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The awareness of environmental protection/conservation and sustainable development has increased in the last two decades. In the competitive thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry, green supplier evaluation involves environmental criteria in the traditional evaluation process and emphasises that TFT-LCD manufacturers should improve the performance of their suppliers with limited resources. The purpose of this study is to develop a hybrid multiple criteria decision-making with preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluations to evaluate and assist polariser suppliers for improving the performance of green suppliers in the TFT-LCD industry to achieve the aspiration level. Based on supplier audit forms, the proposed methods are as follows: to develop a decision framework by an influential network relation map (INRM); to obtain the influential weights of the criteria; to involve the concept of aspiration levels in the preference function; and to evaluate and reduce the gaps of suppliers in each criterion based on the INRM by systematically making decisions in the process of striving toward the aspirations. The results show the ranking as well as the suppliers’ strengths/weaknesses and provide an improvement report to enhance the suppliers’ competitiveness. In the evaluation procedure, the managers place importance on ‘green management’, ‘technology’ and ‘organisation’ aspects. To achieve the goal of being a cost-effective and high-performance manufacturer, the subsidiary polariser supplier should improve performance on ‘health and safety’ first and next develop technology to become the primary supplier by using the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we study the machine layout problem in a TFT-LCD (thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display) bay with a multiple-stacker crane in-line stocker. Unlike other material-handling systems, such as automated guided vehicles and conveyors that only have a transportation function, in-line stockers have both transportation and storage functions. They rely on stacker cranes to perform their transportation function. The in-line stocker in a TFT-LCD bay is often divided into zones. Each zone is served by a stacker crane. Due to its multiple-zone in-line stocker, solving a TFT-LCD bay's machine layout requires us to determine not only the positions of the machines, but also the zone division design. The objectives include the minimisation of total flow distance and the workload balance between stacker cranes. We propose a layout procedure that adopts heuristic and mathematical approaches to assist us in accomplishing the aforementioned tasks. An example problem mimicking a real-case problem was solved to illustrate the proposed layout procedure. The layout design found by the proposed layout procedure was validated with computer simulations. It was also compared with layouts obtained by approaches proposed by other researchers. The simulation and comparison results demonstrate the capability of the proposed layout method in producing a feasible and good machine layout in a TFT-LCD bay with a multiple-stacker crane in-line stocker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A huge quantity of end-of-life liquid crystal displays (LCD) is collected, every year, around the world. Nowadays, this equipment is disassembled, for the removal of hazardous components (e.g. the backlight fluorescent lamps), and the resulting panel is stored. The reason is the significant content of valuable fractions (e.g. glass, metals and liquid crystals) and the lack of a recycling process, sustainable from an economic and an environmental point of view. Considering the relevance of this critical issue, the scientific community focused on the development of different recovery strategies, summarized in several available reviews. Nevertheless, the literature has not yet dealt with the technological innovation aspect. With the aim of filling this gap, the present review presents the international patents about LCD recycling, from 1999 to 2017, using the Espacenet platform, that has access to all the most relevant patent databases worldwide. The inventions include a first waste disassembling, followed by the classification of the target fractions and the recovery of metal (e.g. indium, indium tin oxide) and non-metal (e.g. glass, polarizing film, liquid crystal) components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A record is given of the special meeting organised by the UK&I Chapter of the Society of Information Display held at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the RCA announcement of the first Liquid Crystal Display on 28th May 1968. Coming exactly eighty years after the report of the first liquid crystal materials, this announcement sparked interest across the globe, and particularly in the UK, Switzerland and Japan. Presentations of the early LCD history from Hilsum, Schadt and Raynes give insights into both the science and also the process of invention itself. These early contributors are followed by a view from the USA from Bos and representation from the companies Sharp and Merck that helped shape the success of these fascinating and useful materials. Also reviewed are talks on the use of organic semiconductors to drive plastic LCD by Sirringhaus, reflective LCD of Folium Optics, retail signage of Displaydata, as well as a look to the future from LCD competitors from Bodle (Phase Change Material displays) and BOE (OLED). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the drastic growth of the liquid crystal display (hereafter LCD) industry in the last decade, lots of waste glass is being produced. There are three types of waste glass derived from LCD glass manufacturers, LCD panel manufacturers and end-of-life LCD devices. Among them cullet from Lber glass (hereafter E-glass). However, the recycling of waste glass from LCD panel (LPWGCD glass is being recycled into a raw material for commercial electric continuous fi) and end waste glass is limited due to various reasons such as contaminants, toxic components and inhomogeneous glass compositions etc. Despite use of LPWG in the cement industry, it is not an effective form of recycling, considering the characteristics of LCD glass. In this work, to examine the possibility of recycling LPWG in the E-glass industry, several glass batches containing LPWG were prepared. First, some optical properties of the prepared and commercial E-glass were examined. Then, the viscosity and liquidus temperature (T L ) were determined. The effect of LPWG was negligible in the transmission and color of the resultant glasses, considering that commercial bulk E-glass has an emerald-green color due to refractory corrosion. With an increase in the LPWG content, the isoviscosity and liquidus temperatures showed opposite behaviors; the temperature (T W ) corresponding to the fiber forming viscosity (10 3 dPas) decreased, whereas the T L increased. Based on T W -T L , the replacement of 50 wt% of the original E-glass with LPWG was recommended. Additionally, economic and environmental effects were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a new concept, 'production innovation'. In the capital-expenditure-intensive electronic device industry, latecomers from foreign