As market demand increases for sustainability, efficiency, and quality, label and package printing converters are seeking UV LED solutions for their curing needs. This technology is no longer niche, either. LEDs have emerged as a mainstream curing technology across numerous printing applications.

LED curing has been associated with other benefits, too, including cost savings and reliability. Many converters who have spoken to L&NW have touted the savings and environmental friendliness of making the switch to LED.

“UV LED brings significant operational cost savings due to increased productivity, higher uptime, no bulb replacements, and extremely long product lifetime,” states Stacy Hoge, Phoseon marketing manager, Excelitas Technologies. “With the adoption of UV LED, companies can reduce their carbon footprint by decreasing energy consumption, preventing pollution, and reducing waste while increasing profits. Upgrading to UV LED curing can reduce energy bills by 50-80% overnight with return on investment in well under one year.

“In addition to energy consumption savings, there are utility rebates and state incentives available that can significantly reduce the cost of upgrading to sustainable LED equipment,” adds Hoge.

The evolution of LED technology has prompted adoption, as well. The products are far more effective than previous generations, and printers in a range of markets – from digital inkjet to screen and flexography to offset – have driven installations. The advancements extend to inks and substrates, too.

“Both conventional UV and UV LED curing systems are more efficient today than they were a decade ago,” states Jennifer Heathcote, business development manager, GEW. “This means newer systems require less electrical power to produce the same UV output as older systems. This results in immediate energy savings to label printers following an upgrade of an older UV system or after installing a new UV press.

“Other advancements over the last five to 10 years have been in process and application development,” adds Heathcote. “This has been a collaborative effort among GEW, the formulators, the press manufacturers, various co-suppliers, and the end users to shift more and more applications to UV LED.  It’s been a learning process for everyone, and collectively, we are all so much better at producing high-quality label products with UV LED curing than we were a decade ago.”

Much of the growth in this sector has come over the last decade, due to an increase in quality and many regulatory requirements. “Over the past 5-10 years, advancements in technology and energy policies have spurred significant interest in LED curing and given companies an appetite for being more agile with their curing platforms,” explains Chris Davis, head of sales, Web and Industrial, IST America. “Many have transitioned from traditional UV platforms to LED or have adopted a hybrid approach, utilizing both UV and LED technologies on a single press to utilize the best technology for the application, like LED for white or dark colors and UV for varnish.”

“There has been a noticeably rapid increase in the use of UV LED curing, primarily due to the availability of commercially viable initiator packages and improvements in LED technology,” shares Bob Waddington, product line manager for Curing and Drying, Baldwin Technology. “More efficient power supply and cooling designs have allowed higher irradiance levels at less or equal power consumption, which also boosts the sustainability attributes of the technology.”

There are notable advantages to migrating to LED curing versus conventional systems, notes Heathcote. “When compared to conventional UV systems, LED is better at curing inks, especially white inks and densely pigmented inks,” she says. “LED is also better at curing laminating adhesives, cold foil adhesives, cast and cure coatings, and thicker formulation laydowns. LED’s longer UVA wavelengths penetrate deeper into formulations, pass more easily through films and foils, and are less absorbed by color generating pigments. This means more energy goes into the chemical reaction to facilitate better opacity, better cure, and faster line speeds. From a process perspective, UV LED is more efficient.   

“UV LED output is consistent over the life of the product; whereas, arc lamp output begins to degrade from first strike,” continues Heathcote. “With UV LED, label printers are more confident in cure quality when running the same job months apart. Due to the lack of lamps, reflectors, and shutters, there is less maintenance, which means less troubleshooting and less variability in output due to component degradation. All of this means that UV LED increases the robustness of the printing process.”

There are other benefits, as well. UV LED systems turn on and off instantly. This eliminates the warm-up, standby, and cool-down states associated with conventional UV systems, which saves valuable production time and energy. Plus, UV LED lampheads have very long lifetimes and utilize no lamps, reflectors, or shutter mechanisms. This reduces maintenance and eliminates consumables. UV LEDs also do not emit heat generating infrared wavelengths or produce ozone. UV LED systems also eliminate the use of mercury. By comparison, a small amount of mercury is contained inside the quartz tube of an arc lamp system.  

