Samsung, LG slowly shedding LCD lines

Samsung Display is planning to shut down additional production lines for LCDs to the middle of next year, according to industry sources on Sept. 26.

The phase 2 line at its 8-1 Asan 1 Campus in South Chungcheong Province will most likely be the target, they said. The company has already halted the phase 1 line.

“The firm has decided to halt operations after about 10 more months,” said one industry watcher. “But we do need to wait and see because Samsung Display’s schedule on this particular project has been constantly changing.”

Where the phase 1 line is eliminated, Samsung will be setting up production lines for large-sized OLEDs. Instead of buying all new equipment, some will be revised to be recycled.

Samsung Display will also be announcing plans for investing in next generation displays in October. “Samsung Display has drawn up investment plans for up to 2025, based mainly on facility and R&D investment for QD OLED and QLED panels,” said a government official close to the matter.

Lee Chang-hee, a former Seoul National University professor, is currently leading Samsung Display’s QLED display development. Samsung has yet to unveil details about its QLED research.

But in China, TCL showcased its 31-inch hybrid-QLED TV at CES 2019 in the US this year. In June, the firm said that it is the world’s second-largest holder of patents related to QLED technology. The largest is Samsung Display.

LG Display also plans to close down parts of its LCD lines. Parts of the Gen-7 and Gen-8 lines in Paju of Gyeonggi Province are to be shut down late this year or early next year. Due to such plans, LG Display has begun receiving voluntary retirements since Sept. 23.

LG Display plans to make huge investments for large-sized OLED panels over the next three years based on estimates that it will sell more than 10 million of such panels in 2022. This year, the estimates are set at 3.8 million. The OLED lines in Paju will begin mass production in 2022, and in 2023 for Gen-10.5 lines.

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