Seeing the potential demand, several flat panel makers, touch-panel module suppliers as well as glass processing companies have been installing production lines for cover glass, revealed the sources.
Flat panel makers are expected to lead the industry's shift to large-size touch devices including flat panels, cover glass and touch sensors, since they will benefit from the advantage of reaching economies of scale in cutting glass panels, said the sources.
Cover glass maker G-Tech Optoelectronics, an affiliate of the Foxconn Group, will inaugurate its AR (anti-reflectance) coating lines at its plant in Miaoli, Taiwan by the end of first-quarter 2012, further boosting its production capacity of cover glass, indicated the sources. G-Tech's AR coating lines can support panel sizes from 7.5G lines.
The 5.5G lines of Sintek Photronics will also begin volume production of cover glass in the first quarter of 2012, said the sources, noting that the plant has a maximum capacity of 3.3 million cover glass a month.
Cover glass demand rising on increasing large-size touch applications
Date: 14 December 2011
Source: http://www.digitimes.com
Yenting Chen, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 13 December 2011]Demand for cover glass is set to increase significantly as the application of touch-controlled technology has expanded to include large-size panels for outdoor advertising windows, vending machines, transparent advertisement glass, in addition to notebooks and tablet PCs, according to industry sources.