On October 14, 2021, I interviewed RiTdisplay (錸寶科技有限公司) in Hsinchu, Taiwan, a company with the world's top automated production technology for PMOLEDs and its mass production line.

 

→（ PartⅠ）Taiwan Report: RiTdisplay, the World's First Fully Automated Mass Production Line OLED Manufacturer, Part I

 

 

 

 

The headquarters building also serves as a factory, with fully automated production equipment on the upper floors.

 

Some of the headquarters buildings are occupied by other companies, and several companies in the vicinity are also RiTdisplay properties. It is truly a "conglomerate” .

 

In Taiwan, the word "group" has an image similar to that of a "zaibatsu" in Japanese. 

 

 

 

 

Among the many products, one of the most impressive was the smartwatch. As far as smartwatches are concerned, they have been adopted by almost all major manufacturers except Apple Watch. The reason for this is probably the stable performance. He said that even though some customers tend to go to other manufacturers due to cost comparison, many of them come back due to some problems. The reason why it is not used in the Apple Watch is because the Apple Watch uses AMOLED, but if it were PMOLEO, RiTdisplay's product would have been used. The production volume was suggested as 2KK/month for Fitbit and 1.5KK/month for Xiaomi, but no other company has the stable production capacity to withstand this volume.

 

The type of products in which RiTdisplay's PMOLEO is used greatly reflects the times in which they are used. For example, during the new coronavirus disaster, the demand for medical devices increased dramatically. The demand for small oxygen analyzers, which is usually around 700K/month, increased to 10KK/month. At the time of the order, RiTdisplay could manufacture only 2KK/month, so the company collaborated with its subsidiary to manufacture the part that exceeded the limit.

 

Since high costs are currently a problem in many industries, I asked about costs as well.

 

According to Jack, high cost is also a problem in the OLED industry. In particular, he said, the problem is the high cost of "glass”.

 

 

 

 

 

It may be difficult to imagine OLED products, they are the part where digital numbers and other information are displayed, and they are delivered in the form shown in the photo on the right, with a glass coating and a "frame" that connects to the main product. In addition, the cost of semiconductor chips, which is also a problem in other industries, is getting higher.

 

 

 

 

Taiwan has the largest share of RiTdisplay transactions at 45%, China at 27%, and the US at 24%, with these three accounting for 96%. The rest comes from Japan, Korea, and Europe. Although the percentage fluctuates greatly depending on the time period, Korea is currently the most popular of these three regions. At one time, Japan accounted for about 5% of all transactions, the most popular period was when two-fold cell phones were in fashion. The company supplied products to Sony Epson, NEC, Casio, Kyocera, Sharp, etc. The lineup of these manufacturers reminded me of the cell phones I used when I was a student.

 

During the interview, I felt that RiTdisplay's products have been used in many popular products of the time and have supported their development. No doubt, Japanese people have been exposed to RiTdisplay's products at some point in their lives. In fact, many of you probably use a smartwatch. I'm looking forward to seeing how RiTdisplay products will be used in the future as more and more products become smart.

 

According to Jack, the company has been facing the challenge of not being able to conduct new sales for overseas markets in the past few years due to the  Covid19pandemic. During this period, we have been focusing on following up with our existing customers, but he told me that he would be happy if interviews like this one could serve as an opportunity for new business instead of the exhibitions they have been doing. Business with Japan is not stable yet, as it repeatedly increases and decreases depending on the product demand of the time. Therefore, there is a lot of room for development, and they have high expectations for future growth.

 

The future of business with Japan may have a lot to do with the development of Japanese industry. As many products are being manufactured in China and other countries, Japan's industry is becoming increasingly hollow.

 

I wonder if it is possible to "manufacture" new hit products using RiTdisplay's products in Japan.

 

I would like to see such companies emerge.

 

 

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i.YUKO

　IRuniverse reporter, freelance writer, freelance interpreter/translator (Japan-China) Has been living in Taiwan since 2017, raising three children and selling handmade foods. Hobbies include handicrafts, soap making, researching Taiwanese cuisine, and traveling.

　If you are interested in interpreting, translating, or touring Taiwan, please contact us via the "Contact Us" form on MIRU or by phone.

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