Automation technology can increase company’s competiveness if it is used correctly. One step on the way to achieve this is to acquire proper automation technology. This paper describes how nine manufacturing companies in Sweden work when they acquire advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) with automation investments in focus. These nine companies are located all over Sweden and they are considered to be amongst the most experienced in Sweden, running automation investments. The respectively companies way of working is described and analyzed. Most of the companies had a quite extensive model for their acquisition process. Main reason for investing in automation, key factors for successful implementation of automation equipment and suggested improvements to the described acquisition models, are discussed in the paper.