Latest news with #LGInnotek
Korea Herald
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
LG Innotek launches world's first 5G satellite communication vehicle module
LG Innotek said Wednesday it has developed the world's first third-generation 5G communication modules for vehicles that supports the 5G New Radio Non-Terrestrial Network, enabling high-speed data transmission, which is expected to accelerate the advancement of autonomous driving. The latest module supports 5G NR-NTN, a mobile communication network that operates on low Earth orbit satellites, allowing real-time transmission of large volumes of data. It serves as a key component for software-defined vehicles and autonomous driving. Existing 5G modules for vehicles have been limited by a narrow bandwidth of around 0.2 megahertz, making it difficult to transmit the large volumes of data required for autonomous and connected cars. In contrast, LG Innnotek's new module boasts a wider bandwidth of around 30 megahertz, allowing data to transfer hundreds of times faster while dramatically reducing latency to a few hundred milliseconds, the company explained. When equipped in a vehicle, the module enables fast, uninterrupted transmission and reception of large volumes of data, including voice, images and video, anytime and anywhere. This means cars can have seamless communication even in remote areas such as deserts or mountains or during natural disasters. In emergency situations, the module allows rapid transmission of distress signals and vehicle status information, helping the driver to be safely rescued. LG Innotek plans to mass produce the latest module by the first quarter of next year, with goal to expand its footprint in the global automotive connectivity market. The firm is currently promoting the product to carmakers in North America and Japan. 'Vehicle communication modules, along with automotive lighting, will be the core to LG Innotek's auto parts business,' said Yoo Byaeng-kuk, head of the automotive components business unit. 'We will continue to introduce innovative components that deliver differentiated customer value and grow this vehicle communication module business into a multitrillion-won business.'
Korea Herald
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
LG Innotek, Boston Dynamics team up to sharpen Atlas robot's vision
Korea's electronics parts maker LG Innotek announced Monday that it has partnered with Boston Dynamics, a US-based robotics subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, to develop a vision system for a future edition of the Atlas humanoid robot. Under the partnership, LG Innotek will design and supply hardware modules for the robot's vision sensing system, drawing on its expertise in advanced sensors for smartphones, home appliances and mobility devices. Boston Dynamics will be responsible for developing the software to process visual data captured by the module. The vision module will integrate various components, including RGB cameras and 3D sensing units that enable the robot to perceive its surroundings in three dimensions, along with optical technologies originally developed for autonomous driving solutions, LG Innotek said. The company expects that the system will deliver reliable performance even in challenging conditions such as darkness or adverse weather. 'Through this collaboration with Boston Dynamics, a global leader in robotics, LG Innotek has secured a competitive edge in the robot components market,' said LG Innotek CEO Moon Hyuk-soo. 'We will continue to develop core components that shape the future of robotics and deliver differentiated value to our customers.' According to Hyundai Motor Group, the company plans to deploy the current edition of the humanoid in the production facilities of Hyundai Motor and Kia as early as the end of 2025, where it is expected to carry out simple and repetitive tasks on behalf of human workers.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LG Innotek to build FC-BGA into 700 million USD business by 2030 with its state-of-the-art Dream Factory
SEOUL, South Korea, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LG unveiled the Dream Factory, a hub for the production of FC-BGAs (Flip Chip Ball Grid Arrays), the company's next-generation growth engine, to the media for the first time and announced it on the 30th April. In 2022, LG Innotek announced its plans to launch a business producing FC-BGAs, high-value semiconductor substrates. To build the Dream Factory, the company acquired LG Electronics' Gumi 4 Factory and began full-scale mass production in February 2024. The Dream Factory, spanning a total area of 26,000 square meters, is regarded as the industry's most advanced "smart" factory, integrating the latest IT technologies, including artificial intelligence, deep learning, robotics, and digital twin technologies. By applying automation, information, and intelligence technologies to the entire process, it has established a cutting-edge FC-BGA production infrastructure that eliminates the four major factors known to undermine production competitiveness: human error (Man), failure cost(F-cost), breakdown maintenance (BM) loss, and accidents. "Elimination of defects caused by human contact" through automation of all processes and logistics using robots For semiconductor substrate products such as FC-BGAs, which require a highly demanding ultra-fine process, even the smallest foreign objects (eyelash, saliva, etc.) can cause quality issues. