Repeated glass breakages at China-based BOE’s new OLED factory may possible hinder the company’s iPad display orders from Apple, according to a new report from The Elec.
The article says that glass substrates at BOE’s B16 production line in Chengdu, China, have repeatedly developed cracks or broken since the line entered its initial production phase. The company is operating two lines while investigating the cause, but has yet to determine whether the problem stems from equipment, materials, or process conditions.
“Even if only two or three out of every 1,000 glass substrates crack, the problem can disrupt mass production,” notes The Elec. “Unlike conventional yield losses, in which a small number of defective substrates are discarded, a single break can directly affect equipment utilization and production schedules. Industry sources say manufacturers need to reduce such incidents to virtually zero on production lines that depend on continuous operation.”
An OLED iPad mini is due this month, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter.
He said it’s expected to be “considerably more expensive.” How much more expensive? Around $799 compared to $599 for the current model.
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