Investing in a GEW UV curing system for a printing production line is a high-capital decision with a significant impact on long-term print quality.

In many cases, however, printing facilities in Thailand and across the ASEAN region finalize their selection without testing the equipment against their specific production conditions. This oversight often leads to critical post-installation issues such as incomplete ink curing, inconsistent substrate adhesion, or the inability to support target production speeds.

These challenges rarely stem from the quality of the UV equipment itself. Instead, they arise from selecting a technology without conducting a hands-on performance evaluation using the facility's actual materials, inks, and manufacturing processes. GEW, a UK-based manufacturer and the established global leader in UV curing systems for the label and packaging industry—provides a clear example of how practical pre-purchase testing can be successfully implemented to ensure the investment perfectly matches your real-world production demands.

GEW Mercury UV vs GEW UV LED:
Finding the Right Fit for Label and Packaging Printing

In the label and packaging printing industry across Thailand and Southeast Asia, choosing between conventional GEW Mercury UV and energy-efficient GEW UV LED systems has no single definitive answer. The optimal curing system depends entirely on how well the technology aligns with a facility's specific ink formulations, printing substrates, and target production speeds. A common industry misconception is that heavy ink deposits or highly opaque inks strictly require the broad light spectrum of traditional UV systems. However, GEW's latest high-performance UV LED innovations are specifically engineered to cure even the most challenging opaque inks flawlessly. Ultimately, modern UV system selection is about perfectly matching the technology to your production line to achieve maximum print quality, excellent ROI, and genuine energy savings.

The Practical Challenges of
Pre-Purchase UV System Evaluation

While many printing facilities understand the value of evaluating a UV curing system before investing, executing these tests is often practically difficult. Equipment capable of running both conventional Mercury UV and UV LED technologies on a single print station is highly limited. Historically, printing houses had to rely heavily on standard manufacturer data or ship their substrates and inks overseas for specialized testing.

To eliminate this barrier, the PSG Demo Center in Thailand provides a dedicated local testing hub. We invite label and packaging converters across Thailand and Southeast Asia to bring their specific inks and materials for a hands-on evaluation.

By utilizing our finishing machine with a single flexo unit, you can conduct a true side-by-side performance comparison of both GEW systems under identical conditions, ensuring absolute confidence before finalizing your investment.

Solving Testing Challenges in Southeast Asia with
GEW ArcLED Technology

For printing businesses across Thailand and Southeast Asia, Press Systems Group, the official GEW distributor, has developed a dedicated local solution: the PSG Demo Center. At the heart of this evaluation hub is a Rhyguan finishing machine with a single flexo unit, fully equipped with GEW’s hybrid ArcLED technology. This setup seamlessly delivers both Mercury UV and UV LED curing capabilities within a single print station. Seamless Integration and Identical Testing Conditions

Powered by a single RHINO power supply, switching between curing modes is effortless. With just one wrench needed to swap the UV cassettes, the system automatically detects the new unit and updates the touchscreen interface instantly.

This unique setup allows printers to test their own inks, coatings, and substrates on both GEW technologies under the exact same operational conditions. By eliminating the variables of testing on different machines or at different locations, customers gain a direct, objective comparison of curing quality, material adhesion, energy efficiency, and thermal impact—empowering them to make the most accurate and risk-free investment decision.

Comprehensive GEW System Evaluation at the
PSG Demo Center

Testing at the PSG Demo Center goes far beyond simply determining whether ink is cured or not. It covers every critical dimension that influences a high-capital investment decision. During a hands-on evaluation, customers can directly assess overall curing quality, precise ink adhesion, and the exact energy consumption differences between GEW Mercury UV and GEW UV LED technologies. Furthermore, the evaluation accurately measures the heat transferred to the substrate, which is absolutely crucial for processing heat-sensitive materials like shrink films and thin plastics. It also determines the maximum production speeds each system can reliably support. These actionable insights empower both purchasing and technical teams to base their decisions on verified performance data rather than theoretical estimations.

A Tailored Hands-On Testing Process

The evaluation process is highly customized around your specific operational needs. It begins with customers supplying their actual production materials—including inks, varnishes or coatings, and substrates—to the PSG technical team. Together, we establish clear, measurable objectives, such as increasing overall production speed, resolving existing adhesion challenges, or assessing the operational feasibility of upgrading to GEW UV LED technology. Live performance testing is then executed on our finishing machine with a single flexo unit at the Demo Center. Following the physical demonstration, our engineering team provides a detailed technical summary, delivering tailored recommendations that directly connect the empirical test results to your facility's unique manufacturing goals.

Strategic Advantages for Manufacturers in Thailand and Southeast Asia

For label and packaging converters across Thailand and the ASEAN region considering an upgrade to their UV curing systems, having a local testing facility equipped with both GEW technologies significantly reduces evaluation time and costs. Instead of shipping material samples overseas for testing or relying on the operational experiences of other facilities that use entirely different substrates and ink formulations, printing houses can witness performance results that directly reflect their unique production processes.

While a pre-installation evaluation cannot entirely replace the final validation on your actual production line as a testing environment cannot perfectly simulate every variable of continuous, long-term manufacturing—it substantially minimizes uncertainties. This practical, hands-on approach empowers your project and technical teams to identify potential operational limitations early, ensuring absolute confidence before committing to a high-capital investment in your printing facility.

Making a Confident Investment in Your
GEW UV Curing System

Choosing between GEW Mercury UV and GEW UV LED technology is a highly strategic decision that requires direct operational validation. To determine the optimal fit for your production line, the decision must be driven by hands-on performance testing using your facility's specific inks, substrates, and real-world manufacturing conditions.

This is where the PSG Demo Center in Thailand, established by Press Systems Group as the official GEW distributor, offers an invaluable advantage. By providing local access to a finishing machine with a single flexo unit fully equipped with GEW’s hybrid ArcLED technology, label and packaging converters across Southeast Asia can objectively evaluate both curing systems in one place. This localized, direct evaluation ensures that printing businesses in the region can invest with absolute confidence, maximizing their ROI while successfully eliminating unexpected post-installation risks.