For converters hesitant to make the switch, oftentimes there is a perceived challenge in the transition from traditional UV mercury to UV LED curing. “Printers cannot afford disrupted workflows that compromise capacity and lead times for customers; therefore, the switch needs to be made thoughtfully and with the support of an experienced ink specialist,” comments Anna Niewiadomska, marketing manager, Narrow Web, Flint Group. “Likewise, printers do not want to be left with vast inventories of UV inks that cannot be used. A core advantage of using dual cure ink technology is that printers can switch unit by unit or press by press while operating with only one ink inventory – mitigating that perceived challenge of downtime and disruption.”

However, there are financial benefits to LED curing adoption. “The reduced energy consumption combined with the extended lifespan of LED modules creates substantial cost savings over time,” explains Waddington. “The higher irradiance levels mean fewer modules are required to cure ink films, further reducing operational expenses. With less downtime due to decreased lamp maintenance, converters can maximize uptime and profitability.”

For many converters, making the switch to LED is also the “smart” choice. Smart UV LED curing systems offer process stability and real-time monitoring for printers and manufacturers. The newest technology can accommodate the latest trends in manufacturing.

“Customers increasingly require process control via real-time monitoring of UV LED curing lamps to better support Industry 4.0 manufacturing,” explains Hoge. “Many of them are running ‘dark factories’ that have no lights and no humans during processing, so 24×7 remote performance monitoring is key. Even in facilities with human operators, customers want to be notified about curing issues immediately to minimize down-time and scrap.”

Overall, the feedback from converters who have made the transition has been overwhelmingly positive. “Customers who make the switch to LED curing often express steady optimism,” says Davis.

“The future of curing technology holds exciting possibilities, with further advancements expected in the UVA spectrum and higher irradiance capabilities across all UV ranges,” says Waddington. “Additionally, the growing availability of UVB technology presents new opportunities for applications in the medical and healthcare industries – particularly with sterilization. As Baldwin continues to innovate and adapt to changing market needs, converters can expect continued advancements in curing technology that will redefine the way they operate and compete in the global marketplace.”

Ink considerations

In addition to UV LED curing lamps, there is an onus on ink suppliers to deliver products that excel with the technology. The increase in lamp development has created significant R&D at many ink companies.


“We see a more comprehensive range of UV LED lamps on the market, providing printers and converters with a broader range of lamp options,” states Flint Group’s Niewiadomska. “As a result, the pressure is on ink suppliers to keep pushing forward in UV LED curing innovation. For example, developing inks that are approved for food packaging, innovative coating technologies, and the need for inks and coatings that will work in combination with various substrates and application types.”

The sustainability attributes that have been lauded with LED curing tie into the latest ink developments, as well. “Importantly, from a sustainability perspective, UV LED inks and coatings contribute to a reduced carbon footprint and elimination of hazardous mercury, aligning with converters’ sustainability objectives,” says Niewiadomska.

Flint Group offers a comprehensive range of UV LED solutions tailored for the specific needs of its customers. The company’s EkoCure portfolio has been engineered to provide consistent, high-quality printing results under both traditional UV and UV LED curing. Furthermore, included in the range are two FCM approved solutions – EkoCure ANCORA and EkoCure ANCORA F2.

“Our goal is to make the switch from UV to UV LED curing systems easier than ever for our customers and play our part in delivering a more sustainably focused printing sector,” notes Niewiadomska.

Addressing the energy crisis

It’s no secret that energy is a substantial issue – both in the manufacturing industry and elsewhere. LED curing offers several benefits, particularly in terms of energy efficiency. 

“LEDs consume less energy compared to UV systems and eliminate the need for complex ancillary equipment,” says IST’s Davis. “Unlike UV, bulbs and reflectors need not be replaced. LED technology is a solid-state technology, making it easier to measure overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and key performance indicators (KPIs), which dovetails nicely into the hot topic of sustainability. LED arrays are also simpler to retrofit and integrate into existing presses.”

