Today, as the technology is developing rapidly, the inventions and systems that make life easier are rapidly being integrated into our lives. One of the technological innovations that have become an indispensable part of our lives in recent years is touch screens. Touch systems, which have been used since the 1970s, have started to spread rapidly and increase their popularity particularly in recent years. Touch screens, which used to be found only on ATMs or similar devices, have now become a standard on almost all mobile phones or similar portable devices that have been put on the market. Today, touch screens are used in every field from devices used in the health sector to white goods. The developments in microprocessor and micro-controller systems allow the users to communicate more visually and interactively via the touch screen. SATOZ, one of the three largest manufacturers in the global touch screen market, manufactures touch screens for technology giants. We met with Mr. Sherong Yuan, the GM of SATOZ, to discuss the display market and the general situation of the sector. Mr. Yuan answered our questions about the future of touch screens, as well as SATOZ’s expectations for 2018.
Can you tell us about the history of SATOZ? What stages did SATOZ go through until it managed to become a global leader?
SATOZ was founded in 2003. I would like to briefly talk about the development stages of our company during this 15-year. SATOZ first started manufacturing CRT tubes for intercom systems in 2003. In 2008, we started to manufacture TFT displays. In the following years, we started to manufacture cameras, PCBAs and touch panels.
Can you tell us about your current position in the TFT display market and the importance of your company in the industry?
SATOZ has a good reputation and stability as one of the leading TFT display manufacturers. Our company is also one of the largest among China’s private businesses.
Can you give information about SATOZ’s annual production capacity, number of staff and production facilities?
SATOZ has 5 SMT production lines, 6 glass cutting lines, 10 FOG (flex on glass) lines, 20 polarizer bonding lines and 30 various joining lines. We have a production capacity of 2 million units per month, with our employees over 1,000.
In what dimensions do you produce TFTs, and are there any new dimensions that you plan to start producing?
Currently we produce 3.5”, 4.0”, 4.3”, 5.0”, 6.2”, 6.86”, 6.95”, 7.0”, 8.0”, 9.0” and 10.1” TFTs. The new dimensions that we plan to produce are 5.2”, 5.5”, 7.84”, 9.35”, 11.6”, 12.2”, 13.3”, 14.1”, 15.6”
Which sectors does SATOZ produce TFTs for? Which of these sectors has the higher share in your sales?
Our products are mainly used in tablets, security and intercom systems, vehicle navigation systems, consumer electronics and all kinds of industrial applications. The sector with the largest share, on the other hand, is intercom. SATOZ meets 50 percent of the needs of the global intercom sector.
Which countries you sell your products to?
In addition to Chinese local market, we sell our products to South America, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Türkiye, France, Italy and Spain.
What do you think about the future of the intercom sector?
Considering the unrivaled developments in technology and rapid changes in our lives, I believe that the intercom sector has a promising future. The intercom sector also plays an important role in SATOZ’s future plans.
What do you think about the future of TFT products? Will there be new technologies in our lives?
We can see many applications in which TFT LCD technology is used. As we can see already, the world is evolving from a basic display technology to intelligent recognition and artificial intelligence technologies based on human–machine interaction. The current conventional TFT technology is under the risk of being replaced by more advantageous OLED, AMOLED and even Quantum display and laser display technologies.
“Our products are mainly used in tablets, security and intercom systems, vehicle navigation systems, consumer electronics and all kinds of industrial applications.”
What do you think about Active matrix OLED (AMOLED) technology? Do you think AMOLED will be more popular than TN and IPS technologies?
Currently, AMOLED technology is on the rise and its areas of use will expand to many devices, from smart home applications to tablets and smart TVs. It will also be used in flexible display technology and giant screens.
What are your goals for 2018 and which sector are you primarily targeting?
In the domestic market, we will strive to expand our share in the car navigation and VDR fields. Our main goal, however, is to grow our export.
What is your growth target for 2018?
TFT technology is increasing its market share daily. 2018 will be a year of growth for SATOZ, one of the leading players in the sector. Under these difficult market conditions, SATOZ’s main goal is to stay strong and explore larger markets.
As an experienced businessman, how do you think the course of trade will be in 2018, and what kind of advices would you have for us?
As the capacities of developing countries increase, the competition between the manufacturers is getting more fierce. Learning, as well as raising new talents are particularly important. SATOZ is able to adapt to the changing conditions of our century. In the coming period the big companies will be even bigger than ever, and the only way to survive will be to constantly explore new things and move forward.
“The world is evolving from a basic display technology to intelligent recognition
and artificial intelligence technologies based on human–machine interaction.”
