COB production capacity doubled, TCL Huaxing MLED project moved

Following Zhaochi’s announcement of production expansion, TCL CSOT’s MLED production base in Suzhou recently completed the move-in and placement of the core process equipment for the PH2 project. This incident marks a substantial step forward for TCL Huaxing in the MLED direct display field. The production line is about to enter the stage of equipment debugging and mass production.

According to project disclosure information, this production line upgrade is not a simple overlay of production capacity, but a systematic project accompanied by hardware reconstruction and process iteration. As major panel manufacturers accelerate their entry into the LED direct display track, the focus of competition on the COB technology route is shifting to large-scale manufacturing and full scene coverage.

■ COB production capacity doubled

Public information shows that after the base's MLED production line reaches full capacity, the monthly production capacity of COB direct display products will increase from the existing 6K to 12K, achieving doubling growth. With the LED direct display industry facing pressure to deliver large orders, this capacity jump will significantly enhance the stability of its supply chain.

It is worth noting that this production line upgrade of TCL Line Marking specially introduced the "elastic wire body architecture" and configured small and medium-sized wire bodies. This design is obviously in response to the increasing number of multiple varieties, small batches and personalized customization orders in the current display market (such as high-end leasing, customized commercial displays), and by improving the flexibility of the production line to meet the needs for rapid production scheduling and accurate delivery of non-standard products.

■ Broadening the boundaries and entering the outdoor track

In terms of technical indicators, TCL Huaxing's upgraded production line has demonstrated stronger compatibility:

First, specification coverage: the pixel pitch completely covers the P0.7 to P2.6 range, and the module size is compatible with the industry's mainstream standard boards and large board forms, trying to cover a wide range of needs from micro-pitch high-end commercial displays to conventional spacing.

The second is process upgrade: the core die-bonding process adopts a solution that combines traditional and new technologies to improve chip placement accuracy and yield; the packaging process has also been upgraded to support multiple technical routes.

What is particularly critical is that the process upgrade has led to the optimization of product protection performance (waterproof, dustproof, weather resistance, etc.), which means that TCL Huaxing's MLED direct display products have officially extended from traditional indoor applications (conference rooms, command centers) to outdoor display fields, trying to build an "indoor + outdoor" integrated product layout; continue to improve the overall market coverage and core competitiveness of the MLED business.

■ Large-scale competition begins

In addition to LCD and OLED, MLED is becoming the "third battlefield" for display panel giants. The arrival of the core equipment and the doubling of production capacity in the second phase of the Suzhou base are not only a jump in the manufacturing strength of a single enterprise, but also a strong signal that the COB industry has entered a stage of larger-scale production.

As the production capacity bottleneck is gradually broken, the competition for COB direct display products in cost control, delivery cycle and full-scenario applications will become even more intense in the future. The industry landscape is expected to undergo a deep reshuffle in the next year or two.

This trend is consistent with the predictions in the "2026 COB/MIP Display Research (Report)" said by experts. According to experts, the "2026 COB/MIP Display Survey (Report)" shows that although P1.2 is expected to remain the main force in COB shipments in the next 1-2 years, an inflection point has been reached. It is expected that by 2030, the overall monthly shipment volume of COB will reach 220,000-240,000 square meters, of which the proportion of P1.5 and above pitch products will jump to 60%. The core driving this transformation is that the cost performance of COB with pitches of P1.5 and above is surpassing traditional SMD solutions.

Faced with this trend, the market structure is being reconstructed. On the one hand, key COB players such as Zhaochi, Zhongqi Optoelectronics, Xida Electronics, Ledman Optoelectronics, Unilumin Technology, and Hi-tech are stepping up their efforts to adjust production capacity and technology layout; on the other hand, panel giants such as BOE, TCL CSOT, and Huike are making strong inroads by relying on their strong capital and vertical integration advantages in the industry chain. The intersection of the two forces may significantly accelerate the implementation of this replacement process.

Latest news, experts say that the "2026 COB/MIP Display Survey (Report)" compiled by Research will be launched in May. This special issue focuses on COB market and technology progress, COB/MIP technology route relationship and trend analysis, COB production capacity structure and trend analysis, COB/MIP supply and demand situation and trend analysis, COB/MIP output value and trend analysis and other industry data and market estimates. Welcome to subscribe.