Samsung Display says that it’s aiming to increase its manufacturing output of QD-OLED displays for TVs and monitors by 30% before the end of the year, and that it will do so without making any significant investments in its production lines.
The company said it will reduce its “takt time”, which is the time it takes to manufacture a single product, through greater production efficiencies rather than spending to increase capacity, The Elec reported.
Samsung Display mass produces QD-OLED displays panels at its Q1 line, which is said to have a capacity of around 30,000 Gen 8.5 substrates per month. The company can then manufacture a varying number of TVs or monitor displays from a single substrate.
Production output will increase partly because Samsung Display has been able to improve QD-OLED’s yield rate to 85%, sources told The Elec. The yield rate refers to the percentage of substrates that are manufactured without defects.
By increasing its production output without making any significant investment, Samsung Display is following in the footsteps of LG Display, which was able to realize similar gains at its Gen 8.5 OLED display factory in Guangzhou, China, last year. There, LG managed to up its output to 90,000 substrates per month, from an initial capacity of just 60,000.
Earlier this year it was reported that the additional capacity will enable Samsung Display to begin manufacturing 77-inch and 59-inch QD-OLED panels, which will likely appear in products starting in 2023. This will allow the company to offer 55inch, 65-inch and 77-inch panels to TV makers, and 34-inch and 49-inch versions to monitor manufacturers, The Elec explained.
In other words, there will be a lot more QD-OLED displays with new sizes going on sale next year, which is good news for consumers who’re interested in the display technology. QD-OLED is said by many to be superior to LG Display’s White OLED technology, with more accurate colours and higher brightness. This year saw the launch of the first ever QD-OLED TVs by Samsung Electronics and Sony, and both sets received rave reviews.
The Elec reports that Samsung Display is yet to make a decision on whether to begin the second phase of a large investment in its Q1 line that would expand production capacity further. The company has been mulling the idea of investing in more production hardware to significantly increase the capacity of the Q1 line, but has yet to make a decision on this.
The Elec says the final decision will likely depend on Samsung Electronics, which is its main customer for QD-OLED. Samsung is said to be still reviewing QD-OLED’s reception among consumers.