countries often surpass the first mover. This paper explains the factors driving this latecomer advantage from the industry lifecycles. Several studies have adopted the Abernathy-Utterback model to understand industry lifecycles. This research aims to further this discussion through a reappraisal that focuses on innovation types based on the Abernathy-Utterback model, as well as the ideas of Schumpeter and Kirzner. This research observed that production innovation, as it relates to the global supply chain, emerges through product and process innovation and revealed that latecomers are always alert to opportunities to realise this type of innovation. We defined this production innovation as the process by which latecomers seize opportunities offered by newly standardised manufacturing processes to establish new customer markets, create large-scale, highly efficient plants, and reduce costs of materials and facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taiwanese liquid crystal display (LCD) industry has traditionally produced a huge amount of waste glass that is placed in landfills. Waste glass recycling can reduce the material costs of concrete and promote sustainable environmental protection activities. Concrete is always utilized as structural material; thus, the concrete compressive strength with a variety of mixtures must be studied using predictive models to achieve more precise results. To create an efficient waste LCD glass concrete (WLGC) design proportion, the related studies utilized a multivariable regression analysis to develop a compressive strength waste LCD glass concrete equation. The mix design proportion for waste LCD glass and the compressive strength relationship is complex and nonlinear. This results in a prediction weakness for the multivariable regression model during the initial growing phase of the compressive strength of waste LCD glass concrete. Thus, the R ratio for the predictive multivariable regression model is 0.96. Neural networks (NN) have a superior ability to handle nonlinear relationships between multiple variables by incorporating supervised learning. This study developed a multivariable prediction model for the determination of waste LCD glass concrete compressive strength by analyzing a series of laboratory test results and utilizing a neural network algorithm that was obtained in a related prior study. The current study also trained the prediction model for the compressive strength of waste LCD glass by calculating the effects of several types of factor combinations, such as the different number of input variables and the relevant filter for input variables. These types of factor combinations have been adjusted to enhance the predictive ability based on the training mechanism of the NN and the characteristics of waste LCD glass concrete. The selection priority of the input variable strategy is that evaluating relevance is better than adding dimensions for the NN prediction of the compressive strength of WLGC. The prediction ability of the model is examined using test results from the same data pool. The R ratio was determined to be approximately 0.996. Using the appropriate input variables from neural networks, the model validation results indicated that the model prediction attains greater accuracy than the multivariable regression model during the initial growing phase of compressive strength. Therefore, the neural-based predictive model for compressive strength promotes the application of waste LCD glass concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional control charts, such as Hotelling’s T 2 , are effective in detecting abnormal patterns. However, most control charts do not take into account a time-varying property in a process. In the present study, we propose a parameter-less self-organizing map-based control chart that can handle a situation in which changes occur in the distribution or parameter of the target observations. The control limits of the proposed chart are determined by estimating the empirical level of significance on the percentile using the bootstrap method. Experimental results obtained by using simulated data and actual process data from the manufacturing process for a thin-film transistor-liquid crystal display demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal account of the liquid crystal community (1978–1990s) and the founding of the International Liquid Crystal Society (1987–1990) is presented. The founding process was unlike that of many other learned societies but like other historic events, it resulted from a combination of necessity and contingency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a novel unified interface design (UID) concept to develop factory automation production manufacturing systems in the LCD industry. In response to the recent needs of smart factory production and integration of manufacturing information for the manufacturing sector, automation technology and systems play an increasingly important role in integrating production applications. The implementation of automation transportation system (ATS) also started off as single systems (material systems) and evolved to incorporate multiple applications and roles (material + information + intelligent management). Since upgrading manufacturing technology, developed UID innovative models integrate manufacturing engineering concepts that effectively integrated system of material and information flow. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the innovative concepts used to implement ATS with UID concepts into integrated production engineering to effectively combine system material and information flow. Through the actual process allows us to identify critical elements that may be emulated or used as a reference for other similar companies or industries interested in developing UID while reducing the risks of failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a life cycle assessment of an organic light emitting diode display for smartphones, in which our research concentrated on generating a life cycle inventory of specialty chemicals and a fabrication process in manufacturing scale. Previous studies to investigate the environmental impact of organic electronics have been limited to organic photovoltaic cells in a laboratory scale fabrication, which prevents understanding of the practical impact of organic electronics. In this study, we computed cradle-to-gate environmental impact of the most commonly used organic electronics today: active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display for smartphones, through the formulation of new approaches to construct inventories for emerging materials and processes. The approaches for constructing inventories of chemicals and fabrication process involve manipulation of existing inventory with stoichiometry, and application of observed correlation between display area and production cost in the display industry. The environmental impact assessment results communicate that integration of detailed material flow improves data representation of the production of complex chemicals. Additionally, environmental impact per AMOLED display exhibited superiority in global warming potential, when compared with a previous study on a comparative size of liquid crystal display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present communication, we