Whether it’s the latest smartphone or a big-screen TV, the global appetite for consumer electronics is booming. And for manufacturers of LCD screens—key components in many of today’s electronic devices—the pressure is on to produce high-quality products to satisfy this demand.

For China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd, a manufacturer of display components based in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China), staying ahead in such a fast-moving and competitive industry means it needs to continuously improve its production processes and quality standards.

Wuhan Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd is a manufacturer of display components based in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China). [Photo/szcsot.com]

The company aims to bring sophisticated, high-quality components to market ahead of its rivals while also driving down costs and protecting its profit margins. It will do this by employing artificial intelligence (AI) in its factories to speed up the visual inspection process and detect product defects faster and more accurately.

It has also been developing smart factories, optimizing processes, and harnessing the latest technologies to increase efficiency. The company has succeeded in automating as much as 95 percent of its LCD manufacturing process.Smart factories of Wuhan Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China) [Photo/szcsot.com] 

In 2017, the company spent 35 billion yuan ($5.08 billion) to build a sixth-generation LTPS-AMOLED display screen production line, which will produce high-resolution, flexible, and foldable display panels for smartphones. 

AMOLED technology is physically flexible with a faster response time, higher contrast, and wider angles than traditional liquid crystal displays.

The production line began operating in the second quarter of 2019 and is expected to achieve mass production in the first half of 2020, with 45,000 display panels or modules set to be manufactured each month. 

The company has established a global research, development, and manufacturing center for high-end small screens in Wuhan, attracting more than 1,000 skilled workers from around the world.

A high-resolution, flexible, and foldable smartphone display developed by Wuhan Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China) [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley] 

The company expects to sell more than 10 billion yuan in screens and create more than 5,000 jobs. Wuhan's Optics Valley is expected to become an important global manufacturing center for screens and displays.