ARE Dongguan — Industrial Automation & Robotics

Dates, venue and show positioning

ARE Dongguan 2026 will take place March 8–10, 2026 in Dongguan, at the Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center (often styled GD Modern International Exhibition Center). The official site describes the show as the 17th Dongguan International Industrial Automation & Robot Exhibition, a regional hub where buyers compress vendor scouting, technical due diligence and shortlist creation into a dense three-day program with live equipment demos and talks led by engineering owners. For procurement and plant teams, the format enables side-by-side verification of cycle time, changeover windows, safety and compliance, while aligning commissioning schedules and service SLAs before capex. For suppliers, the Pearl River Delta manufacturing base brings qualified traffic with drawings, CTQs and budget envelopes—converting footfall into RFQs and pilot plans rather than casual visits. The organizer materials also note a focused industrial audience and co-operation with associations, which supports curated routes (robots, motion control, vision, end-of-line) and targeted buyer matching. Dates and the Dongguan venue are explicitly listed on the official English pages.

Robots, automation cells, motion, vision, 3D printing

The scope covers the complete chain of intelligent manufacturing: six-axis robots and cobots, SCARA and delta platforms; palletizing/depalletizing cells; AGVs/AMRs and smart conveyors; CNC systems and servo drives; PLC/HMI, industrial networking and safety; machine vision, 3D scanning and sensors; welding, cutting and laser processing; automated assembly, screwdriving and press-fit; end-of-line inspection, measurement and testing; non-standard equipment customization; additive manufacturing for jigs, fixtures and short-run parts; predictive maintenance, SCADA/MES connectors and data services. This layout lets teams compare total economics—not just list specs but OEE, labor content, energy per unit and maintenance regimes—under realistic takt and hygiene constraints. For greenfield lines the focus is on balanced cells, in-process gauging and quick commissioning; for retrofit projects on drop-in mechatronics, safety upgrades and digital traceability. The show profile highlights an estimated 20,000 m² area with ~500 brands from 20+ countries, which matches the practical breadth above and gives buyers a true “one-stop” loop from demo to RFQ.
Are Expo

OEMs, tier suppliers, integrators, component makers and labs

ARE attracts a practical mix: brand owners and factories in electronics/3C, appliances, auto parts and general machinery; system integrators and line builders; robotics and motion vendors; vision/sensor specialists; and providers of tooling, fixturing, lubrication and reliability testing. Buyer delegations usually arrive with drawings, target cycle times and budget ranges, so meetings jump quickly from brochures to feasibility, tolerance stacks, cell safety and acceptance criteria (FAT/SAT). Integrators bring retrofit recipes and migration paths; component makers discuss servo sizing, thermal limits and encoder resolution under real loads; vision providers benchmark detection rates and latency; logistics vendors map AGV/AMR fleets to dock and aisle layouts. This composition shifts conversations from abstract capability lists to executable project plans with commissioning windows, staffing and training SLAs. The official visitor/exhibitor sections emphasize “nearly 500 companies” and 1,000+ live product demos, reflecting this transaction-ready environment.

Turnkey cells, core components and digital layers

On the floor, teams can walk complete robotic and automation cells from feeder to inspection: robot arms, grippers and EOAT; servo axes, linear modules and gantries; CNC/PLC control with safe I/O; conveyors, elevators and buffer systems; machine vision, lighting and optics; leak, force/torque and dimensional test benches; laser and arc-welding stations; laser cutting/marking and depaneling; AMR/AGV fleets and fleet managers; palletizers, wrappers and labelers. Adjacent zones show core components—gearboxes, motors, drives, reducers, couplings, bearings—and digital layers for SCADA/MES, OEE dashboards and condition monitoring. Evaluating these elements side-by-side enables apples-to-apples assessment of cycle dispersion, availability, sanitation time, digital traceability and CO₂ per unit—so teams can de-risk specs and commissioning before tender. The show overview states the product map explicitly around robots, automation, vision/sensors, 3D printing and non-standard equipment, underscoring a product-plus-system emphasis rather than generic tech fair content.

Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center, Dongguan

The Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center in Houjie, Dongguan provides the infrastructure for live industrial demos: multiple large halls, high floor loads, rigging, stable power and compressed-air distribution, plus a contractor ecosystem that understands heavy move-in for robots, CNC/servo racks and metrology. Its location in the Pearl River Delta shortens trips to supplier factories and integrator shops, allowing same-day off-site tests and drawing reviews. Reference venue profiles confirm the Dongguan/ Houjie address and large-scale exhibition capability, which helps logistics teams plan crate flows, access windows and utilities. For international visitors, Dongguan’s position between Guangzhou and Shenzhen simplifies travel and hotel planning.

ARE Dongguan organizing committee and partners

The official site attributes ARE Dongguan to a committee working with regional associations (e.g., Shenzhen Association of Automation) and event partners. This backbone curates exhibitor lineups and recruits qualified visitors from South China’s manufacturing clusters, while providing structured buyer programs that keep meetings focused on takt, safety, changeover, and maintenance plans rather than abstract features. For suppliers, this means predictable ROI: more RFQs, quicker pilot conversions and clearer after-show follow-ups; for buyers, tighter spec cycles and earlier view of commissioning risks. Organizer copy on “brand advantages” underlines association support and government engagement, consistent with a professional, trade-only positioning.

Organizer’s website

Go to website