report on the synthesis and electro-optic investigation of photosensitive CdSe quantum dots (QDs) dispersed polymer stabilised liquid crystal (PSCLC) luminescent gel. The assembly of the fluorescence properties of CdSe QDs facilitate the anisotropy of PSCLC gel and hence manipulates the optical and electro-optic switching properties, which was further investigated using polarised fluorescence spectrophotometer. The circularly polarised fluorescence intensity was tuned electrically so as to affect the orientations of liquid crystal in the helix. It was found that the electro-optic switching behaviour of QDs-doped sample predicts the improvement in threshold voltage and hence makes them applicable for the switchable liquid crystal contrivances with low power consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since 1888, the liquid crystal display (LCD) industry is facing a fierce competition due to serious limitations such as poor contrast ratio and response time. Although some new materials have offered new applications and opened new markets for LCDs, materials with improved contrast ratio are highly desirable in LCD industry to sustain in the current market. This work reports a new behaviour in nano-material-doped liquid-crystal composite which is suitable for eradicating limitations of contrast ratio. Here, a high concentration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is doped in liquid crystal (LC) materials wherein the CNTs form aggregates in the LC composition. In these heavily doped samples, the phase change takes place with application of bias. This reversible process improves the contrast ratio as the material oscillates between crystalline and LC phases with field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nowadays enterprises are encountering diversified customer requirements, and using market information well is critical to product development. It is extremely important to conduct risk planning, prevent potential failures, and reduce uncertain factors by transforming customer requirements into exact development targets. This study is based on the method of quality function deployment (QFD) and failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA). The package design for semi-finished products of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) modules in the photoelectricity industry was selected as a case study. First, customers conducted a questionnaire survey which helped determine the items they demanded. Second, QFD has been combined with FMEA to serve as the standard of evaluating the importance of customer requirements. Through mutual assessments and investigations by QFD and design failure mode and effects analysis (DFMEA), the key factors of a product design can be determined. The results of design of experiments verified that this method indeed effectively reduced defective products and customer complaints. The average number of customer complaints per year has been reduced from 9.5 to just only one after the introduction of the proposed method, which has been verified to assist in rapidly developing new products during the early design stage. This approach also reduces possible losses and enhances competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TFT-LCD screen (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) industry has been growing rapidly in Taiwan in recent years. The wastewater from this industry contains many non-biodegradable pollutants and high strength nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds which are difficult to degrade. Fenton and electro-Fenton with double-cathode processes were used to treat the high COD content of real TFT-LCD wastewater which cannot be removed by conventional processes. The effect of operating parameters such as pH, Fe2+, H2O2 concentration and electrical current on COD removal were determined. The electro-Fenton process rapidly degraded the TFT-LCD wastewater in the first 20 minutes while in the Fenton process, the rapid degradation occurred in the first 60 min. This showed that electro-Fenton process could degrade the TFT-LCD wastewater faster than the Fenton process. The highest COD removal efficiency was found to be 100% at 120 min at pH = 4, [Fe2+] = 3.5 mM, [H2O2] = 285 mM and 1.5 A of electrical current of electro-Fenton process. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 368-373, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic wedge bonding is an important step in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). Due to the small size of IC chips, methods for maintaining the reliability of wedge bonding are necessary to avoid large amounts of material waste and low production efficiency. Wire loss or wire error is a typical bonding failure in the wire bond process. This paper presents a monitoring method that detects aluminum wire loss or wire error during the aluminum ultrasonic wedge bonding process. During the bonding process, the impedance from the ultrasonic transducer is measured, and then compared with a predetermined threshold to assess whether the wire has been lost. To improve monitoring accuracy and sensitivity, the Kalman filter with a forgetting factor is introduced during the ultrasonic wire bonding, and the influence of the forgetting factor on the rate of false positives and the speed of error detection is investigated. It is found that the forgetting factor can determine the rate of false positives and monitoring sensitivity. By optimizing the forgetting factor, the rate of false positives can be lowered to below 0.05%, and wire loss can be detected within five bonding times after the loss occurred. This novel method shows good monitoring accuracy and can be used in aluminum wedge bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the appearance of the Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display (AM-LCD) in 1995, flat panel display has been the fast growing industry during two decades [1] . Now LCD became the most dominant display technology world-wide. The flat panel display glass also has walked together along with the LCD industry. Great difficulties for manufacturing the flat panel display glass have given high entry barriers for the leading 3 companies: Corning, Asahi and NEG. These 3 companies occupy about 95% share of the flat panel display glass market [2] . However, these days, new players struggle to take significant part in the market. In this paper the detailed technological difficulties are analyzed. Display industry, however, these days in the turmoil of the big change. Plasma display panel (PDP) has not been displayed in the exhibitions or showcases. LCD is going through the mature stage of the industrial life cycle. Lots of ownership change and M&A have reported in the news. After that OLED and lots of touch application gadget appeared in the market. Even though these new devises also use flat glasses, the required attributes are different from those of LCD. The differentiation is important topic in the display industry. Flexible display is interesting theme in both glass and display field. Even though final product appears as a thin plastic display [3] , all the manufacturing process happens on the glass substrates. In spite of the drastic change of the display industry, the glass production shows continuous growth. The need of larger screen does not show the