Samsung Display has built a foldable OLED production line in Vietnam. This is a result of the expectation that the first mass production of foldable OLED panels will happen in 2020 due to the increased interest in foldable smartphones. For this year's Samsung Galaxy Fold, Samsung equipped its A1 plant in Cheonan, Chungnam, Korea with a foldable OLED panel production line. It is where the 4 Gen. (730mm x 920) half-cut OLED cell production line is, which is mainly used for R&D.
It is reported that Samsung Display finished the first foldable OLED module production line setup at the Vietnam module factory earlier this month.
Equipment for the second production line is also in stock and is currently in setup.
Following the pilot-level A1 plant module production line, it is expected to become a full-fledged foldable OLED module production line.
An official of the foldable OLED module line equipment company said, "It is being said that next year, we will secure panel production capacity of about 10 million units a year."
Samsung Display is reported to be actively operating foldable OLED panels not only for Samsung Electronics' Mobile division but also for Chinese smartphone companies.
A senior insider of the foldable OLED company said, "We are positive about the future possibilities of foldable OLED inside Samsung Display.
Samsung's Mobile division plans to launch a clamshell-type foldable smartphone in the first half of next year.
Compared to the existing Galaxy Fold, the screen is smaller and the folding direction is changed from side to side.
Glass is expected to be applied to foldable OLED cover window materials for the first time.
This year's Galaxy Fold has a transparent polyimide (PI) cover window.
It was reported that Sumitomo Chemical of Japan received a transparent PI film that had been coated and supplied it to Samsung Display by laminating it with a polarizer.
Dongwoo Fine-Chem is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical.