TÜV Rheinland Insight: Let Drone Flying Safely over the Sky

KOWLOON BAY, Hong Kong - Nov. 8, 2016 - PRLog -- Iresearch Consulting predicted that by the year 2025,the size of the Chinese dronemarket will reach more than RMB 70 billion. This includes 30 billion in aerial photography, 20 billion in agriculture, forestry and plant protection, 15 billion in security and 5 billion in electrical inspection.Aerial photography will therefore be the main market segment in the Chinese drone Industry.

Industry Supply Chain of Chinese Drones

In addition to research and development, parts manufacturing, system development, machine assembly, sales and after-sales services, the industrial supply chain of Chinese drones includes services designed for the users such as social networking services and insurance. It also includes data collection, aerial photography and other services depending on the scenario.

5-Year Export Trend of Chinese Drones

According to Chinese Customs, the export value of Chinese drones in 2015 experienced dramatic growth and reached RMB 3.25 billion. It marked a growth of 753% on a year-on-year basis. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of the export value from 2010 to 2015 reached 129.5%.

According to the total export value from 2010 to 2015, the top 5 export partners for Chinese drones are the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the UK. The total export value of these countries combined also represents 28.3% of the total export value of Chinese drones.

Industry Standards Crucial for Development of Drone Industry

As of now there is still a lack of systematic standardization in the drone industry in China in the specification of specialized products and its general requirements, as well as in the instructional documents. Earlier regulations such as GJB 2347-1995 "The General Specification of Drone" was aimed at drones used for military and mapping purposes. In order to adjust to the drastic development of civilian drones in China, the Chinese Drones Association in Shenzhen published "The General Technical Standards of Drones in China" and "The Systematic Technical Standards of Multicopter Drones" in June of 2015. They are by far the two most complete sets of technical regulation in the civilian drone industry in China.

In global wide, there are no uniform systems of standardization designed for drones either. To regulate the use of drones in this case, the main components of the drones are taken as a starting point by many countries and regulated by applying its existing mandatory standards. In China, the wireless device of the drone must be authenticated by the SRRC（State Radio Regulatory Commission of the People's Republic of China） mandated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the charger must be authenticated by CCC（China Compulsory Certification）. In the US, the wireless communication product must have a FCC ID Certificate while the battery and the charger must have the EMC related FCC certificates. In addition to the existing standards in electronic security, countries in the European Union stipulate that drone products that might be used by children under the age of 14 have to pass the toy instruction test.

Now the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is drafting a set of rules and regulation specifically for drones. As a global leader in the industry of testing and certification, TÜVRheinland is constantly promoting the standardization of drones internationally. With the unveiling of a system of standards for drones in the near future, the drone industry will reach new heights.

In a general overview of the industry supply chain, DJI-Innovations is the company whose presence rangesfrom research and development to services. Companies such as EWATT, EHANG, YUNEEC and JIYI are also leaders in the Chinese drones industry. JD, TAOBAO and CPIC and other important players have also made their entrance and further enhanced the industry value chain.

TÜV Rheinland Insight

At this moment there are no unified international standards for a developing high tech product like the drone. The manufacturers, the exporters and retailers do however take their product safety very seriously and put the main drone components under rigorous quality control. With 140 years of technical and professional experience, TÜV Rheinland has offered multiple testing and certification services to the top drone firms in the world.

From the initial stage of product design, research and development, we will join hands with industry leaders to ensure the quality of following facets concerning product quality and safety, product performance, data transmission and encryption and anti-hacking.

• Power Module - Battery
Battery durability is at the heart of the drone technology.TÜV Rheinlandis equipped with lithium battery testing laboratories and related expertise that certifies the quality of the lithium battery according to IEC 62133 from the International ElectrotechnicalCommission andEN 62133 from the European Union. We strive to prevent inflight accidents due to poor battery quality, such as drone crashes or explosions.
• Charger
In January of this year a drone explodedin the US due to charger malfunction.TÜV Rheinland has received credentials related to chargers such as CNAS/ISO 17025 and NRTL（Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory） from the US. We ensure the safety of drone chargers and limit its safety concerns according to the standards of IEC/EN 60950-1 andIEC/EN 60335.
• LED Indicator Light
Flash of LED indicator light is also an important factor to consider. TÜV Rheinland tests drones according to EN62471 established by the European Union, eliminating any harm to users' eyes.
• Data Security
As a product of high tech artificial intelligence, the question of data security in drones should not be taken lightly. Hackers have succeeded in breaking into drone systems, alternating flight routes and revealing aerial photos. Given our expertise in data protection in terminal and wireless transmission and the internet, TÜV Rheinland is capable of offering manufacturers a service that safeguards the data security in drones.