On February 9, according to the South Korean technology website The Elec, LG Display is actively adjusting the factory product line with the purpose of making OLED panels specifically for the future iPad. That sends a strong signal that iPad devices with OLED displays seem to be getting closer to production.
LG Display is currently currently in the process of transferring part of its OLED production facility from its E5 production line at its Gumi plant in South Korea to its plant in Paju. Sources said the company is transferring some of its tensioners for depositing OLED material on panels during production to its E6-4 production line at its P10 plant in Paju.
LG Display's move is relatively special, sources revealed that because the equipment may be damaged during transportation, but also need to be strictly calibrated for a specific production line, some of the production equipment currently in use rarely transfer to another production line.
Obviously, the reason for LG Display's doing this must be to face a relatively large production adjustment, and the claim that Apple is preparing for the mass production of OLED panels for future iPad models has a high degree of credibility. It is reported that the company has been planning to produce panels on its E6-4 production line. High-resolution panels require multiple tensioners to achieve this. The move will allow LG Display to save costs by using its existing tensioners.
It is worth mentioning that in August last year, LG Display plans to spend 3.3 trillion won to expand the capacity of the Paju plant by 2024, which already has two production lines (E6-1 and E6-2) to produce flexible OLED panels for the iPhone, and is currently building a third production line (E6-3) to improve efficiency. In the future, the E6-4 line will produce rigid OLED panels, with up to 15,000 panels per month per line.
Providing OLED screens for iPad devices will be an opportunity for LG Display. The panel technology requirements are high and the process is complex, which will be difficult for competitors to achieve. In addition, domestic display panel manufacturer BOE (BOE) is also ready to provide OLED panels for future iPad devices.