

Curing accuracy has become a boardroom topic in packaging. “Our DoseGuard unit will help many converters guarantee the accuracy of their UV dose, which in turn ensures a more consistent cure,” Greenbrook notes. For the narrow web sector, the lab version presents a compact means to monitor output from different cassette types and lengths. He says this reinforces quality control at a moment when brand owners expect consistent results regardless of operator, shift or substrate.

Upgrades without disruption
Retrofit economics are key as converters seek returns under shorter investment windows. “We showed how quickly you could change from an Arc UV lamp to a UV LED lamp using our ArcLED game,” Greenbrook explains.For printers with an existing GEW power supply, a switch to LED requires only lamps and a software update. This sidesteps downtime and protects cashflow while raising productivity.

The message resonated with converters who want to move to LED in phases. They can start with partial LED installation and expand as customer demand for speed and sustainability increases. Greenbrook says this modular journey helps avoid the “all or nothing” decisions that delay technology adoption.

Sustainability becomes business critical

The LED conversation has matured far beyond energy savings. Greenbrook acknowledges the numbers remain compelling. “Energy savings of up to 70% when a converter switches from UV arc technology to UV LED” continue to accelerate adoption. Yet sustainability is now intertwined with operational logic. He highlights faster makeready through instant on and off behaviour, reduced consumable waste through longer lamp life and fewer service calls due to simpler maintenance cycles.

“UV LED curing systems last upwards of 40,000 hours, compared to UV arc lamps that generally last between 1,000 and 2,000 hours,” he says. In Europe and beyond, these factors align with brand expectations and regulatory pressure, turning LED curing into a proactive investment rather than a compliance reaction.

Partnerships guide market momentum
OEM alliances remain a cornerstone of GEW’s strategy. “Sales on OEM machinery make up around 60% to 70% of our turnover,” Greenbrook confirms. The company’s turnout at Labelexpo supports both legacy and next generation machinery, cementing curing as an integrated element of press design. Printers seeking new machines expect LED readiness and the ability to pivot between curing modes with minimal intervention. Automation is also gaining traction. 

“Many printers are looking to automate their processes,” Greenbrook observes, adding, “DoseGuard adds data driven controls to validate curing consistency and support predictable uptime while ArcLED simplifies operator workflows. Curing systems are therefore expected to keep pace with broader digitisation.

LED becomes standard practice
Greenbrook sees LED curing at a decisive inflection. “The appetite to make the switch to UV LED is strong across the industry, which leaves us in a positive position.” Arc remains in use for specific applications but LED is emerging as the preferred foundation for investments.

Converters who originally trialled LED for sustainability credentials are now expanding capacity because the savings scale meaningfully with utilisation. Curing technology is becoming a competitive lever in the shift toward faster, shorter and more varied runs.