Apple has an internal goal to sell 40 million iPads in 2011 and the company has taken steps to make sure it has enough touch panels to meet those numbers.

[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]Apple has already secured almost 60 percent of the worldwide supply of touch panels. Add to that companies like HP, RIM and Motorola, and second-tier vendors are pushed out of the game entirely, according to the DigiTimes.

“In 2011, Apple’s strategy of taking up most of the capacity should help the company quickly expand its sales, while reducing its competitors’ shipment growth,” wrote DigiTimes.

That is an added benefit for Apple. At the same time it ships millions of its own products, it simultaneously limits the supply to its competitors.