saturation. The popularity of touchable hand held devices could continue in near future [4] . However all these situations are not the gospel for the glass industry. The display companies in the red ocean, push down the price of the glass with tremendous pressure. So in near future flat panel display glass also needs breakthrough for survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrogen content of waste water generated by the thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry is not satisfactorily removed through the conventional aerobic-activated sludge process. In this study, the performance of three reactors – suspended type TiO2membrane photoreactor (MPR), anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (AOMBR), and their combination (MPR-AOMBR) – was evaluated using feedwater containing TFT-LCD discharge. The parameters that maximized monoethanolamine (MEA) removal in the MPR were continuous ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and pH 11. Among the tested loadings, 0.1 g/l of TiO2promoted MEA removal but degradation rate may further increase with photocatalyst concentration. The nitrified sludge recycle ratioRof the AOMBR was adjusted to 1.5 to minimize the amount of nitrate in the effluent. The AOMBR greatly decreased chemical oxygen demand and MEA, but removed only 32.7% of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH). The MPR was configured as the pre-treatment unit for AOMBR, and the combined MPR-AOMBR has improved TMAH removal by 80.1%. The MPR bolstered performance by decomposing slowly biodegradable compounds, and had no negative effects on denitrification and carbon removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the competitive market nowadays shortens the life cycle of products, new products should be designed to meet the customer's demand under a dynamic marketing environment so as to efficiently enhance the product strength of new products with maximization of profit. Hence, the key solution for enterprises to succeed will be the precise evaluation of new product development (NPD) performance, particularly for those who manage to survive in the intensely competitive market in Taiwan. This study is to identify the thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) touch panel industry and then establish an integrated model of NPD performance evaluation for enterprises. Firstly, literature review and interviews with experts are conducted to select the four aspects and 15 criteria as the main factors affecting NDP performance evaluation. Secondly, Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) is employed to identify the interrelationships among those factors. Finally, a Fuzzy theory is applied to resolve the linguistic hedges and an Analytic Network Process (ANP) is adopted to obtain the weights of all factors. A case study is performed to validate the proposed model in a Taiwanese TFT-LCD company. It not only provides the decision maker with a guidance system but also increases the competitive advantages for the TFT-LCD industry to design new products in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A seminal scientific contribution that engenders a paradigm shift in the way in which we view the world may be measured by (1) the changes induced in the methods in which scientists and engineers prosecute their research and development programmes, and/or (2) the changes to common words and phrases used in languages across the world. George Gray’s discovery and engineering of stable, room temperature, nematic liquid crystals led directly to the creation of the current liquid crystal display industry and the introduction of new expressions to all languages, etc., thereby fulfilling both of the above-mentioned criteria. His work has touched the lives of most people and provides a superb example of nano- and micro-engineering of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

At present, the LCD industry is maturing. The panel enterprises continue to improve competitiveness of their products, high resolution, high color gamut, narrow bezel and high contrast ratio and so on. This paper expounds how to improve contrast ratio with the polyimide orientation material. Laboratory research and production line test has been done. By comparing the Advanced Super Dimension Switch (ADS) mode liquid crystal panel with the different orientation material, it concluded that the higher the orientation materials, the higher the contrast ratio to get the panel was. With high force orientation layer, it can have the better arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules. For normal dark pattern FFS display, the lower pre-tile angle of the liquid crystal molecules, the better LCD darkness and contrast ratio will be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As of 2012, LG Display was one of the largest LCD manufacturers in the world. Headquartered in Seoul, Korea, LGD had one R&D center, twelve LCD panel plants, and nine LCD module plants in Korea, China, and Poland. As the head of his company's Strategy and Marketing Center, Senior VP Champ Shin was evaluating one of the most important long-term strategic choices he had helped LGD to undertake in 2004. It was the company's decision to build its first module plant in Europe. In fact, it was the first plant LGD had ever built outside Korea and China. Now he had to assess the performance of the module plant in Europe for the last 5 years since it had started manufacturing in 2007 and report the overall evaluation result to the company's executive committee. Mr. Shin was preparing the report in two parts, one about the decision-making processes in 2004 his team had gone through to decide to build the European plant in Poland and the other about the plant's performance since its construction completed in 2007. In the report, he planned to describe the detailed steps taken by his team when making the decision and the plant's various performance outcomes. Shin thought he and his team had made a good choice, which was evidenced by the excellent performance observed from the module plant in Poland. Believing that his experience in making LGD's first European operations successful would be a valuable lesson for the entire company, Shin already started to chart out the company's next strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the determination of the toxic metal content of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) present in various Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The main objective was the identification and quantification of toxic metals detected in LCD panels. An experimental procedure which involved dismantling, shredding, pulverization, digestion and chemical analysis was followed for the sorting, separation and analysis of LCD monitors from various electronic devices that are currently on the market. Nine selected devices were examined, originated from four different types of e-waste (WEEE); TVs, computers, mobile phones and tablets. Eleven metals were measured in all examined samples. In addition, concentration values of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) were compared with the respective limits set by the RoHS 2002/95/EC Directive that was recently renewed by the 2012/19/EU recast. The comparison revealed that the examined toxic metals on LCD panels did not exceed