According to GEW’s Heathcote, UV LED curing systems reduce the total power required from the plant transformer. “Printers can run more lines off an existing transformer and can often avoid installing a new transformer when expanding capacity,” she notes. “UV LED curing systems lower peak demand at start-up and reduce energy consumption during operation. For many facilities, high peak demand charges can be responsible for as much as 40% of the electricity bill. As a result, lowering peak demand has a significant impact on electricity bills and is fantastic for a printer’s bottom line.”

UV LED curing also means zero Scope 1 emissions and reduced Scope 2 emissions. “This has a direct impact on the sustainability efforts of the organization, particularly in light of the SEC final rule published March 28, 2024: The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures,” adds Heathcote. “While the rule is currently stayed as it undergoes judicial review, it requires approximately 2,800 large publicly traded companies listed in the US to report Scope 1 and 2 emissions in financial statements starting in 2025. The United Kingdom currently requires 11,900 companies to report Scope 1 and 2 emissions with Scope 3 being voluntary.  The European Union goes further and requires Scope 1, 2, and 3 reporting for over 50,000 publicly traded and large companies.”

New products

There are numerous products out in the marketplace that have been designed to meet demand for LED curing.

Baldwin has designed the new Quatro Series LED-UV curing module for high-power curing scenarios, and is ideal for high-speed offset printing applications. Utilizing patented “dual-optic” technology, the Quatro Series provides system flexibility and reliability. Each module hosts two large, high-performance UV LED arrays, delivering double the available power of a standard LED solution at a lower cost than two individual lamps.

Baldwin offers several new LED and conventional UV products, including an even more powerful version of the QuadCure UV, along with a completely redesigned UV LED curing platform. In fact, there are thousands of QuadCure systems installed worldwide.

In 2022, GEW launched its air-cooled AeroLED system. “GEW’s offering is unique in that it is negatively cooled in the same way our conventional arc lamps are cooled,” says Heathcote. “Air is drawn in from the press, through the lamphead(s), and away from the system utilizing a common extraction fan and ducting. While UV LED curing systems do not generate ozone, air cooling is necessary to keep the diodes at the correct operating temperature. 

“Even though a significant portion of the electrical energy is converted to UV LED output, electrical inefficiencies result in a portion of the supply power converting to thermal energy,” Heathcote continues.  “Using a negative cooling system to remove this waste heat means that warm air is not blowing into the press or onto the operator and is not contaminating the web with dust, dirt, or other airborne contaminants.

“It is possible to achieve 70% energy savings with GEW’s AeroLED powered with 53 Watts Per Centimeter (WPC) compared to our conventional E2C powered with 140 WPC,” she adds. “The drastic reduction in supply power leads to a significant financial benefit of tens of thousands of dollars annually.”

Meanwhile, in 2015, GEW introduced its Rhino power supply units (PSUs). These PSUs are rectifying, which means they supply AC power to the arc cassette and DC power to the LED cassette. 


“One power supply unit powers both curing technologies, and since the controls are ‘smart,’ the system automatically knows which cassette is installed in the lamphead casing,” explains Heathcote. This ‘hybrid’ ArcLED technology allows printers to quickly swap between cassette types and transition to UV LED curing at a pace that works for the individual needs of the printer and for the range of label products they produce.”

IST offers hybrid platforms capable of running both UV and LED curing systems. In retrofit packages, the company can utilize any existing housing that is not originally from IST, minimizing the integration costs for customers.
Meanwhile, Phoseon is now part of Excelitas’ commercial business unit and will continue to operate from its headquarters in Hillsboro, OR, USA, extending Excelitas’ geographic footprint into the Pacific Northwest.

According to Excelitas, Phoseon’s market strength in UV curing for the printing, coatings, and finishing sectors fits seamlessly with Excelitas’ leadership in UV curing for the medical device and electronics manufacturing space.

