Soldering, dispensing, placement and test: productronica Shanghai is where the machinery that builds electronics is shown. The floor runs the length of the production chain, from SMT lines through wire processing, coil winding, connector assembly and conformal coating to end-of-line inspection, smart warehousing and the software that ties a plant together.

It is an equipment show rather than a components show: exhibitors sell the machines, materials and integration services that electronics manufacturers buy when they expand or rebuild production.