Small and medium enterprises in China are the single largest underserved market for industrial automation. A 20-person factory making plastic components or small metal parts cannot justify a $50,000 industrial robot installation. But a $5,000 to $20,000 collaborative robot — a cobot — changes the economics. Two Chinese cobot makers dominate this segment: Han’s Robot with its Elfin series and Dobot with the MG400 and its successors. This comparison is for SME factory managers and automation engineers making a first cobot purchase.
Han’s Robot Elfin: Mid-Range Industrial Cobot
Han’s Robot is a subsidiary of Han’s Laser, China’s largest laser equipment manufacturer with 30 years of precision manufacturing infrastructure. The Elfin series covers 3 to 25 kg payload with CE marking for European deployment. Repeatability: ±0.02 mm on the Elfin 5 (5 kg payload). Joint speed: up to 180 degrees per second. All Elfin models are force-limited at every joint for ISO/TS 15066 collaborative operation without safety fencing — assuming the risk assessment supports it. Programming: graphical block interface plus Python and ROS support. Price range: $12,000 to $35,000 depending on payload and accessories.
Dobot MG400: Entry-Level Desktop Cobot
The MG400 is a 4-axis desktop robot arm at approximately $1,200 list price — the entry point that made Chinese cobot automation accessible to microenterprises and education labs. Working radius: 440 mm. Payload: 750 g. Repeatability: ±0.05 mm. It is not a full industrial cobot — it lacks 6-axis flexibility and the payload for most factory tasks — but for pick-and-place, soldering assistance, small part sorting, and dispensing at volumes under 30 parts per minute, it is the lowest-cost automation option in its class globally. Dobot’s industrial range (CR series, 3 to 16 kg) steps up to full 6-axis collaborative robots for $8,000 to $25,000.
Specification Comparison
Payload range: Elfin 3-25 kg vs Dobot MG400 0.75 kg (CR series 3-16 kg). Repeatability: Elfin ±0.02 mm vs MG400 ±0.05 mm (CR series ±0.02 mm). DOF: Elfin 6 vs MG400 4 (CR series 6). CE marking: Elfin yes, Dobot CR series yes. Price entry: Elfin ~$12,000, Dobot MG400 ~$1,200, CR series ~$8,000.
Task Matching
Light pick-and-place under 750g at desktop scale: Dobot MG400. General factory automation 3-16 kg, budget-conscious: Dobot CR series. Precision assembly, welding assistance, or applications needing ±0.02 mm repeatability: Elfin. European export or CE-compliant deployment: Elfin (CE-marked from factory). Education and prototyping: Dobot MG400. High-cycle industrial production (10,000+ cycles per day): Elfin — its industrial heritage from Han’s Laser gives it a reliability edge at sustained high cycle rates.
Integration Ecosystem
Both brands support ROS, Python, and standard Modbus/EtherNet IP protocols for PLC integration. Han’s Robot’s connection to Han’s Laser’s customer base means Elfin often appears bundled with laser processing cells — a significant installed base advantage. Dobot has a stronger presence in education and has built an ecosystem of accessories (conveyors, vision kits, gripper sets) specifically for the MG400 platform.
For broader context on China’s robot arm manufacturers see Top 40 China Robot Rankings 2025 and factory profiles at robots manufacturer in China.
Sources
- Han’s Robot Elfin series technical specifications (2025)
- Dobot product catalog MG400 and CR series (2025)
- ESM China: Chinese cobot market share report 2024
