Buyer guides
China Automation Buyer Guides
Practical guidance for manufacturers sourcing automation equipment in China.
These guides cover the decisions that usually create the most risk: defining the project, selecting the right supplier category, comparing quotations, visiting factories, planning factory acceptance testing, and avoiding expensive gaps before paying a deposit.
China has a deep automation supply chain. Buyers can access capable machine builders, robot integrators, vision specialists, component manufacturers, and complete line integrators. The difficulty is not finding companies. It is working out which company should own the project and what it must prove before you commit.
Guides for High-Risk Supplier Decisions
Use these guides when comparing Chinese automation suppliers, custom machine builders, robot integrators, and turnkey line providers.
Automation RFQ Checklist
What to include so suppliers quote the same production problem instead of proposing completely different machines.
China Supplier Visit Checklist
How to use a factory visit to test engineering depth, inspect active builds, review controls standards, and assess FAT readiness.
How to Compare Machine Quotes
How to normalize machine scope, tooling, controls, FAT, exclusions, documentation, installation, and support before comparing price.
Factory Acceptance Testing
How to define samples, runtime, output, pass-and-fail criteria, punch-list rules, and payment milestones before shipment.
Custom Automation Red Flags
Warning signs in fast quotations, vague technical concepts, weak FAT plans, unclear controls ownership, and verbal support promises.
Robot Integrator vs Machine Builder
How to choose the correct supplier category based on where the real engineering risk sits.
The Guides Explain the Method. The Case Studies Show It in Context.
The related case studies show how supplier category, sample testing, RFQ scope, quotation assumptions, and FAT evidence can change the recommended sourcing path.