the limits set by the European Union (EU). Furthermore, when results were compared to the TTLC regulatory limits it was revealed that in three samples As concentrations were higher than the limit. Finally, when the TCLP test was implemented the aforementioned samples did not exhibit proportionally elevated values in their leachates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the low resistance and excellent glass adhesion, Cu/Mo dual-layer metal wire has been widely used in TFT-LCD industry. However, the galvanic reaction between the two metals, which may be the main cause of metal corrosion and diffusion in some failure TFT devices, has been seldom reported. According to the detailed study of the wet and rinse process, this work proposes a possible corrosion mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In reflective liquid crystal devices that have an asymmetric electrode structure, an internal cell voltage is often present that interferes with the proper functioning of the device. Contrary to transmissive devices, this internal voltage cannot be attributed solely to ionic charges in the liquid crystal. On the basis of extensive measurements, an electro-chemical model is developed and validated, providing a complete explanation for the generation and the dynamic behavior of the internal voltage in asymmetric liquid crystal devices. A possible solution for eliminating the occurrence of the internal voltage is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Since 2006, there witnessed a paradigm shift of innovation policy in China, which remains understudied. [•] There emerges indigenous innovation through strategic coupling of domestic firms in global production networks (GPNs). [•] Technological catch-up of domestic focal firms, e.g. CSOT in LCD industry may unnecessarily exclude TNCs. [•] The paper sheds light on the changing roles of government in technological innovation of domestic firms in Shenzhen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Deriving insights from the global production network (GPN) framework, we examine the recent development of the liquid crystal display (LCD) industry in South Korea. Using the GPN framework, we focus on the role of the national state as an active inter-scalar mediator in the dynamic strategic coupling process between global leading firms and local actors in globalizing regional development. We argue that the role of the national state as an inter-scalar mediator was crucial in coordinating localized growth factors with globalizing external factors to create and develop the LCD industry. This was achievable because of the legacy of the developmental state and the top-down implementation of policy in South Korea. Using the idea of the inter-scalar mediator, we specify the role of the state as a container of laws and practices and as a constructor of regional innovation systems to globalize regional development in the context of a centripetal society. A multi-strategy approach, which included one month of participatory observation, in-depth interviews and secondary data collection, was adopted in order to enhance the validity and reliability of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The awareness of the need for environmental protection is increasing throughout the world. The focuses of green supplier selection are on considering environmental criteria and strengthening the competitiveness of the entire supply chain. The purpose of this study is to develop a green supplier selection procedure for the thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry using polarizer suppliers as an example. First, a decision framework for green supplier selection is developed based on literatures and the supplier audit forms provided by an anonymous flat panel display manufacturer in Taiwan. Then, a hybrid multiple criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) method is proposed based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP), entropy, elimination and choice expressing the reality III (ELECTRE III), and the linear assignment method to assist the manufacturer in choosing among four polarizer suppliers. The final ranking results for green supplier selection and different opinions from each department are provided. An improvement report is suggested to enhance suppliers' performance. For the evaluation procedure, most managers emphasize the importance of current capability and the capability of research and development. Furthermore, we found that the subsidiary supplier should improve quality control competence immediately to be considered as the potential candidate of primary supplier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated the feasibility of producing insulating glass ceramic from thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) waste glass and calcium fluoride sludge by vitrification and ceramization processes. This study also explored the effects of MgO as a modifying agent on the flexural strength and dielectric constants. Five different mixing ratios of waste and MgO were analyzed. The major mixture composition is CaF2–MgO–SiO2–Al2O3. In the experiments, the initial glasses were obtained by vitrifying mixtures and then heating the initial glasses to produce glass ceramics. The mixture in which the proportion of TFT-LCD waste glass to calcium fluoride sludge was 7 to 3, with 5 wt% MgO added, underwent complete densification at a relatively low temperature (780 °C). Compared to other mixtures, its flexural strength (140 MPa) was higher, and its dielectric constant (6.4 at 1 MHz) was lower. With increasing MgO content, the initial glasses exhibited lower crystallization temperatures. The results also indicate that densification is considerably hindered by the onset of crystallization, resulting in a decrease in the apparent density and flexural strength. The results demonstrate that the TFT-LCD waste glass with calcium fluoride sludge as the fluxing agent and MgO as the modifying agent can be used as a raw material for producing insulating glass ceramics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Firms from several advanced developing countries have successfully upgraded to higher levels of capability and competitiveness on the international stage. This study explores how leading Taiwanese latecomer firms acquired strong capabilities in the display (thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, TFT-LCD) industry. We identify how these firms acquired the technology base to catch up rapidly and move from one set of advanced products and technologies to another, focusing on both the accumulation of technological capabilities and the underlying absorptive capacity of each firm. Empirically, we distinguish three phases of capability building, namely pre-entry, entry, and innovation and diversification. Theoretically, we suggest that the notion of ‘latecomer’ absorptive capacity, centred on engineering and design rather than R&D, might explain both the rapidity of recent technological catch up and the diversification across products and technologies as latecomer firms approach the technology frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Address SF6 usage and emissions reported in the World LCD Industry Cooperation Committee. [•] Analysis the ratio of FCs usage and emission in TFT-LCD industries. [•] Analysis the ratio of SF6 usage