LG Chem - Page 10

We've just got word from LG Chem that the company now plans to start mass producing the world's first flexible OLED lighting panels in July 2013 (and also high-efficiency 80 lm/W rigid panels). This is exciting news and if LG Chem will indeed go through with this plan it will be an important milestone for OLED lighting. Those OLED panels will be 200 x 50 mm in size and will feature 45 lm/W and a color temperature of 4,000K.

LG's flexible panels are only 0.33 mm thick and weigh under 8 grams - which not only allows new design possibilities but is also useful for energy saving for applications sensitive to weight (electric cars, airplanes, submarines, etc).

LG Chem are currently producing OLED lighting panels in an Gen-2 fab (370x470mm) that can produce 7,000 substrates a month. They are producing the LG-OLED-041 is a 100x100 mm square panel that features 4,000K, CRI>80, 45 lm/W and 10,000 hours lifetime (LT70) at 3,000 nits. Now we hear that the company has plans to build a Gen-5 fab by 2014. They actually planned a Gen-4 line but decided to go for a larger fab to achieve higher volume and lower cost (and because Gen-5 tools are now available).

LG Chem will also optimize their current Gen-2 fab so it can produce more larger (150x150 mm) and more efficient panels (80 lm/W). They will do so by 2013 and so the price per lm will drop by 50%. The Gen-5 fab will be able to produce 135 lm/W 300x300 mm panels - and so price per lm will drop 95% when compared to 2012.

LG Chem said that a large explosion broke out at their OLED production factory in Heungdeok District in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, Korea on August 24. One 26-years old employee was killed and 14 others were injured. This tragic accident happened when a large 200-liter drum that contained dioxane (a volatile substrate used in the manufacturing process) exploded due to unknown reasons.

The police are now investigating whether this is a case of poor equipment management and improper maintenance by LG Chem. This may also be due to negligence of workers at the factory. LG Chem said that while there's no problem to continue produce OLEDs in the factory, they have decided to stop operation until the investigation is over.

Acuity Brands launched two new OLED luminaries, the Trilia and the Canvis. The Trilia is a modular lamp that uses either two kinds of models (the Tri and the Straight) to create unique network-like design. The Tri section model uses 24 OLED panels (1810 lumens) while the Straight section model uses 8 panels (603 lumens). All the panels feature an efficiency of 60 lm/W, 3500K color temperature, 15,000 hours of lifetime (LT70) and a CRI of over 80.

The Canvis is a flexible "sheet of pure luminance" that comes in 4 different configurations: twist, drape, screen and pose. The twist and the Drape use 66 OLED panels (up to 5020 lumens brightness) while the screen and the post configurations use 54 panels (up to 4100 lumens). The Canvis uses the same panels used in the Trilia. As far as we know Acuity is using LG Chem made panels.

Tridonic sent us a brochure showing six new OLED lamps, all powered by their module. One of these is the Manta Rehi, the kinetic OLED luminaire we already reported about.

Ledon (the company behind the Tridonic brand) uses Osram Orbeos panels and LG Chem panels. They wouldn't reveal which panels are used in which lamps.

Selux and design studio ART+COM unveiled a new OLED luminaire, the Manta Rhei. They call this a "kinetic luminaire" - because it integrates mechnical movement, with several individually designed choreographies:

The Manta Rehi is 1.2x2.4 meters and it has 140 OLED modules. The OLED modules were provided by Tridonic (Ledon), so we assume these are either Osram Orbeos panels or LG Chem ones. The design here is very nice, although I wonder how much power is wasted by the moving mechanism...

We just got word from LG Chem that the company finished development of their first OLED lighting panel, and have started mass production. The "type 1" panel, or the LG-OLED-041 is a 100x100 mm square panel that features 4,000K, CRI>80, 45 lm/W and 10,000 hours lifetime (LT70) at 3,000 nits. The active emitting panel is 90x90 mm, and the whole panel is 2.44 mm thick (including the optical film and PCB. The OLED itself is 1.84 mm).

LG Chem is already developing the 2nd generation (or "type 2") panel which will up the efficiency to 60 lm/W and the lifetime to 15,000 hours. The size will be the same, but the color will be 3,500K. LG Chem will start mass production of type 2 panels in 2Q 2012. LG Chem further says that it decided to offer these new panels at "lower prices" - although we do not know the actual price yet.

LEDON OLED lighting is showing a new OLED module that is the brightest ever at 1001 lumens. The new lamp (which is aimed towards professional lighting applications) uses 9 LG Chem OLED panels and LEDON's own outcoupling and electrical contact system. The color temperature is 4077K and the efficacy is over 30 lm/W. The total lamp size is 300x300² with a thickness of 5 mm. The average luminous flux area density is over 11,000 lumen/m².

We talked to LEDON and they say that they expect LG Chem to start producing their OLED lighting panels in 2012. Acuity Brands who are also using LG Chem's OLED panels say that they expect to start shipping lamps in Q1 2012. LG Chem announced their OLED lighting product plans back in 2009. Back then, LG Chem planned to use green and red PHOLED materials made by Universal Display, and SFC's deep-blue fluorescent OLED.

Acuity Brands launched two OLED luminaries, the company's first. The two new products (called Kindred and Revel) are designed for indoor, ambient applications. Planned availability is Q1 2012. The company will show the new OLED lighting products at the LightFair International 2011 Tradeshow and Conference (May 17-19, 2011).

The Kindred (shown above) is contemporary-styled lamp and it's "engineered to provide a room with individualized canopies of light, blurring the lines between architecture and lighting". The Kindred includes 45 OLED panels that output 3060 Lumens at 58 Watts (53lm/w). The lifetime is 15,000 hours (L70).

LG Group has decided on four R&D technologies to focus on: lighting, solar cells, next-gen batteries and integrated heating/ventilation/air-condition systems. The lighting technologies will include LED lighting and OLED Lighting materials, developed by LG Chem. LG Chem have already announced their plans to develop OLED lighting materials and panels, and hope to start production in 2H 2010.