AUTOMATE

What AUTOMATE does

AUTOMATE TECHNOLOGY (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD., operating under the brand CSG AUTOMATE (冠致), is an industrial automation system integrator founded in 2012 and headquartered in Qingpu Industrial Zone, Shanghai. The company specializes in automotive body-in-white (BIW) intelligent welding production line system integration, delivering turnkey solutions covering 3D design, digital factory modeling, robot simulation, precision machining, equipment manufacturing, and on-site installation and commissioning. Its core product is a Smart Flexible Welding Production System that integrates MES production management, RFID-based production scheduling, multi-robot coordination, and multi-model automatic switching equipment to enable flexible manufacturing across 4+ vehicle models on a single production line with up to 60 JPH throughput and 90%+ automation rates. Supporting product modules include HI-POWER laser welding system integration, flexible robotic hemming systems, robotic arc-welding workstations, and high-precision flexible positioning systems (0.02mm positioning accuracy, 0.03mm repeatability). The company also developed a standard equipment Product Center offering modular workpiece conveying, tooling switching, hemming, and auxiliary equipment.

AUTOMATE generates revenue primarily through project-based general contracting for automotive OEMs, with each welding line contract valued in the tens of millions RMB. The customer base is concentrated in automotive manufacturers, including joint ventures (SAIC-VW, FAW-VW, Changan Ford, SGM) and domestic Chinese brands (Geely, BAIC), with documented deployments of 100-184 robot welding lines. The company holds A-level supplier status with SAIC Volkswagen and has delivered projects including SVW LAVIDA NF (184 robots, 60 JPH), FAW-VW CPA3 Tiguan NF-PHEV (143 robots), and Changan Ford C519 (110 robots). Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise sales through competitive bidding for welding line general contracting, with no resellers or distribution channels. Additional revenue streams include intelligent manufacturing consulting and a temporary 2020 COVID-19 pivot into automated mask production equipment.

In February 2016, AUTOMATE merged with publicly listed CSG (科达智能, GEM300222 on Shenzhen Stock Exchange) through major asset restructuring, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary with access to capital markets. The company relocated to a 20,000 square meter facility in November 2016 and has accumulated multiple certifications including Shanghai High-Tech Enterprise (2014), Shanghai Science and Technology Little Giant, Shanghai Municipal Industrial Design Center (2020-2023, re-certified 2024), and IP Management System certification (2020). Management is led by General Manager Lu Ying (陆颖), with technical strengths spanning German VASS and GM standards and proprietary virtual debugging technology.

Name

AUTOMATE

Legal name

AUTOMATE TECHNOLOGY (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.

Website

https://automate-cn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

AUTOMATE (CSG Guanzhi) is a Shanghai-based industrial automation system integrator specializing in turnkey automotive body-in-white intelligent welding production line solutions, serving major OEMs including SAIC-VW, Changan Ford, Geely, and FAW-VW with multi-model flexible welding lines and proprietary virtual debugging technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Welding Automation Systems

NAICS

Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing (333992), All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Vehicle Body-in-White & Structural Assemblies Manufacturing (IMACAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Welding, Joining & Soldering Equipment (Arc, Resistance, Friction, Brazing) (IMAHADAH)

Keywords

• Automotive welding automation
• Robotic system integration
• Body-in-white production lines
• Industrial automation equipment
• Flexible manufacturing systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Songjiang

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Automotive Body Welding Production Line System Integration (General Contracting): AUTOMATE serves as general contractor for automotive body welding production lines, delivering complete turnkey solutions from design through installation and commissioning. Revenue is generated through large-scale system integration project contracts with automotive OEMs, including multi-model flexible welding lines, underbody lines, bodyside lines, and main assembly lines. The company has delivered production lines with up to 184 robots and 60 JPH cycle times.
2. Robot Application and Automation Equipment Supply: Supply of robotic welding stations, laser welding systems, CMT arc welding workstations, flexible positioning systems, and automated hemming systems as part of integrated production line solutions. Equipment ranges from individual workstations to full production lines.
3. COVID-19 Mask Production (Temporary Diversification): During the 2020 pandemic, AUTOMATE repurposed its automation capabilities to produce mask-making equipment and masks themselves, achieving 300 million masks/month per production line capacity. This represented a temporary diversification into hardware sales and consumer goods during the public health crisis.
4. Intelligent Manufacturing Consulting and Process Optimization: Provides systematic production process analysis and optimization solutions for enterprises not yet automated. Includes customized development design, equipment system integration, process information collection, and data monitoring analysis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AUTOMATE designs, manufactures, and integrates turnkey automotive body-in-white (BIW) welding production lines, serving as a general contractor and system integrator for automotive OEMs. Its core offering is the Smart Flexible Welding Production System, which combines MES production management, RFID-based scheduling, multi-vendor robots (KUKA, ABB, FANUC, MOTOMAN), and multi-model automatic switching equipment to deliver flexible multi-model automated welding lines, supplemented by laser welding, robotic hemming, arc welding, and flexible positioning subsystems.

