LG Display is expected to significantly strengthen its organic light emitting diode (OLED) lighting business.

According to the industry on May 23, LG Display acquired OLED lighting business related manpower and patent rights from LG Chem in 2015, and began producing OLED lighting products at its Gumi plant in Gyeongbuk, Korea at the end of last year . The Gumi plant in Gyeongbuk produces the world`s first 5G (1000mm × 1200㎜) OLED lighting substrate. Cut the fifth generation substrate to the size of each lighting product.

Meanwhile, LG Display assembled the Ochang factory, which was used to lease LG Chemical, in March of this year, and moved all OLED lighting workforce and manufacturing equipment to Gumi plant.

The Gumi plant is more than 30 times more productive than the existing 2G (370㎜ × 470㎜) OLED lighting substrate factory in Ochang (4,000 sheets per month). LG Display plans to increase production capacity of OLED lighting by securing production capacity of 15,000 sheets per month by the end of this year. The company plans to increase sales to just KRW 100 billion last year to 100 billion won by 2020.

On the other hand, LG Display recently introduced its OLED lighting products under the brand name `Loupex`. It plans to advance into the global lighting market by marketing it together with lighting equipment makers and automobile electronics companies in the future. Especially, German automakers such as BWM, Mercedes Benz, and Audi are developing technologies to apply OLED lighting for indoor and outdoor interior and lighting for automobiles. Currently, it is negotiating OLED lighting supply with 10 overseas automobile manufacturers.

According to a company representative, "The existing Ochang factory has been cleaned up recently and the OLED lighting is being produced at the Gumi plant in earnest," he said. "We will advance into the health care field, including mood lighting for advanced automobiles as well as automotive lighting."

The reason LG Display is active in the OLED lighting business is because the OLED lighting market is highly likely to grow. OLED lighting utilizes the self-luminous characteristics of organic materials, so it consumes less power and generates less heat than conventional lighting, and reduces the fatigue caused by natural light. Besides, it is possible to make various lighting products because it can realize flexible design. In the meantime, OLED lighting has been produced and sold only by LG Display, but Panasonic and Osram Europe have recently entered the market and are competing. The OLED lighting market is expected to grow from USD 251 million last year to USD 333 million this year and to USD 1.619 billion by 2020, according to market researcher Ubi Research.


By Kim Eun silverkim@


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