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize human contact with products during production. To this end, LG Innotek has introduced a completely automated logistics system at the Dream Factory, where coming across a person is a rare event. Apart from essential personnel, such as equipment maintenance and repair workers, all 10 steps of the FC-BGA production and logistics processes are unmanned. Dozens of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) move materials around the production line autonomously. When a production order is placed, which is done automatically, based on the customer's delivery timeframe entered in the RTS (real-time schedule), the AMRs transport the raw materials to the process facility. Once the barcode on the raw material is detected, also done automatically, by the machine, the process recipe is automatically set on the equipment according to the product specifications through the recipe management system (RMS), after which the product processing begins. The AMRs are also responsible for loading the finished product back into the stocker. In addition, the process of peeling off the protective film from the panel (film detach) is also replaced by a robot. This enables the early prevention of fine scratches and defects caused by foreign objects such as dust particles and foreign substances. The construction of non-touch production facilities, involving such equipment as collaborative robots, in the entire process has significantly reduced mishandling by workers. Unmanned AI-based FC-BGA quality inspection, enhancing customer confidence by ensuring quality "transparency" The Dream Factory generates more than 200,000 files and 100GB of data related to FC-BGA production every day. LG Innotek collects this data throughout the production process through sensors installed in all of its facilities. By applying AI, which continuously learns from this big data, to the defect prediction and inspection system, the company has significantly reduced the lead time caused by defects. In addition, LG Innotek has applied an AI deep learning vision inspection system to the Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) process, which is the most important step in determining whether a product is of good quality. Tirelessly, the robot moves the finished FC-BGA board products to the vision screening inspection table. Next, the AI, which has been trained on tens of thousands of data points on defective and good quality FC-BGAs, detects micro-level defects that are challenging to identify with the naked eye, and it does so in only 30 seconds. LG Innotek is operating a further advanced AOI process. In the room next to the AOI equipment for faulty circuits, there is a much larger robot and inspection system. Called Line Quality Control (LQC), it can automatically check whether the various specifications (thickness, size, etc.) of the product requested by the customer have been fulfilled. The inspection data is immediately sent to the customer, ensuring product quality transparency, which leads to higher customer confidence. This industry-leading sophistication of LG Innotek's AOI equipment has been cited as one of the most impressive aspects of the factory by the global customers who have visited it. AI can identify defective products, and since every product has a barcode that tracks its process history, products that are deemed defective are automatically filtered out without the need for human intervention, reducing F-costs by more than 50%. Additionally, AI has been applied to the digital simulation system, which prevents product defects and equipment failures. Previously, the process of workers manually checking products for defects and identifying which machines were faulty and how to repair them in response to defects required a lot of time. This can now be significantly improved. By 2026, LG Innotek plans to introduce an intelligent Quality Management System (i-QMS) that detects and analyzes quality irregularities during production in real time and automatically corrects them. The company plans to automate the entire FC-BGA production process, especially by developing a platform that uses digital twin technology to share information on all processes, from product development to production, with customers in real time to enhance customer responsiveness. Optimized FC-BGA process equipment using digital twin technology, "halving the ramp-up period" Since even the smallest variables can lead to poor performance in FC-BGAs, equipment optimized for mass production and process recipes and production environments set to perfect values are fundamental to achieving high yields. The FC-BGA process equipment installed in the Dream Factory is set to optimal conditions through digital twin technology. In the past, identifying optimal conditions for the FC-BGA process required a lot of time and money, along with hundreds of tests. Before building the facility, LG Innotek managed to identify problems with the initial setup of the FC-BGA process facility in advance by conducting a "factory simulation" using 3D modelling in virtual space. This enabled the facility to be carefully set for optimal conditions, such as liquid, heat, and air flow, which were difficult to measure inside the actual facility. As a result, the ramp-up period (increase in production capacity by improving initial production yields) was shortened by nearly half compared to the previous operation period. In addition, digital twin technology is applied to the Line Monitoring System (LMS), which monitors production status in real time. The real-time monitoring system enables users to monitor the production line currently in operation, product movement, inventory status, equipment irregularities, production performance, and product quality status at a glance on the large screen of the integrated control room where the LMS is installed. This makes it possible to respond immediately in the event of any irregularity. Internalization of glass core technology, step-by-step entry into the high-end FC-BGA market: "Fostering the business into 700 million USD business by 2030" Over the past 50 years, LG Innotek has accumulated core technologies for high-value semiconductor substrates, such as ultra-fine