LG Innotek to Scale Up Automotive Lighting Module Business, Aiming for Trillion Won Scale
On May 13, LG Innotek announced its plans to achieve 1 trillion won in sales in the automotive lighting module business, showcasing its Nexlide technology. Nexlide is a car lighting module introduced by LG Innotek in 2014.
It is reported that lighting module sales account for 15 percent of LG Innotek’s automotive electronics business. Last year, LG Innotek recorded sales of 1.57 trillion won (US$1.15 billion) in its automotive electronics business. Accordingly, it is estimated that the company achieved sales of 235.2 billion won in the automotive lighting module business.
Nexlide is a product that attaches light source packages and optical resins to thin substrates, incorporating LG Innotek’s unique micro-optical pattern technology. It is installed in 88 vehicle models from nine domestic and international car brands and has received orders for 146 units as of last month. Over the past 10 years, its sales have grown at an average annual rate of 47 percent.
An LG Innotek official stated, “By applying our own patented technology, we have reduced the number of additional components that need to be mounted on Nexlide by more than 20 percent. The thinner module allows for efficient space utilization and significantly increases the design flexibility for vehicle designers.”
The latest model, Nexlide M, has reduced its thickness to 8 mm, which is 30 percent thinner than the previous version. This reduction was achieved by implementing a new manufacturing method that completely eliminates the air layer inside the lighting. Despite the thinner module, it succeeded in increasing the brightness of the lighting by more than four times compared to the previous product. This advancement has significantly reduced power consumption as well.
LG Innotek is also developing lighting modules capable of communication. These modules can display messages such as “STOP” using lighting, enabling communication between vehicles and between vehicles and pedestrians.
