GEW launches AeroLED

The system features a new air-cooling process with filtered air distributed from a single centralized fan located away from the press and exits through the UV lampheads for quiet operation. 

According to GEW, the remote positioning of the fan avoids common problems caused by ink mist and dust ingress, while large air filters reduce the filter replacement cycle. There is no need for integrated fans or electronics in the individual lampheads, which eliminates the high-pitched noise and contamination issues that these bring. 

AeroLED features the same LED chassis and core components as GEW’s LeoLED lamphead. The new lamp uses GEW’s standard cassette design for easy maintenance, with watertight seals to protect the LED modules from ingress and make cleaning easy and safe. 

The efficient optical design enables the lowest energy usage of all GEW products. According to GEW, it delivers energy savings of typically 50-70 percent compared to a conventional UV arc system. In addition to offering greatly reduced operating costs, printers upgrading to LED can free up a significant level of mains capacity, which can then be used to install new machinery and increase production capability. Two AeroLEDs have a lower electrical supply requirement than one conventional arc UV system.

In addition to the sustainability benefits of AeroLED, GEW highlights the ease of installation to those considering a retrofit upgrade. 

Robert Rae, managing director of sales at GEW, said: ‘As AeroLED has GEW’s familiar E2C cassette design, upgrading an E2C system with RHINO/RLT power only requires switching to the AeroLED lampheads and the addition of a fan filter unit. All other components on the press remain the same. This means that a retrofit upgrade can be implemented in as little as one day and makes AeroLED the most cost-effective route to LED printing available worldwide.

‘Those new to GEW products will find the cost of a complete new AeroLED upgrade to be highly competitive, and something that pays for itself typically within two years through energy savings, not to mention the increased productivity that LED systems bring to press.’

A further advantage of LED in the curing process is its predictability and stability of UV output. AeroLED delivers a step-change in process control by enabling stable UV output year after year and eliminates the uncertainty of conventional UV lamps, reflectors, and mechanisms to ensure consistent production quality.

The new AeroLED uses GEW’s RHINO power supply and control range for ultimate reliability with Industry 4.0 approved IoT remote monitoring as standard.

‘At GEW, we are seeing a record number of orders across all system types and LED business significantly increasing from both OEMs and end customers alike,’ added Rae. ‘In the next two years, LED could reach 50 percent of GEW’s output, and we are gearing up for this, with a recent major investment in further new UK production facilities. With the introduction of AeroLED, with its unique concept and highly competitive cost, the case for printers to upgrade to LED is stronger than ever before. The opportunities are huge, and we are convinced LED will soon become the dominant technology in our narrow web market.’