Product overview

AUTOMATE (CSG Guanzhi) offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial automation products and solutions primarily focused on automotive body-in-white (BIW) manufacturing. The core product is the Smart Flexible Welding Production System, which integrates MES, RFID, robots, and multi-model switching equipment. This core system is complemented by specialized modules including the HI-POWER Laser Welding System for high-power laser applications, the Flexible Robotic Hemming System for panel edge processing, Robotic Arc-welding System Integration for welding operations, and the Flexible Positioning System for multi-model vehicle production. The company also provides standard equipment categories covering workpiece conveyance, tooling switching, hemming technology, and auxiliary equipment. All products are designed to work together as an integrated system for automotive manufacturing, with flexibility for multi-model production lines. The company expanded into mask production equipment during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic using similar automation technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Flexible Welding Production System (自动化智能车身焊接柔性生产系统)

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% automation rate on automotive white body welding lines with 4-model flexible switching capability.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TÜV Rheinland (德国莱茵TÜV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2016In August 2016, AUTOMATE and TÜV Rheinland signed a strategic cooperation agreement at Shanghai New International Expo Center. The partnership focuses on advanced automotive manufacturing laser system safety, including intelligent automotive manufacturing, laser safety systems, material safety production, equipment safety operation, quality management system compliance, and testing. AUTOMATE's laser safety detection and certification services are highly recognized in the automotive manufacturing customer base.
• SAIC Volkswagen (上汽大众)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUTOMATE serves as general contractor on SAIC Volkswagen bodyside, underbody, and main assembly welding lines, including the MQB Platform A-PLUS bodyside project. Holds A-level supplier status. Received 'Excellent Supplier' recognition and 'Annual Excellent Electrical Supplier' award for 2018-2019. Currently undertaking the SAIC Volkswagen Audi project.
• Changan Ford (长安福特)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUTOMATE is a major welding production line supplier for Changan Ford, undertaking C519 underbody, C490MCA, and C482/C483 projects. Awarded the 'Strategic Cooperation Award' at the 2018 Changan Ford supplier conference. Holds Level 1 non-production procurement supplier qualification.
• Shanghai Lige Tai Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd. (上海利格泰生物科技有限公司)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuring the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, AUTOMATE partnered with Shanghai Lige Tai (a subsidiary of Keliyate, stock 300326) to produce mask automation production lines and civilian masks. Lige Tai provided quality premises and testing equipment resources. AUTOMATE contributed automation line technology achieving 3 million masks/month per line capacity.
• Beijing Union University School of ManagementminorOthersBeijing Union University management school professors visited AUTOMATE to explore cooperation in high-end technology, industry layout, and enterprise management. Both parties discussed training resource alignment, inter-enterprise cooperation, and deep excavation of existing business.
• CP Group (正大集团)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCP Group Chairman Xie Jiren and delegation visited CSG's AUTOMATE subsidiary in August 2019. Discussions explored feasibility of applying CSG's intelligent technology in retail, agricultural, food processing, and logistics sectors. Both parties expressed interest in cooperation to improve industry intelligence levels.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FANUC: Largest global industrial robot manufacturer by installed base; its robots are integrated into AUTOMATE's own lines and its system integrator network competes on automotive welding line projects. Broad incumbent in the same welding/automation value chain.
• ABB Robotics: Global industrial robotics incumbent whose automotive segment includes body-in-white welding cells and robot-based automation. Competes with AUTOMATE as part of a much broader industrial automation portfolio serving global OEMs.
• Yaskawa Electric (MOTOMAN): Japanese robotics leader whose MOTOMAN robots are explicitly supported by AUTOMATE and whose system integration partners compete for similar automotive welding contracts. Broad incumbent spanning industrial automation, motion control, and robotics.

Direct peers

• KUKA: German-headquartered robotics and automation specialist (now owned by Midea Group) and a dominant supplier of automotive body-in-white welding lines. Directly comparable to AUTOMATE as both deliver large-scale flexible welding production lines to global automotive OEMs.
• Comau: Stellantis-owned automation integrator with deep automotive welding and body assembly expertise. Directly comparable to AUTOMATE in delivering turnkey BIW welding lines, robotic workstations, and flexible manufacturing systems to OEMs.
• Estun Automation: Leading Chinese industrial robot and automation system integrator with growing presence in automotive welding line integration. Direct competitor in the China market, often bidding against AUTOMATE on OEM projects.
• GROB Systems: German family-owned manufacturer of highly flexible production and assembly systems for the automotive industry, including body-in-white welding lines. Directly competes with AUTOMATE for global automaker welding line contracts.
• SIASUN Robot & Automation: Major Chinese industrial robotics company offering welding robots, automation cells, and integrated production lines for automotive and general industrial customers. Comparable in product breadth and China-market positioning to AUTOMATE.

Emerging players

• Shanghai STEP Robotics: Shanghai-based Chinese robotics and automation company with growing exposure to automotive welding applications. Comparable emerging China-based integrator competing for similar OEM project work as AUTOMATE.
• Inovance Technology: China's largest industrial automation drives/motion control company increasingly expanding into robotics and integrated solutions. Emerging competitor with growing overlap in automotive-adjacent automation and flexible production.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AUTOMATE