microcircuits and high-density, multi-layer substrate matching technology (stacking multiple substrate layers accurately and evenly), through its substrate material components business. Based on this know-how, the company began full-scale mass production of FC-BGAs for personal computers (PCs) for North American big-tech customers at the end of last year and recently succeeded in securing additional global big-tech clients. This year, LG Innotek aims to enter the FC-BGA market for PC central processing units (CPUs). Its strategy is to enter the high-end FC-BGA market in phases, including entering the server FC-BGA market as early as 2026. In preparation for this, LG Innotek has already acquired facilities that are essential in the manufacturing of FC-BGA products for servers, such as "edge coating" that blocks the generation of dust particles. In line with this goal, LG Innotek will also accelerate the development of next-generation substrate technologies in collaboration with global big-tech clients. By 2027, the company plans to internalize technologies such as re-distribution layer (RDL) technology, which engraves microcircuit patterns directly onto the substrate; device embedding technology, which minimizes power loss by embedding devices into the substrate; and multi-layer core (MLC) and glass core (glass substrate) technologies, which prevent warping when implementing large-area substrates. In particular, LG Innotek has been promoting glass substrates by strengthening its collaboration with global customers. Minseok Kang, vice president and head of LG Innotek's Substrate & Material Business Unit, said, "LG Innotek will continue to expand the production of FC-BGAs that provide exceptional customer value based on its state-of-the-art Dream Factory and develop the FC-BGA business into 700 million USD business by 2030." According to the Fuji Chimera Research Institute, the size of the global FC-BGA market is expected to more than double from USD 8 billion in 2022 to USD 16.4 billion in 2030. [Glossary] FC-BGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array): This is a semiconductor substrate that is widely applied to electronic devices equipped with semiconductor chips (CPU, GPU, AI chips, etc.) that perform various computing functions. Demand for high-performance semiconductor substrates is growing rapidly due to increased data throughput, higher semiconductor processing speeds, and the need for low-power semiconductors. For these reasons, FC-BGAs have a larger area and more layers than conventional semiconductor substrates. They are also known to have high barriers to market entry because they require top-level facilities and technologies to produce. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE LG Innotek Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
30-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
LG Innotek to build FC-BGA into 700 million USD business by 2030 with its state-of-the-art Dream Factory
SEOUL, South Korea, April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LG unveiled the Dream Factory, a hub for the production of FC-BGAs (Flip Chip Ball Grid Arrays), the company's next-generation growth engine, to the media for the first time and announced it on the 30th April. In 2022, LG Innotek announced its plans to launch a business producing FC-BGAs, high-value semiconductor substrates. To build the Dream Factory, the company acquired LG Electronics' Gumi 4 Factory and began full-scale mass production in February 2024. The Dream Factory, spanning a total area of 26,000 square meters, is regarded as the industry's most advanced 'smart' factory, integrating the latest IT technologies, including artificial intelligence, deep learning, robotics, and digital twin technologies. By applying automation, information, and intelligence technologies to the entire process, it has established a cutting-edge FC-BGA production infrastructure that eliminates the four major factors known to undermine production competitiveness: human error (Man), failure cost (F-cost), breakdown maintenance (BM) loss, and accidents. For semiconductor substrate products such as FC-BGAs, which require a highly demanding ultra-fine process, even the smallest foreign objects (eyelash, saliva, etc.) can cause quality issues. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize human contact with products during production. To this end, LG Innotek has introduced a completely automated logistics system at the Dream Factory, where coming across a person is a rare event. Apart from essential personnel, such as equipment maintenance and repair workers, all 10 steps of the FC-BGA production and logistics processes are unmanned. Dozens of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) move materials around the production line autonomously. When a production order is placed, which is done automatically, based on the customer's delivery timeframe entered in the RTS (real-time schedule), the AMRs transport the raw materials to the process facility. Once the barcode on the raw material is detected, also done automatically, by the machine, the process recipe is automatically set on the equipment according to the product specifications through the recipe management system (RMS), after which the product processing begins. The AMRs are also responsible for loading the finished product back into the stocker. In addition, the process of peeling off the protective film from the panel (film detach) is also replaced by a robot. This enables the early prevention of fine scratches and defects caused by foreign objects such as dust particles and foreign substances. The construction of non-touch production facilities, involving such equipment as collaborative robots, in the entire process has significantly reduced mishandling by workers. The Dream Factory generates more than 200,000 files and 100GB of data