The company offers multiple LED products, too. The Phoseon Nexus ONE air- and water-cooled UV LED curing systems are ideally suited for flexographic printing applications. “Nexus ONE products deliver the highest total UV power output to achieve increased print speeds, increased press uptime, and double the product lifetime,” says Excelitas’ Hoge. “New ValidCure Technology validates the curing power delivered to the material surface, ensuring process compliance and optimum performance. Nexus ONE is the first UV LED curing system available with a five-year warranty for the entire system, offering investment protection for customers.”

The company has also designed the Phoseon FireJet UV LED air-cooled system for digital inkjet and screen printing. It is capable of curing at high speeds for small, medium and large format digital printing systems. It’s also suitable for many large single pass UV inkjet applications. Excelitas also offers the Phoseon FireEdge UV LED air-cooled system and FireLine UV LED water-cooled system.

“Plus, the OmniCure AC Series small area air-cooled UV LED curing systems are designed with high-power LEDs and advanced front-end optics to deliver high peak irradiance for fast, uniform curing,” adds Hoge.

Cambridge Label enhances operations with LED curing

Cambridge Label, which serves customers across North America from its 25,000 square-foot facility in Toronto, ON, Canada, recently encountered a unique power problem. The converter’s building was already utilizing the maximum available power and unable to increase usage without upgrading its transformer hardware.

Cambridge Label explored several options, including a collaboration with its local city and hydro-provider to expedite the transformer upgrade. However, this solution came with an estimated timeline of 18 months. While exploring ways to reduce power consumption, Deanne Sinclair, president and owner, and the management team contemplated a transition to LED. Cambridge Label approached SST, and a fruitful partnership ensued.

“With LED curing, we have observed that we can run our presses faster, especially when printing darker shades of ink, because LED ink actually cures faster at high speeds than UV ink,” explains Sinclair. “Additionally, given that LED bulbs have a much longer lifespan compared to UV bulbs, we have noticed a decrease in spending on maintenance and replacement bulbs that would have been necessary if we were still using our UV system. Furthermore, we have noticed approximately a 10% decrease in our overall hydro consumption, which has allowed us to operate another piece of equipment that was previously limited by our power constraints.”

SST emerged as the ideal partner after learning of numerous customer success stories. Following Cambridge Label’s due diligence, which included researching vendors and speaking to customers who had installed these systems, the converter invested in SST.

“We initially had concerns about LED inks not curing effectively and being prone to yellowing,” remarks Sinclair. “However, after discussing these concerns with SST, they demonstrated extensive knowledge and provided factual insights. To our surprise, they were able to debunk many of the myths surrounding LED curing systems.”

In addition to its quest for power optimization, Cambridge Label also values sustainability and quickly realized the environmental benefits of LED curing. Sustainability has guided the converter’s decisions to minimize environmental impact while optimizing efficiency. LED technology offers multiple benefits while aligning with its sustainability goals. “By switching to LED, we have reduced our energy consumption significantly, resulting in lower carbon emissions and operational costs,” says Sinclair. “LED lighting also has a longer lifespan, reducing waste from frequent bulb replacements. Overall, the move to LED curing reflects Cambridge’s commitment to sustainable practices and continuous improvement in our operations.”

SST swiftly converted two of Cambridge Label’s flexo presses to LED curing. SST was on-site for two days, converting one press per day. The first press was converted during a day shift in less than eight hours, and the afternoon shift operator was able to run the press the very day it was converted.

“I thought that when I arrived at work the next morning, I would have feedback about, ‘This didn’t run quite right,’ or, ‘I encountered this and that issue,’ but to my surprise, the feedback I received was, ‘This is amazing,’ and, ‘We should have done this a long time ago.’ SST was an excellent partner and ensured a seamless transition.”

While LED systems require a substantial upfront investment, the benefits are far reaching. “It’s worthwhile to analyze the operating costs of both UV and LED systems and draw a comparison,” explains Sinclair. “After conducting your analysis, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by how LED systems can pay for themselves within a few years, thanks to savings in both electricity and maintenance costs. Beyond financial considerations, LED technology is also better for our environment, and I believe industry leaders should embrace this technology to make a positive impact on our planet.”