New LED-UV Curing System Successfully in Production

A water-cooled LED UV curing system has proven its worth in practical use at a printing company. It enables reliable curing, high process reliability, and low maintenance requirements, even at high throughput.

Phoenix Color has successfully tested IST Metz’s new LEDcure NX LED-UV curing system in a production setting. Installation and on-site support were provided by IST America, the Metz Group’s North American sales and service subsidiary. The water-cooled system impresses with its high performance, easy maintenance, and maximum process reliability, even under demanding production conditions.

Phoenix Color, one of North America’s leading manufacturers of book covers, dust jackets, and high-quality printed products, has successfully tested IST Metz’s new LED-UV curing system, the LEDcure NX, in production. IST Metz’s water-cooled LED solution was implemented on a Heidelberg XL 106 as part of a pilot project and has since demonstrated reliable curing, high serviceability, and low maintenance requirements. As a company with high production volumes and short lead times, Phoenix Color has relied on LED-UV technology for many years. The demands placed on the curing systems are correspondingly high: high press speeds, numerous jobs per day, and extensive post-press processes require maximum process reliability. “We switched to LED technology years ago,” explains Chris Strine, Press Room Manager at Phoenix Color. “We produce at high speeds, in large print runs, and with a wide variety of jobs. Our printing inks must perform reliably at all times.”

The decision to choose LEDcure NX for the pilot installation was based not only on technological requirements but also on the long-standing partnership with IST America. Phoenix Color had already had positive experiences with IST’s UV and LED-UV systems in the past.

The company particularly highlights the close support provided by IST America’s service and technical team. When facing previous challenges, training, technical support, and practical solutions were at the heart of the collaboration. “IST America has supported us at every stage,” says Don Pennington, Head of Maintenance and Facilities Management at Phoenix Color. “They provided us with the necessary tools, technical support, and training so that we could perform maintenance and repair work on our own. This commitment has built a great deal of trust.”

The new LED-UV system was installed on a Heidelberg XL 106, one of the most powerful printing presses in Phoenix Color’s production environment. The IST America team oversaw the integration process from the dismantling of the existing system through to full commissioning. In daily use, the LEDcure NX stands out in particular for its compact design and maintenance-friendly construction. The water-cooled system combines efficient LED-UV technology with mirror-based UV output optimization/maximization, thereby providing a high-performance solution that is also easy to service.

“The new system has a very simple and well-thought-out design and delivers outstanding results,” says Pennington. “It’s more accessible, easier to maintain, and significantly more convenient to use than many other systems.” The LEDcure NX also meets high expectations in terms of production performance. “The system runs completely trouble-free on one of our fastest printing presses,” confirms Strine.

In addition to the technology itself, Phoenix Color sees the close collaboration with IST America as a key source of added value. Quick response times, direct points of contact, and comprehensive technical support contribute significantly to operational reliability. “When we succeed, IST succeeds too,” says Pennington, describing the partnership. “They help us achieve our goals and continuously improve our production.”

Following its positive experience with LEDcure NX, Phoenix Color is already exploring further retrofits of its existing UV curing systems. In addition, the company has expressed interest in SMARTcure, the AI-powered control system from IST Metz. SMARTcure helps printing companies automatically adjust UV output to specific production conditions, save energy, and further increase process stability.

The successful pilot installation at Phoenix Color underscores IST Metz’s commitment to developing innovative UV and LED solutions that not only deliver top performance but also meet the demands of modern production environments in terms of efficiency, ease of maintenance, and sustainability. (OM-7/26)