New guide hub
China automation buyer guides for RFQs, FAT, visits, and quote review.
Practical guides for buyers comparing Chinese automation suppliers, machine builders, robot integrators, and turnkey line builders before deposit.
View buyer guidesField notes
Automate China Blog
Short notes from real sourcing work: client problems, supplier conversations, Chinese robotics observations, and the small details that decide whether an automation project survives contact with the factory floor.
All field notes
Client lessons, supplier screening notes, and China robotics observations.
Short, practical posts from real sourcing work. Client details stay anonymized; the technical decision logic stays useful.
These notes sit alongside our buyer guides for automation suppliers in China, robot integrators, custom automation equipment, and supplier visits. The field notes show how those sourcing decisions look in live projects: unclear scope, supplier evidence, factory visit planning, component tradeoffs, FAT risk, and the practical questions buyers need answered before they commit.
New case study hub
China automation case studies: supplier decisions in context.
Anonymized examples showing how buyers compare Chinese automation suppliers, robot integrators, custom machine builders, RFQ evidence, and FAT requirements.
View the case studiesLatest field note
How we built a China supplier path for a German manufacturer's inspection bottleneck.
An anonymized sourcing case: a German manufacturer, small precision assemblies, manual visual checks, tray handling, label verification, and the supplier conversations that shaped the automation route.
Read the German manufacturer noteField note
How we scope China visits for cobots, dexterous hands, and actuators.
A product-manager view of an anonymized robotics sourcing case: dexterous manipulation hardware, actuator suppliers, cobot-compatible components, humanoid platforms, and a tight visit window.
Read the robotics noteField note
How we evaluated China suppliers for a grab-bar bending automation line.
A first-person view of an anonymized client project: aluminum tube bending, an existing cobot, supplier proposals, and the tradeoff between retrofit reuse and new-line integration.
Read the grab-bar noteStart with a guide
Use the field notes with a sourcing framework.
If you are comparing suppliers now, these guides turn the lessons into RFQ questions, validation checks, and acceptance criteria.
Factory automation consultant China
Define the process, supplier category, RFQ scope, proposal review, and FAT plan before supplier selection.
Machine vision inspection China
Source camera inspection, OCR, barcode verification, measurement, lighting, reject handling, and QA systems.
Industrial robots China
Compare robot brands, integrators, applications, process packages, service models, and cell-level risks.