and emission in TFT-LCD industries. [•] Analysis the scenario of SF6 emission and usage normalized in difference generation. [•] Show the impact of CDM to the GHG voluntary reduction emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conventional haptic devices for virtual reality (VR) systems, a user interacts with a scene by handling a tool (such as a pen) using a mechanical device (i.e. an end-effector-type haptic device). In the case that the device can ‘mimic’ a VR object, the user can interact directly with the VR object without the mechanical constraint of a device (i.e. an encounter-type haptic device). A new challenge of an encounter-type haptic device is displaying the visuals and haptic information simultaneously on a single device. We are proposing a new desk-top encounter-type haptic device with an actively driven pen-tablet LCD panel. The proposed device is capable of providing pseudo-3D visuals and haptic information on a single device. As the result, the system provides to the user a sense of interaction with a real object. To develop a proof-of-concept prototype, a compact parallel mechanism was developed and implemented. The aim of this research is to propose a new concept in haptic research. In this paper, the concept, the prototype, and some preliminary evaluation tests with the proposed system are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, a method which is environmentally sound, time and energy efficient has been used for recovery of indium from used liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. In this method, indium tin oxide (ITO) glass was crushed to micron size particles in seconds via high energy ball milling (HEBM). The parameters affecting the amount of dissolved indium such as milling time, particle size, effect time of acid solution, amount of HCl in the acid solution were tried to be optimized. The results show that by crushing ITO glass to micron size particles by HEBM, it is possible to extract higher amount of indium at room temperature than that by conventional methods using only conventional shredding machines. In this study, 86% of indium which exists in raw materials was recovered about in a very short time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

More and more enterprises conduct business strategically through strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, outsourcing, and collaborations to keep their competitive advantages in view of influences such as reduction of product lifecycles, fast changing markets, and global economics. Besides, enterprises gradually recognize that intellectual property management and plans are important. In the generation of R&D management based on innovative capabilities, it can commercialize the developed technologies and yield economic benefits through the effective management and deployment of patents. This research aims to identify how the collaborative Intellectual Property (IP) model could shorten product life cycle and further make enterprises successful in the global market. This research firstly figures out the features of the small-and-medium Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) industrial and challenges what this industry confronts after the competitive analysis of industry and market. Then the technological trend and patent positions were studied through patent information analysis and tools from Patent Guilder Software. This research also uses the case study methodology and selected the first company that adopted a collaborative IP model. Furthermore, this paper identifies the key performance indicators for the model and finds out the innovative business model for the company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mother glass production for liquid crystal displays involves the cutting of small rectangles from a large rectangle (strip) to minimize the length of the strip used. This is called the strip packing problem. The main concept for formulating this problem is to generate cutting patterns that can be used to produce items from the strip. This problem is a non-convex mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem due to the bilinear terms in the demand and objective function. To obtain global optimal solutions, this problem should be transformed into several linear forms. Numerical examples based on the strip packing problem in LCD mother glass production are provided. Different objective functions for two problems are presented and compared. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigate the impact of technological capability on firm market share using technology investment data in the global thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal-display panel industry from 1999 to 2007. The Arellano–Bond estimation of the dynamic panel model indicates that prior technological capability is positively correlated with current market share. The magnitude of this effect appears economically substantial: an improvement of technological capability by one standard deviation implied a permanent increase of 2.6 percent-point in quarterly market share, a return tantamount to $470 million in 2007 sales. The Granger test reveals that technological capability helps to predict future market share, but that the inverse is not true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand forecasting plays an important role in the thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry. A hybrid approach is proposed for demand forecasting by combining empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and neural networks. From the signal analysis point of view, demand can be considered as a nonlinear and nonstationary combination of different frequencies. Every demand can be represented by one or several frequencies. The process of the proposed approach first decomposes the historical demand data into a finite set of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residual through EMD. Then, these IMFs are input into a back-propagation neural network (BPN) and the corresponding demand is used to predict these IMFs. Finally, the demand is forecasted by summing the predicted IMFs. The results show that the proposed model outperforms the single BPN model without EMD preprocessing and the traditional autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2003, WLICC agreed to voluntarily reduce FCs emission to 0.82MMTCE by 2010. To achieve the target, improvement of abatement efficiency, development of cost-effective FCs massive abatement technology, adoption of substitute gases and increase of abatement devices installation were carried out. As a result, the emission in 2010 was reduced to 1.75 MMTCE which is almost double the target as the processed glass area was almost the double of the forecasted value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the impact of globalization which is supporting transnational mobility of knowledge and talent from Japan to Taiwan. It mentions the Japanese Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD)industry which is spreading the technical knowledge and Japanese talent drain helping in Taiwan's future economic linkage with China. It also discusses several topics including Transnational Talent Diffusion, absorption of Japanese technologies by Taiwanese firms for technological talent and development of domestic manufacturing technology.

