Lianhe Sowell wins RMB23.84M order for 80 spray-painting robots in Malaysia
Nasdaq-listed Lianhe Sowell said on Oct 19 that its Shenzhen subsidiary signed a RMB23.84 million contract to supply 80 vision-guided car-refinish spray-painting robots to NMS Robotics in Malaysia, about RMB298,000 per installed set by MEKAWIRE's arithmetic, and took a first single-robot order in the UK. Both are the company's first orders in those markets.
Eighty robots for one buyer is a large order for a machine built for repair and refinish shops. Lianhe Sowell International Group (Nasdaq: LHSW) said in a GlobeNewswire press release on Oct 19 that its subsidiary Shenzhen Sowell Technology Development signed a sales contract with NMS Robotics Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia for 80 sets of its Sowell Precision Vision AI Spraying Robot, worth RMB23.84 million in total.
The contract is the company's first in Malaysia, and a second contract signed the same day is its first in the UK. Together they test whether a Chinese machine-vision supplier can sell repair-shop automation abroad.
The order prices each installed robot near RMB298,000
Deliveries will come in batches, the company said, without giving a schedule. Shenzhen Sowell will also install and commission the robots, train operators and provide after-sales support. Spread across 80 sets, the contract value comes to about RMB298,000 per robot with those services included.
- Sept 22, 2026
- Kumquat Technology (Chery Group)
- China
- Strategic cooperation, 24 aftermarket processes, 1,000 4S stores
- Not disclosed
- Oct 19, 2026
- NMS Robotics Sdn. Bhd.
- Malaysia
- 80 spraying robots with installation, training and support
- RMB23.84M
- Oct 19, 2026
- Rowley Spraybooths Midlands Ltd
- UK
- 1 spraying robot with gun-change, gun-cleaning and paint-cup systems
- Not disclosed
Company press releases (Sept 22 release filed as SEC 6-K exhibit). Per-set value = RMB23.84M / 80 = RMB298,000, services included (MEKAWIRE calculation).
As of Oct 19, 2026
The release does not say whether NMS Robotics will run the robots in its own shops or place them with repair businesses, which is the question that decides how fast they reach paying users.
What the robot does on a body-shop floor
The machine, also sold as the Sowell S.P. Robot, is built for the automotive aftermarket: repair and refinish work rather than new-car paint lines. The company says it combines nine-axis coordinated motion with 3D vision and precision spraying, while people still do the supporting tasks and the final inspection. Its website shows the robot painting full vehicles, bumpers, front covers and doors.
The UK customer, Rowley Spraybooths Midlands Ltd, ordered one spraying robot with an automated spray-gun changing system plus automated gun-cleaning and paint-cup changing systems. No value was disclosed for that contract.
The export push follows a Chery dealer deal at home
On Sept 22 Lianhe Sowell signed a strategic cooperation agreement, filed with the SEC as a 6-K exhibit, with Kumquat Technology, the Chery Group subsidiary that runs Chery's network of 1,000 4S dealerships. The two agreed to cover 24 aftermarket processes with Sowell equipment, open demonstration sites at Kumquat locations and explore overseas markets, with Kumquat leading market development abroad and Sowell supplying products and technical support. No value was attached to that agreement either. Chery is separately preparing global pre-orders for its AiMOGA Mobo home humanoid on Oct 21, as [MEKAWIRE reported](/news/chery-aimoga-mobo-home-companion-humanoid-global-pre-orders-oct-21-wuhu-22-dof-moagent-20261018).
Beyond paint robots, the company's site lists photovoltaic-panel cleaning, fuel-station, wall-climbing, patrol, facade-cleaning and sorting robots.
MEKAWIRE analysis
The Malaysian contract is worth more as a reference than as revenue: it is the company's first export order large enough to show that refinish robots can be sold by the fleet.
The evidence is the gap between the two orders. One buyer is taking 80 units with installation and training bundled in; the other is taking one. A per-set value near RMB298,000 including services also gives prospective buyers a public price reference.
The counter-argument is size and timing. RMB23.84 million is a single contract, delivered in batches on an undisclosed schedule, and revenue depends on delivery and acceptance. Until a filing shows those robots installed and paid for, the order is a backlog claim.
Bull case: NMS Robotics places the robots across Malaysian repair shops, repeat orders follow, and Kumquat's planned overseas push adds markets that share Chery's dealer footprint. Bear case: batches slip, the single UK unit stays a showcase, and the Chery agreement produces demonstration sites but few paid units.
Signals to watch: Chery's AiMOGA Mobo pre-order opening on Oct 21 as a read on the group's robotics push; the first 6-K or periodic report that discloses delivery or revenue from the Malaysian contract; and any follow-on order from NMS Robotics or a second UK customer.
- 80 sets of the Sowell Precision Vision AI Spraying Robot for NMS Robotics Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia
- RMB23.84 million, delivered in batches (schedule not disclosed)
- About RMB298,000 including installation, commissioning, training and support (MEKAWIRE: 23.84 million / 80)
- One robot with automated gun changing, gun cleaning and paint-cup changing for Rowley Spraybooths Midlands Ltd; value not disclosed
- Nine-axis coordinated motion, 3D vision and precision spraying; people handle supporting tasks and final inspection
- Sept 22 agreement with Chery Group subsidiary Kumquat Technology (1,000 4S stores, 24 aftermarket processes)
- Both are the company's first orders in Malaysia and the UK
Why it matters
Refinish robots are sold to independent body shops and dealer workshops, a fragmented customer base. An 80-unit contract with a single Malaysian counterparty is the first sign from this company that a distributor-style buyer will take volume, and the bundled installation and training show the supplier is carrying the deployment risk.
The disclosure also fixes a public reference price of roughly RMB298,000 per installed set. That number lets buyers compare a robot against the labour cost of a skilled painter in their own market, which is the calculation every refinish customer makes.
Signals to watch
Oct 21: Chery opens global pre-orders for the AiMOGA Mobo, a read on how hard the group is pushing robotics, the same group whose dealer arm is Sowell's home channel.
The next 6-K or periodic report: whether any Malaysian batches have been delivered and recognised as revenue.
Follow-on orders: a second Malaysian or UK customer, or the first overseas order routed through Kumquat Technology, would show the channel works beyond one buyer.
Questions you should be asking
Is NMS Robotics the end user or a distributor, and how many shops will the 80 robots go to?
What is the delivery schedule, and is any part of the RMB23.84 million paid in advance?
What value, if any, did the Kumquat agreement generate in its first month?