related to FC-BGA production every day. LG Innotek collects this data throughout the production process through sensors installed in all of its facilities. By applying AI, which continuously learns from this big data, to the defect prediction and inspection system, the company has significantly reduced the lead time caused by defects. In addition, LG Innotek has applied an AI deep learning vision inspection system to the Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) process, which is the most important step in determining whether a product is of good quality. Tirelessly, the robot moves the finished FC-BGA board products to the vision screening inspection table. Next, the AI, which has been trained on tens of thousands of data points on defective and good quality FC-BGAs, detects micro-level defects that are challenging to identify with the naked eye, and it does so in only 30 seconds. LG Innotek is operating a further advanced AOI process. In the room next to the AOI equipment for faulty circuits, there is a much larger robot and inspection system. Called Line Quality Control (LQC), it can automatically check whether the various specifications (thickness, size, etc.) of the product requested by the customer have been fulfilled. The inspection data is immediately sent to the customer, ensuring product quality transparency, which leads to higher customer confidence. This industry-leading sophistication of LG Innotek's AOI equipment has been cited as one of the most impressive aspects of the factory by the global customers who have visited it. AI can identify defective products, and since every product has a barcode that tracks its process history, products that are deemed defective are automatically filtered out without the need for human intervention, reducing F-costs by more than 50%. Additionally, AI has been applied to the digital simulation system, which prevents product defects and equipment failures. Previously, the process of workers manually checking products for defects and identifying which machines were faulty and how to repair them in response to defects required a lot of time. This can now be significantly improved. By 2026, LG Innotek plans to introduce an intelligent Quality Management System (i-QMS) that detects and analyzes quality irregularities during production in real time and automatically corrects them. The company plans to automate the entire FC-BGA production process, especially by developing a platform that uses digital twin technology to share information on all processes, from product development to production, with customers in real time to enhance customer responsiveness. Since even the smallest variables can lead to poor performance in FC-BGAs, equipment optimized for mass production and process recipes and production environments set to perfect values are fundamental to achieving high yields. The FC-BGA process equipment installed in the Dream Factory is set to optimal conditions through digital twin technology. In the past, identifying optimal conditions for the FC-BGA process required a lot of time and money, along with hundreds of tests. Before building the facility, LG Innotek managed to identify problems with the initial setup of the FC-BGA process facility in advance by conducting a 'factory simulation' using 3D modelling in virtual space. This enabled the facility to be carefully set for optimal conditions, such as liquid, heat, and air flow, which were difficult to measure inside the actual facility. As a result, the ramp-up period (increase in production capacity by improving initial production yields) was shortened by nearly half compared to the previous operation period. In addition, digital twin technology is applied to the Line Monitoring System (LMS), which monitors production status in real time. The real-time monitoring system enables users to monitor the production line currently in operation, product movement, inventory status, equipment irregularities, production performance, and product quality status at a glance on the large screen of the integrated control room where the LMS is installed. This makes it possible to respond immediately in the event of any irregularity. Over the past 50 years, LG Innotek has accumulated core technologies for high-value semiconductor substrates, such as ultra-fine microcircuits and high-density, multi-layer substrate matching technology (stacking multiple substrate layers accurately and evenly), through its substrate material components business. Based on this know-how, the company began full-scale mass production of FC-BGAs for personal computers (PCs) for North American big-tech customers at the end of last year and recently succeeded in securing additional global big-tech clients. This year, LG Innotek aims to enter the FC-BGA market for PC central processing units (CPUs). Its strategy is to enter the high-end FC-BGA market in phases, including entering the server FC-BGA market as early as 2026. In preparation for this, LG Innotek has already acquired facilities that are essential in the manufacturing of FC-BGA products for servers, such as 'edge coating' that blocks the generation of dust particles. In line with this goal, LG Innotek will also accelerate the development of next-generation substrate technologies in collaboration with global big-tech clients. By 2027, the company plans to internalize technologies such as re-distribution layer (RDL) technology, which engraves microcircuit patterns directly onto the substrate; device embedding technology, which minimizes power loss by embedding devices into the substrate; and multi-layer core (MLC) and glass core (glass substrate) technologies, which prevent warping when implementing large-area substrates. In particular, LG Innotek has been promoting glass substrates by strengthening its collaboration with global customers. Minseok Kang, vice president and