Compressed dry air (CDA) is a widely used utility inliquid crystaldisplay (LCD) production industry usually utilized as an air knifeand an air curtain for room and glass cleaning to prohibit particlesfrom entering the chamber. CDA is consumed in various sites of theproduction line and demand for CDA fluctuates largely from momentto moment. Therefore, it is common to supply compressed air with anumber of small-capacity compressors rather than few large-capacityones. To find an optimal operating strategy of such a compressor network,a first hybrid modeling technique of an ideal model and an empiricalmodel is used to predict the efficiency and power consumption of eachcompressor. Ideal compression work is calculated using thermodynamicequation with slight modification. An artificial neural network isconfigured to predict the efficiency. Then, actual power consumptionof each compressor is given by the ratio of ideal work to efficiency.Then, optimization procedure is applied to search optimal operatingconfiguration. The proposed method is applied to LCD production industryto show good prediction accuracy. Energy saving of total compressionwork is achieved by optimization scenario of segregating full-loadand part-load compressor group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper analyzed the process of the LCD and the industrial structure in the typical countries to reveal the Causality Relationship between LCD and Industrial Structure. First, most of the developed countries industry have experienced the high-carbon period. When the economy evolved to a certain extent, the base level of the LCD increased. And In developing countries, especially in China, the tertiary industry shared a much smaller part in the whole economy system comparing with that of the developed countries. Then, Based on the output of regression analysis, the appreciable correlation between the LCD and the industrial structure was found. Finally, the results of Granger causality tests lead to the conclusion that the tertiary industry of China is the Granger cause of the LCD within 98 percent confidence intervals. It suggests that the industry structure should be adjusted before the LCD, especially the development of tertiary industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Taiwan and Korea are in fierce competition in the TFT-LCD panel industry and together dominate over 70% of the international market share. Business strategies in Taiwan primarily rely on Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) whereas Korea focuses principally on vertical integration, including development of its own international brand architecture. Additionally the financial structures of the manufacturers in both countries are different resulting in varied business models and financial risk exposures. The purpose of this research is to explore the performance efficiency in utilizing resources and performance variance before and after a global financial crisis based on influences upon the different business models and different financial structures. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate a company's relative performance based on multiple parameters, to develop a matrix of risk and return and Malmquist Productivity Index to demonstrate their efficiency and technical productivity trend before and after the global financial crisis. The empirical results indicate: (1) Korea's manufacturers have a higher ratio of G&A expenses v.s. Taiwan's manufacturers having a higher fixed asset ratio and debt ratio. The revenue of companies in both countries had been significantly affected by global financial crisis. (2) Company's performance is consistent with the economic trends and high-risk firms have been hit harder by the phenomenon of decline in the efficiency of performance. (3) Korea manufacturers during the period of 2004-2008 represent lower risk and higher return compared with Taiwan manufacturers. Outstanding performance manufacturers had provided direction for motivating Taiwan manufacturers towards vertical integration and to reduce their debt ratios. (4) There are different phenomenon that influence Taiwan and South Korea productivity improvement, and show overall industry improvement was mainly attributable to technological phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the structures of direct-lit and edge-lit BLUs to meet the requirements for thin and 2-dimensional dimmable BLUs by combining prismatic structures to control the cross-talk between the segments. It develops an edge-lit BLU with a segmented functional light-guide plate (LGP). LGP was segmented with the use of a recessed U-groove with graded height as semi-partitions.

