LG Flexible OLED line to cost $176 million, orders encapsulation equipment from Jusung and Avaco

OLEDNet posted an article with some new details about LG's upcoming 3.5-Gen flexible OLED line in LG's Paju plant (E2), Korea. According to the report, LG contracted Jusung Engineering and Avaco to supply the equipment. Both companies will supply encapsulation equipment. The deals are worth 11.4 billion Won (about $10 million) for Jusung and 7.6 billion Won ($6.7 million) for Avaco.

OLEDNet says that total cost for this new line (which is actually an extension of the existing pilot line) is worth 200 billion Won ($176 million).

Earlier reports suggest that LG will start construction by 3Q 2012, and the new line will become active by the end of 2012. An LGD official said that it will take 1-2 years to develop and verify the process and produce prototypes.

LG Display's flexible OLEDs will use the same technology as Samsung's flexible prototypes - a polyimide coated substrate and direct-emission RGB sub-pixels (as opposed to LG's OLED TV which use WOLED with color filters).

Back in November 2011 LG Display revealed that they are working towards plastic based OLEDs as they consider these to have the real value for the mobile solution. The idea is that the plastic will be replacing the glass cover to make the OLEDs thinner and stronger. Using plastic as the substrate to create a 'unbreakable device' as LG calls it is still several years away.

Posted: May 06,2012 by Ron Mertens