head of LG Innotek's Substrate & Material Business Unit, said, 'LG Innotek will continue to expand the production of FC-BGAs that provide exceptional customer value based on its state-of-the-art Dream Factory and develop the FC-BGA business into 700 million USD business by 2030.' According to the Fuji Chimera Research Institute, the size of the global FC-BGA market is expected to more than double from USD 8 billion in 2022 to USD 16.4 billion in 2030. [Glossary] FC-BGA (Flip Chip Ball Grid Array): This is a semiconductor substrate that is widely applied to electronic devices equipped with semiconductor chips (CPU, GPU, AI chips, etc.) that perform various computing functions. Demand for high-performance semiconductor substrates is growing rapidly due to increased data throughput, higher semiconductor processing speeds, and the need for low-power semiconductors. For these reasons, FC-BGAs have a larger area and more layers than conventional semiconductor substrates. They are also known to have high barriers to market entry because they require top-level facilities and technologies to produce. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE LG Innotek
Korea Herald
21-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Robots, AI and zero dust: Inside LG Innotek's 'Dream Factory'
GUMI, North Gyeongsang Province -- LG Innotek on Thursday opened the doors of its cutting-edge 'Dream Factory' in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, to the local media for the first time, showcasing the company's ambitious move to position itself as a major player in the next-generation semiconductor substrate market. Spanning 26,000 square meters -- about three times the size of a soccer field -- the Dream Factory is an ultra-modern smart facility equipped with the latest IT innovations, including artificial intelligence, deep learning, robotics and digital twin technology. Located about 260 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the facility serves as LG Innotek's flagship production hub for flip-chip ball grid array, or FC-BGA, a high-value semiconductor package substrate. LG Innotek entered the FC-BGA business in 2022, acquiring the Gumi Plant 4 from LG Electronics to establish the Dream Factory. Mass production began in February last year. The factory, true to its name, operates with minimal human intervention. All production processes have been automated, digitized and smart-enabled -- eliminating four major variables that typically hinder manufacturing competitiveness: manpower, failure cost, breakdown losses and safety accidents. To access the main production area, The Korea Herald reporter was required to remove shoes and wear double-layered gloves, masks, sanitary caps and full-body cleanroom suits -- a reflection of the ultraclean environment necessary to prevent even microscopic particles from contaminating sensitive chip components. One of the first things that stood out inside the facility was the line monitoring system, a massive digital display powered by digital twin technology. It provides a real-time overview of factory operations, including equipment status, production performance, product flow and inventory levels. Beyond the LMS room, dozens of autonomous mobile robots buzzed through the aisles, seamlessly transporting raw materials to the production lines. Production orders are issued automatically based on real-time customer delivery schedules through the real-time scheduler. When AMRs deliver materials, the production systems scan the barcodes and, via the recipe management system, automatically configure the equipment for precise processing according to each product's specifications. Even delicate tasks, such as detaching protective films from panels, are now performed by robots to prevent issues like micro-scratches or dust contamination. According to the company, such nontouch production lines dramatically reduce handling defects and improve overall quality. The Dream Factory generates over 100 gigabytes of data and more than 200,000 files daily from its FC-BGA production lines. The massive data stream is continuously processed and analyzed by AI-based systems designed to predict defects and accelerate inspections. 'AI-powered vision inspections have helped us cut lead times by up to 90 percent and reduce the manpower required for sampling inspections by 90 percent as well,' said an LG Innotek official. 'We've also slashed failure costs by over a half.' The company aims to implement an intelligent-quality management system by next year, which would enable the real-time detection, analysis and auto-correction of quality issues across the production process -- essentially completing full automation of FC-BGA manufacturing. With over five decades of experience in the substrate materials business, LG Innotek has accumulated key technologies such as ultrafine circuit processing and high-density, multilayer substrate alignment. Building on this expertise, the firm is set to enter the FC-BGA market for PCs and servers this year, with plans to expand into high-end applications such as server-use FC-BGA by as early as next year. According to LG Innotek, demand for PC and server-grade FC-BGA is expected to surge due to advancements in AI and semiconductor performance. The global market, valued at 11.3 trillion won ($7.97 billion) in 2024, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.3 percent to reach 20.4 trillion won by 2030. To meet the demand, the company has already installed critical equipment for server-grade production, including systems for edge coating, which prevents particle generation during manufacturing. 'With our cutting-edge Dream Factory, we will continue to deliver differentiated customer value and expand our FC-BGA business into a trillion-won operation by 2030,' said Kang Min-seok, head of substrate and material business unit at LG Innotek.