Color Filters (CF) is a critical module of TFT-LCD industry whose products are widely applied to the customer electronics products. Since the color filters manufacturing stays in the 1-tier enterprise of the supply network of the TFT-LCD industry, its logistics planning is quite complex. This paper develops a LP-based planning method to support the logistics of a color filter manufacturing company. This developed planning model focuses on the mid-term planning, considering the issues in terms of production and material requirement planning in an integrated way. For application, this developed method is implemented by the optimization software LINGO and then integrated to the database system as decision support. To test the quality of this method, 52 weeks of real factory data are studied, and the validation result shows a variation less than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The amount of pollutants produced during manufacturing processes of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) substantially increases due to an increasing production of the opto-electronic industry in Taiwan. This study presents the treatment performance of one aerobic and one anoxic/oxic (A/O) sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) treating synthetic TFT-LCD wastewater containing dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), monoethanolamine (MEA), and tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH). The long-term monitoring results for the aerobic and A/O SBRs demonstrate that stable biodegradation of DMSO, MEA, and TMAH can be achieved without any considerably adverse impacts. The ammonium released during MEA and TMAH degradation can also be completely oxidized to nitrate through nitrification in both SBRs. Batch studies on biodegradation rates for DMSO, MEA, and TMAH under anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic conditions indicate that effective MEA degradation can be easily achieved under all three conditions examined, while efficient DMSO and TMAH degradation can be attained only under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, respectively. The potential odor problem caused by the formation of malodorous dimethyl sulfide from DMSO degradation under anaerobic conditions, however, requires insightful consideration in treating DMSO-containing wastewater. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper addresses an improved low-power high-speed buffer amplifier topology for large-size liquid crystal display applications. The proposed buffer achieves high-speed driving performance while drawing a low quiescent current during static operation. The circuit offers enhanced slewing capabilities with a limited power consumption by exploiting a slew detector which monitors the output voltage of the input differential amplifier and outputs an additional current signal providing slew-rate enhancement at the output stage. Post-layout simulations show that the proposed buffer can drive a 1 nF column line load with 8.5 V/μs slew-rate and 0.8 μs settling time, while drawing only 8 μA static current from a 3 V power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, controlled low-strength concrete (CLSC) is mixed using different water-to-binder (W/B) ratios (1.1, 1.3 and 1.5) and various percentages of sand substituted by waste LCD glass sand (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%). The properties of the fresh concrete, including compressive strength, electrical resistivity, ultrasonic pulse velocity, permeability ratio and shrinking of the CLSC, are examined. Results show that increases in amount of waste glass added result in better slump and slump flow, longer initial setting time and smaller unit weight. Compressive strength decreases with increasing W/B ratio and greater amounts of waste glass added. Both electrical resistivity and ultrasonic pulse velocity increase with increases in amount of waste glass and decreases in W/B ratio. On the contrary, the permeability ratio increases with increases in W/B ratio, but decreases with greater amounts of waste glass added. CLSC specimens cured for different durations show little changes in length with shrinkage below 0.025%. Our findings reveal that CLSC mixed using waste LCD glass in place of sand can meet design requirements. Recycling of waste LCD glass not only offers an economical substitute for aggregates, but also an ecological alternative for waste management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigated the effects of the initial Ce(III) concentration, nitric acid concentration, anion impurity, and cell device on Ce(lV) regeneration in simulated spent Cr-etching solutions from thin-film transistor liquid crystal display manufacture. Increasing HNO3 (electrolyte) concentration (0.5-4 M) favored 0.2 M Ce(III) electro-oxidation, Ce(III) diffusion [(0.37-3.32) × 10-6 cm² s-1], and internal cell resistance reduction. The amount of Ce(IV) regenerated from Ce(III) electro-oxidation and the current efficiency (CE) at 0.13 A cm-2 electrolysis on Pt increased with increasing initial Ce(III) concentration in 4 M HNO3 without impurities in a divided cell with an anion-exchange (AMI-7001) separator. Both Ce(lV) yield and CE were lowered in the copresence of multiple impurities, and the adverse influence of a single anion impurity on the Ce(IV) yield and CE was in the order Cl- > SO42- > Cr2O72-. The apparent rate constant of Ce(III) oxidation without impurity (1.32 × 10-4 s-1) was approximately fourfold that with multiple impurities; nevertheless, the two cases exhibited similar Ce(IV) yields or CEs at 0.13 A cm-2 electrolysis for 300 mm. For the Ce(lV) regeneration, the divided cell was superior to an undivided cell in the absence/presence of multiple impurities, and the AMI-7001 was better than a cation-exchange separator (CMI-7000). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated reductive transformation of iodine by zero-valent iron (ZVI), and the subsequent detoxification of iodine-laden wastewater. ZVI completely reduced aqueous iodine to non-toxic iodide. Respirometric bioassay illustrated that the presence of iodine increase the lag phase before the onset of oxygen consumption. The length of lag phase was proportional to increasing iodine dosage. The reduction products of iodine by ZVI did not exhibit any inhibitory effect on the biodegradation. The cumulative biological oxidation associated with iodine toxicity was closely fitted to Gompertz model. When iodine-laden wastewater was continuously fed to a bench-scale activated sludge unit, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies decreased from above 90% to below 80% along with a marked decrease in biomass concentration. On the other hand, the COD removal efficiency and biomass concentration remained constant in the integrated ZVI-activated sludge system. Respirometric bioassay with real iodine-laden LCD manufacturing wastewater demonstrated that ZVI was effective for detoxifying iodine and consequently enhancing biodegradability of wastewater. This result suggested that ZVI pretreatment may be a feasible option for the removal of iodine in LCD processing wastewater, instead of more costly processes such as adsorption and chemical oxidation, which are commonly in the iodine-laden LCD wastewater treatment facility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article deals with the Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp that is building the world's most ambitious plant for making a new generation of liquid-crystal displays. With the plant, Sharp expects to improve the efficiency of large-screen LCD TV production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]