Liquid metal, as a revolutionary new material, has been widely used in consumer electronics, medical devices, automobiles, sporting goods and other fields as its process technology continues to mature and costs are reduced, and the market space is gradually opening up. At present, the fastest-growing area of liquid metal sales from the folding screen cell phone hinge, and folding screen cell phone market is expected to break out for the liquid metal industry to open a huge growth space.
Zirconium-based liquid metal folding screen phone smooth folding performance to the next level
It is reported that there are domestic leading cell phone manufacturers for several consecutive generations of folding screen cell phone hinges are used in liquid metal structural components. The use of liquid metal materials allows it to produce folding screen phones that not only have a smaller bending radius, but are also extremely thin and light, and the screen is flatter. The reason why the company's folding screen phones can achieve better flatness is closely related to the application of zirconium-based liquid metal hinges, because its new generation of water drop hinges assembles all MIM and high-strength steel structural components onto an amorphous (liquid metal) spindle, which requires a very high level of strength, precision and wear resistance, which makes the precision requirements of nearly 10 dimensions on one rotary structural component reach the processing industry's Top level. It can be said that the zirconium-based liquid metal spindle structure has made an indispensable contribution to the folding screen phone to better realize the flat and smooth folding.
Public information shows that the liquid metal material is a kind of metal material with a unique amorphous molecular structure rated lower melting point, and its strength is more than 10 times that of magnesium-aluminum alloy, more than 2 times that of stainless steel and titanium alloy, and its hardness is more than 10 times that of magnesium-aluminum alloy, more than 1.5 times that of stainless steel and titanium alloy, and it is also dramatically superior to other metals in terms of magnetic, corrosion and abrasion resistance. In terms of magnetism, corrosion resistance and wear resistance, it is also much better than other metals. In addition, there is a major advantage of liquid metal is melted plasticized performance is very good, so that its casting process is more similar to plastic rather than metal, can be more convenient to build for a variety of forms of precision products.
Applied to the folding screen phone hinge, zirconium-based liquid metal folding screen phone hinge can be in the thickness of the case of small to achieve the hinge to support the folding screen phone strength and precision requirements, at the same time, due to the excellent elastic deformation of the liquid metal itself, so that the fatigue performance of the product is far better than other materials, not only can greatly enhance the folding screen phone wear resistance and bending life, but also can This is a great way to improve the wear-resistance and bending life of a folded cell phone, as well as to make the folded cell phone more favorable in terms of flatness and aesthetics.
Ian Technology is one of the world's largest liquid metal manufacturers
The key components of a folding screen phone include the flexible display, hinge, protective cover, touch conductive materials, structural design, etc., of which the flexible display and the hinge are considered to be two of the most critical technologies that differentiate it from a traditional phone. The folding screen pivot hinge is composed of multiple interlocking gears that provide precise motion control and play a key role in the seamless fit of folded smart terminals. In the process, the folding screen cell phone hinge is integrated by a combination of multiple parts and components, the need for more than ten kinds of metal parts molding as well as MIM, stamping, liquid metal and other types of process molding, the process is extremely complex, and often requires the cooperation of a number of suppliers to complete.
From the point of view of the specific division of labor, the overall design of the hinge is generally completed by the cell phone manufacturers, the various structural components according to the demand for different upstream suppliers to find the R & D and manufacturing. For example, the liquid metal structural parts of the hinges of the successive generations of folding screen cell phones of Company H are developed and manufactured by A-share listed company Yi'an Technology (300328.SZ), and the MIM parts are supplied by companies such as Precision Research Technology (300709.SZ).
It is worth mentioning that, compared to other components, the process threshold of liquid metal is extremely high, and currently there are very few large-scale domestic production enterprises, only a few companies such as Ian Technology, Changzhou Shijing, etc. Among them, Ian Technology is one of the world's leading manufacturers of liquid metal in China and even in the world. Which is China's and even the world in the industrialization of liquid metal in the forefront of one of the companies, the company as early as more than 10 years ago began to focus on liquid metal research and development and industrialization, in the liquid metal composition, molding technology and equipment, and other aspects of independent intellectual property rights, with China's largest zirconium-based liquid metal production line, the product has been widely used in automotive, consumer electronics, watches, medical equipment, Our products have been widely used in automotive, consumer electronics, watches, medical devices, sports goods and other fields. In the field of hinges for folding screen cell phones, IST is one of the few companies in the world capable of developing and producing zirconium-based liquid metal folding screen hinges on a large scale, and has provided liquid metal hinges for several generations of products for Company H, a leading folding screen cell phone manufacturer in China. In addition to Company H, Ian Technology is also cooperating with a number of cell phone companies on hinges. According to Interactive Information, Ian Technology's liquid metal hinges have cooperated with five customers, and a number of customers are ****ing with them on product development.
Institutions predict that the folding screen cell phone market will grow at a high rate
Based on a research report by CITIC Securities, the global folding screen cell phone shipments grew from 198,000 in 2018 to 2.8 million in 2020, and is expected to reach 7.5 million in 2021 (+188% year-on-year), and then, with the maturity of the technology and the reduction of costs, by 2025, the folding screen will reach 7.5 million units. reduction, global folding screen phone shipments are expected to exceed 6,500 units by 2025, with a CAGR of over 90% from 2020-2025.
Brand, Samsung, Huawei as the current global folding screen field of the hegemony, the future is still expected to perform strongly, but with millet, OPPO, VIVO, honor and other new brands have been in the field of folding screen power, the future market competition or further intensify, but more intense competition will also accelerate the overall growth of the folding screen phone market.
CITIC Securities believes that although the industry is still facing difficulties in the development of structural design, flexible modules, hinges, product ecology, etc., but the subsequent iteration and upgrading will be accelerated, and therefore optimistic about the overall industry growth space and the relevant industry chain companies.
(This article is for reference only, does not constitute the basis for buying and selling, enter the market at your own risk.)