LG Display announced on the 18th that it has developed and implemented an artificial intelligence (AI) production system to strengthen its competitiveness in OLED (organic light-emitting diode) manufacturing.
The AI production system is a system where AI collects and analyzes OLED process manufacturing data in real-time, specifically designed for the complex OLED manufacturing process. LG Display trained the AI with domain knowledge required for the OLED manufacturing process. Utilizing this allows for the automatic analysis of numerous potential causes of anomalies in the OLED manufacturing process and even deriving solutions. A representative from LG Display said, “With the introduction of AI, our ability to analyze process data has been enhanced, significantly improving both speed and accuracy.”
OLEDs are produced through more than 140 processes, during which tens of thousands of equipment data are added, necessitating more sophisticated management. Although it was previously difficult to pinpoint the cause of anomalies found in products, the AI production system has made it possible to identify the causes more quickly and accurately, according to the company.
With the introduction of the AI production system, the time required to analyze and improve the causes of quality anomalies has been reduced from an average of three weeks to two days. Previously, engineers relied on individual capabilities and experiences, solving problems under limited measurement conditions, which took a long time. However, by using the AI production system, it can immediately control the processes of all products to align with the best quality conditions predicted by the AI. Simultaneously, quality inspections of all produced products can be conducted to check for anomalies and identify causes in real-time.
In addition, LG Display has established a system that classifies and analyzes data collected in real-time by AI and automatically sends it to the responsible department via email every morning. In cases where anomalies are detected during the data analysis process, a process has been built to automatically suspend the operation of the equipment causing the issues, ensuring both speed and safety.
LG Display projected that the introduction of AI would yield an expense saving effect of over 200 billion won annually. With the application of AI and big data, engineers can reduce the time spent on data collection and analysis and focus more on high-density, high-value tasks, such as deriving solutions and implementing improvement measures.
Meanwhile, LG Display stated that it is accelerating the speed of digital transformation (DX) based on AI, aiming to enhance intelligence across its operations. The self-developed in-house knowledge search service introduced in June, utilizing generative AI, expanded content to include safety, standards, human resources, and educational materials for overall internal information. It is also continuously updating to enhance its large language model (LLM) with LG AI Research's latest model, 'Chat Exawon.' Additionally, the company is promoting productivity enhancement through AI introduction in general office areas, such as collaboration tools and automatic email translation functionality.
Lee Byung-soo, head of LG Display’s DX Group (Executive Director), said, “We maximized productivity and enhanced manufacturing competitiveness by actively introducing DX in the development and manufacturing areas,” and added, “Through DX, we will increase productivity not only in display development and production but also in general operations, aiming to achieve the highest level of technological capability and efficiency in the industry.”