The production capacity of touch panels in Taiwan is likely to double in the second half of 2011 when new production lines of local makers, including TPK Touch Solutions, Young Fast Optoelectronics, Cando, J Touch and Emerging Display Technologies (EDT), all come online.

Cando will kick off the production at its new 4.5G factory in Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) in the fourth quarter 2011, instead of the first quarter 2012 as originally planned. The fab will have a 3.5G production line and two 4.5G production lines for capacitive touch panels.

EDT plans to ramp up is capacity of 7-inch touch panels to 220,000-250,000 a month in the third quarter compared to 150,000 units currently.

With completion of the first-phase construction of its new plant in Changsha, China expected in July 2011, J Touch will be able to double its capacity to 11 million units a month in the third quarter. The Changsha plant will focus on projected capacitive touch panels.

TPK has a production capacity of 8-9 million 3.5-inch backend modules and two million 10-inch modules a month currently, and capacity will be expanded to 14 and six million units, respectively, by the third quarter, according to previous reports.

Young Fast plans to ramp up its monthly capacity for small-size touch panels to 20 million units and medium-size panels to 500,000 units by year-end 2011.