Introduction to automated material handling systems in LCD panel production lines

This paper introduces widely used current automated material handling systems in thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal-display (TFT-LCD) panel manufacturing systems. The automated material handling system (AMHS) in this paper refers to a hardware system that transports discrete parts from one processing machine to another. The TFT-LCD panel industry has been one of the fastest growing industries in the last decade. In particular, the process equipment for the TFT-LCD has undergone significant improvement, making technology innovations possible. However, the AMHS equipment has not had much improvement and in fact most of the current TFT-LCD factories use the same AMHS concept they used 10 years ago. Now, the role of the AMHS in TFT-LCD production lines becomes more important as production efficiency becomes a primary determinant of competitiveness. Therefore, TFT-LCD manufacturers are trying to increase their productivity by adopting an efficient material handling method and technology.