Guidance on Toys 4.0

• Medium-sized toy manufacturers face major challenges
• Connectivity in children's bedrooms is not without risks
• Supply chain management becoming increasingly important

The trend for the digitalization and connectivity of toys is posing new challenges with regard to safety. According to the toy experts at DEKRA, manufacturers are facing major challenges and must expand their expertise.

The trend toward interconnectedness and wireless communication does not stop at the toy industry. Even traditional toys increasingly contain digital components and wireless interfaces. Toys are increasingly becoming part of the "Internet of Things", in which even everyday items are Internet-compatible and networked. These new technologies are having an enormous impact on toy safety and the legal security of manufacturers and dealers.

"On the part of toy manufacturers – especially medium-sized businesses – we are currently observing a huge need for information," says Werner Leistner, product expert at DEKRA. "There is not a specific standard to regulate the use of digital technologies in toys. This means that legal safety requirements from unrelated sectors are having to be transferred to the networked, Internet-capable toys."

Other technical fields that are outside the classic competencies of the medium-sized industry are affected, too. For LED lights, for example, photobiological safety must be ensured and in the case of electronic control units, there must be no risk of dangerous situations arising. The number of standards that will have to be considered for a product in the future also requires sophisticated supplier management to ensure that the supply chain, too, incorporates these regulations.

DEKRA is an accredited testing center in accordance with the EU toy directive. Its toy experts provide chemical, mechanical and electrical toy testing services. DEKRA also helps companies with material and supplier management. DEKRA safety experts in wireless technologies and standards will also be available as contacts at the Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair in Nuremberg from January 27 until February 1, 2016.

DEKRA at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair 2016:
Testing & Inspection Center, hall 11.1., stand D01-E02