Chinese camera housing manufacturers, such as Aony Technologies, Jan Mekia, Minking, Shenghe and Yaan, are touting product stability, customization capabilities and quality management to target high-end markets and niche applications.
Chinese camera housing manufacturers, such as Aony Technologies, Jan Mekia, Minking, Shenghe and Yaan, are touting product stability, customization capabilities and quality management to target high-end markets and niche applications.
At Aony Technologies, exports account for 50 percent of total sales; the company is doing particularly well in the Far East and Europe. At Jan Mekia, exports are 40 percent higher than sales at home. While Korea and Russia are hot markets, it also making strides in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. Likewise, overseas sales at Minking make up 45 percent of the total. Every year, it exports 3,000 outdoor infrared high-speed pan tilt zoom (PTZ) cameras to mostly Europe, the Far East, Southeast Asia and Russia.
Quality management is a top priority. "First, we have very strict quality management of raw materials," said Rake Hu, Sales Manager of Mingking. "Second, every product must undergo rain tests. Third, we test semi-finished products as well as the entire production process. Finally, for some vehicle camera housings, we conduct anti-vibration tests."
As a manufacturer of camera housing, Yaan sets a good example. "Based on the principle that quality derives from design," said Liu Jie, Manager of the International Sales Department at Yaan, "special quality management requirements for niche applications are taken into consideration early on. We use 
aluminum for water-proofing and sunshield caps for heat dissipation." Yaan also conducts quality testing after production to ensure performance in rain as well as high and low temperatures. It is ISO9001- compliant.
Aony Technologies ( ISO9002- compliant) has strict component selection criteria for camera housings. "Our electronic testing devices meet all ISO9002 standards," said Huang Yong, General Manager of Aony Technologies. "We buy from top international brands to ensure high quality of design." In his view, aluminum housings (two millimeters to four millimeters thick) are the best.
Looking at outdoor camera housings, Yaan YA4310 all-weather mini IP66 camera housing is available with heater and ventilation fan, Jan Mekia products use die-cast, extruded aluminum construction to achieve IP 66 and Shenghe Technology SHF801 explosionproof camera housing is designed and produced according to national standards (GB3836-2000 and GB12476-2000). The SHF801 is made of stainless steel (316L).
Furthermore, Jan Mekia's JM4012 outdoor weatherproof camera housing has a buckle and open-back style, featuring easy installation and maintenance.
Yu Liang, Sales Manager of Jan Mekia, explained that it was designed for small to medium CCD cameras with optional ventilation fans and heaters.
Yaan provides housings in different sizes with optional ventilation fans, rain brushes and heaters. Both ventilation fans and heaters have automatic temperature control and camera housings can be used with both fixed mount and pan tilt cameras. Clear windows and glass box housings ensure minimum information loss.
Aony Technologies' camera housing has user-friendly features such as real-time clock (RTC) display and multiple ports. It also supports network video and signal transmission. Infrared night vision delivers 24-hour surveillance and accurate target positioning resolves problems with network delay. "Our camera housing has an embedded temperature control system that controls the ventilation fan," said Huang. Moreover, silicon rubber sealing and positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heat-sensitive components enhance water and fog proofing.
Future Development
"Camera housing is less than 5 percent at my sales turnover," said Ravanis Konstantinos, CEO of Rakson Security, a Greek company active in security 
services. "However, when it comes to the high-end technology installation with body camera, auto iris and varifocal lens, housing finds it market share."
Chinese camera housing manufacturers are also launching new products targeted at high-end markets. Jan Mekia is launching an infrared camera housing as well as one with a side opening. Mingking is coming out with an infrared thermal intelligent high-speed pan and tilt camera housing, Yaan with a pan tilt camera housing that can be customized for use with a video, IR or infrared thermal camera.
Yaan is also releasing a nitrogen camera housing (IP67) that is suitable for seaside and other rugged environments. Aony Technologies' AN-ND12 series camera housings come with infrared sensors designed for road surveillance.