Makers in the supply chain for Apple notebook products are set to shift up a gear from July in preparing parts and components for an expected new version of Apple’s MacBook Air lightweight notebook, sources in the supply chain have told the DigiTimes news service.

Apple is expected to take deliveries of more than eight million MacBook Airs in Q3, nearly double the Q2 rate.

DigiTimes contacts have also raised the projected shipments of MacBook notebooks for 2011 to 15 million units from 13 million forecast previously.

The new MacBook Air is expected to feature Apple’s new Mac OS X “Lion” software, and to support the Thunderbolt fast connection interface, the sources indicated.