LG’s flexible e-paper display in full production

LG may not be the first manufacturer to experiment with flexible e-paper, but their new Electronic Paper Display (EPD) could very well be the first to hit the shelves.

The six-inch high-resolution EPD, taking form in a 0.7 millimeter (0.027 in) plastic substrate, is now considered to be the first of its kind in full production.

"With the world's first plastic EPD, LG Display has once again proven its reputation for leadership and innovation with a product we believe will help greatly popularize the E-Book market," said Sang Duck Yeo, Head of Operations for LG Display's Mobile/OLED (organic light-emitting diode) division, in a Gizmag blog. "Based on our success in mass-producing plastic EPD, we are excited as we look toward applying concepts from this experience to future developments like plastic OLED and flexible displays."

Sporting a resolution of 1024x768, LG is hoping their brand new display will "revolutionize the e-book market," according to Engadget. But the flexibility and durability of such a display may have appropriately dubbed this device an industry game changer.

The plastic display can bend as much as 40 degrees and withstand drops from a height of 4.92 feet (1.5 metres), not to mention survive repeated blows from a urethane hammer.

According to Gizmag, LG was able to "adapt conventional LCD manufacturing technology to the production of the new product by reducing the process temperature of the LCD process to a level that the polymer structures of the plastic EPD could tolerate."

The e-paper display will reportedly be shipped to Chinese manufacturers in early May.

(Gizmag photo)