In a crucial moment for the global display industry marked by technological upgrades and market restructuring, TCL Huaxing, a leader in printed OLED technology with over a decade of experience, has achieved a significant breakthrough. On October 21, TCL Huaxing officially commenced construction of its 8.6-generation printed OLED production line (referred to as the “t8 project”) in Guangzhou, with a construction period of 24 months. The line is designed to process approximately 22,500 glass substrates (measuring 2290mm × 2620mm) monthly, focusing on medium-sized IT applications such as tablets, laptops, and monitors.
The t8 project is the world’s first high-generation printed OLED production line and is a joint investment between TCL Huaxing, the Guangzhou municipal government, and the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone management committee, with a total investment of about 29.5 billion yuan, including TCL Huaxing’s contribution of 8.85 billion yuan. Unlike the mainstream "sputtering" technology, the t8 project exclusively employs TCL Huaxing’s independently controllable printed OLED technology. At a media event, TCL Technology's Senior Vice President and TCL Huaxing CEO Zhao Jun stated that the t8 project is a groundbreaking example of a Chinese display company leading the market in the high-generation AMOLED sector with advanced technology, marking a key transition from "catching up" to "keeping pace" in the industry.
Printed OLED technology utilizes inkjet printing processes to produce OLED displays, significantly lowering costs compared to traditional vacuum deposition methods, thereby positioning printed OLED technology as an important future direction for display development. For TCL Huaxing, printed OLED technology is vital, having initiated its research back in 2013 and selecting it as the main direction for next-generation display technology by 2015. Zhao Jun emphasized that printed OLED aligns with the significant trend of expanding OLED applications in medium-sized markets over the next five years, highlighting its distinct advantages among various mid-size technologies.
To facilitate the industrial mass production of printed OLEDs, TCL Huaxing strategically invested 30 billion yen in JOLED in 2020. By November of last year, the company celebrated a milestone in the mass production of printed OLED technology. Reports indicate that medical device displays will be the first category of printed OLED products available for mass production, emerging from TCL Huaxing's G5.5 generation printed OLED production line (t12), which is the first printed OLED production line in the country. The t8 project will be TCL Huaxing's second mass production line for printed OLEDs and the fourth announced high-generation OLED production line in the industry.
Zhao Jun pointed out that the timing of launching the t8 project is based on TCL Huaxing's 12 years of technological advancements. He noted that the t12 production line has been in mass production for nearly a year, amassing extensive experience, particularly regarding yield improvement and capacity ramp-up. “With the foundation laid by the t12, although the t8 project starts later, its capacity ramp-up and mass production capability could see a faster release,” Zhao Jun indicated. He highlighted that capacity expansion is an inevitable result of a mature market, and TCL Huaxing's technological leadership and proven mass production capabilities position the company favorably for future competition.
In recent years, as foldable screens emerge as a new growth driver in display technology, coupled with increasing vehicle and wearable screen usage and expanding display sizes, OLED is poised to become the mainstream high-end display technology, anticipating a market explosion. According to Omdia, global AMOLED panel shipments are projected to reach 1.01 billion units in 2024, accounting for 27% of total shipments. AMOLED is expected to experience rapid growth in the IT and automotive sectors, with forecasts indicating a compound annual growth rate of 38%, 26%, and 15% for notebooks, automotive displays, and desktop monitors, respectively, by 2030.
Zhao Jun believes that medium-sized OLED products are still in their infancy phase, positioned on the cusp of an explosive growth in demand. This year, several terminal customers have initiated OLED projects across various models, not limited to flagship offerings, and mass production is likely to ramp up significantly by 2026. “Starting in 2026, we can anticipate that OLED growth will enter a fast lane.” With the establishment of the t8 project, TCL Huaxing will undoubtedly advance printed OLED technology into more consumer-grade products.
According to reports, the initial phase of mass production for TCL Huaxing’s medium-sized printed OLED products will primarily be from the t12 line, while the t8 line will further solidify the capacity requirements for medium-sized printed OLEDs and accommodate mass production for the future complete range of printed OLED products. Zhao Jun mentioned that the t8 and t12 lines will complement each other, with t12 focusing on the production of differentiated, high-value-added, and specialized application products, while t8 will concentrate on mainstream consumer electronics.
“According to current plans, the t8 line is expected to achieve mass production in the second half of 2027, with the first products aimed at the high-end medium-sized OLED display sector.” Additionally, Zhao Jun noted that for standard high-generation display projects, the expected investment return timeframe is 5-7 years. Given the superior competitiveness of printed OLED technology, TCL Huaxing is optimistic about recovering its investment in a shorter period. Clearly, after 12 years of strategic positioning, TCL Huaxing is poised to enter an accelerated return phase in next-generation display technology.