LCD panel maker HannStar Display Corp (瀚宇彩晶) yesterday said it expected to ship its first touch panels to customers, including Chinese e-reader maker Hanvon Technology Co (漢王), by the end of the year, having obtained a sufficient supply of key components.
“We are ready with our touch panel products and have completed qualification with our customers, but the supply of touch sensors determines when we can start shipping the touch panels to customers,” Justin Chien (簡宏毅), an official in charge of public relations, said by telephone.
Hanvon is scheduled to launch a series of new products, including a tablet device outfitted with a touch screen from HannStar, on Monday in Taipei.
HannStar’s touch sensor subsidiary Sintek Photronic Corp (和鑫光電) is expected to allocate more capacity for touch sensor manufacturing in November or December, Chien said. HannStar expected an easing of supply constraints would facilitate the shipping of its touch panels.
HannStar holds about an 18-percent stake in Sintek and hopes that its cooperation with Sintek will give it a competitive advantage over rivals in regard to cost, as it attempts to tap into the fast-growing touch panel industry, after Apple Inc’s use of a touch screen in its popular iPhone made touch panels a must-have for smartphones.
Along with Sintek, HannStar showcased a series of touch panels with sizes ranging from 3.8 inches to 10.1 inches in Shenzhen last week, targeting the Chinese market.
To strengthen its profitability, HannStar is diversifying into niche markets, including touch panels and 3D panels, to maximize factory efficiency.
Sintek yesterday said it bought an idled and empty plant from HannStar for NT$1.86 billion (US$59 million), according to its filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Sintek plans to purchase equipment for the plant to expand touch sensor capacity amid strong customer demand, it said.
Sintek’s board yesterday approved NT$8.8 billion of capital spending over an unspecified period of time to fund the purchases of the plant from HannStar, the company’s said.
Separately, HannStar yesterday said it had subscribed to 1.2 million common shares of LED chip packager Unity Opto Technology Co (東貝光電) for about NT$54 million, bringing its holdings slightly up to 9.6 percent.
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