I. Standards System
What to look for in the standards system? Based on national standard management practices, the system is viewed as follows: Classification—National standards are divided into mandatory standards (GB) and recommended standards (GB/T);
mandatory standards safeguard human health and personal/property safety, while recommended standards are adopted voluntarily. Quantity—There are 2,031 currently valid mandatory national standards (1,691 non-adoption-based standards available for online reading and download; 340 adoption-based standards available for online reading only). Recommendations—There are 47,164 currently valid recommended national standards (31,144 non-adoption-based standards available for online reading and download; 16,020 adoption-based standards providing only bibliographic records via the national standard full-text disclosure system). Retrieval—Standards can be queried via the National Standards Information Public Service Platform and the National Standard Full-Text Disclosure System (searching by standard number or name, or querying by category). Jurisdiction—Machinery safety standards fall under the jurisdiction of the National Technical Committee on Machinery Safety (TCs manage the drafting and revision of standards). Adoption—Many Chinese national standards are identical adoptions of ISO/IEC international standards (e.g., GB/T 5226.1 is identical to IEC 60204-1; GB/T 16855.1 is identical to ISO 13849-1). In summary, the system is defined by six aspects: GB (mandatory), GB/T (recommended), 2,031 mandatory standards, 47,164 recommended standards, TC jurisdiction, and ISO standard adoption.
II.
Machinery Safety
What to look for regarding machinery safety?
In accordance with national standards for machinery safety, safety is addressed as follows: Design—GB/T 15706 *Safety of machinery—General principles for design—Risk assessment and risk reduction* (identical to ISO 12100:2010; drafting organizations include China Productivity Center for Machinery, Xuzhou Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd., Shenzhen CTI Testing Technology Co., Ltd., and the Institute of Opto-Mechatronic Engineering at Nanjing Forestry University); Control—GB/T 16855.1-2025 *Safety of machinery—Safety-related parts of control systems—Part 1: General principles for design* (identical to ISO 13849-1:2023; administered by the National Technical Committee on Machinery Safety Standardization; released and implemented on August 29, 2025; replaces GB/T 16855.1-2018); Electrical—GB/T 5226.1-2019 *Electrical safety of machinery—Electrical equipment of machines—Part 1: General requirements* (adopts international standard; released June 4, 2019; implemented January 1, 2020; replaces GB 5226.1-2002); Functional—GB/T 20438.1 *Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems—Part 1: General requirements* (identical to IEC 61508-1:2010; drafting organizations include the Institute of Instrumentation Technology & Economy of Machinery Industry, China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, Hangzhou HollySys, Siemens, and Omron); Robotics—GB/T 38244-2019 *Robots—Safety—General principles* (mechanical safety geometric factors: accessible mechanical parts of robots must not cause injury to personnel or the surrounding environment; the shape and relative positioning of mechanical parts must comply with GB/T 12265.3 or GB/T 23821); Terminology—GB/T
30174 Safety of machinery — Terminology (defining a “guard” as a physical barrier, part of a machine, used to provide protection—either used independently or functioning when a movable guard is closed). The “Six Key Standards” for machinery safety are: 15706 (General principles for design), 16855.1 (Safety-related parts of control systems), 5226.1 (Electrical equipment of machines), 20438.1 (Functional safety), 38244 (Robots), and 30174 (Terminology)—forming a closed-loop safety framework.
III.
Electrical Systems and Motors
What to look for regarding electrical systems and motors.
Regarding national standards for electric motors, here is a breakdown of key aspects: Energy Efficiency—GB 30253-2024 *Minimum Allowable Values of Energy Efficiency and Energy Efficiency Grades for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors* (Mandatory standard: released Sept 29, 2024; effective Oct 1, 2025); Ratings—GB/T 755-2025 *Rotating Electrical Machines – Rating and Performance* (To be released Aug 2025); Safety—GB 47501-2026 *Safety Technical Specifications for Rotating Electrical Machines* (Upcoming: released Apr 30, 2026; effective Nov 1, 2026); Servo—GB/T 7344-2015 *General Technical Specifications for AC Servo Motors* (Currently in effect); DC—GB/T 14817-2008 *General Technical Specifications for Permanent Magnet DC Servo Motors* (Currently in effect); Stepper—GB/T 20638-2006 *General Technical Specifications for Stepper Motors* (Currently in effect); Terminology—GB/T 2900.26 *Electrotechnical Terminology – Control Motors* (Currently in effect; based on the 2020 compilation by the Technical Committee on Micro-motors). In summary, evaluate motors against these seven standards to ensure compliance: 30253 (efficiency limits), 755 (ratings/performance), 47501 (safety specs), 7344 (AC servo), 14817 (DC servo), 20638 (stepper motors), and 2900.26 (terminology).
IV.
Transmission Components
What to look for in transmission components.
Regarding national standards for transmission components, the sector is categorized as follows: Harmonic Drives—GB/T 30819-2024 *Harmonic Gear Reducers for Robots* (released Sept. 29, 2024; effective Apr. 1, 2025); Flexible Bearings—GB/T 34884-2017 *Rolling Bearings—Flexible Bearings for Harmonic Gear Reducers in Industrial Robots* (released Nov. 1, 2017; effective May 1, 2018); Modules—GB/T 45865-2025 *General Technical Specifications for Precision Electric-Drive Harmonic Gear Modules* (released Aug. 1, 2025; effective Feb. 1, 2026); Fatigue—GB/T 40729-2021 *Test Methods for Fatigue Life of Precision Gear Transmission Units* (released 2021); Gears—National standards for precision gear transmissions cover harmonic reducers and flexible bearings (Shanghai Feisai Bearing Technology participated in drafting these standards); Implementation—Jiangsu Zhonggong High-end Equipment Research Institute and others participated in the standard for harmonic gear reducers for robots (GB/T 30819-2024); Rolling Bearings—Standards cover terminology for sliding bearings and DLC coating testing (GB/T 2889.7, GB/T 47254). In summary, the six key aspects of transmission are: 30819 harmonic reducers, 34884 flexible bearings, 45865 modules, 40729 fatigue testing, gear precision, and rolling bearings—ensuring transmission reliability.
V.
Fluid Components
What to look for in fluid components.
In accordance with national standards for fluid power, the relevant specifications are as follows: Cylinder Bore—GB/T 2348-2018 *Fluid power systems and components—Cylinder bores and piston rod diameters* (adopts ISO standard; currently in effect); Mounting—GB/T 9094-2020 *Fluid power systems and components—Cylinder mounting dimensions and mounting type codes* (issued Nov 19, 2020; implemented June 1, 2021; fully replaces GB/T 9094-2006); Lifting—GB/T 6067.1-2010 *Safety rules for hoisting machinery—Part 1: General* (implemented June 1, 2011; replaces GB/T 6067-1985); Construction—GB 5226.6-2014 *Electrical safety of machinery—Electrical equipment of machines—Part 6: Technical specifications for construction machinery* (applies to specific safety requirements for electrical/electronic equipment and systems of construction machinery, including groups of machines working in coordination); Lifting Machinery Electrical—GB/T 5226.32-2017 *Electrical safety of machinery—Electrical equipment of machines—Part 32: Technical specifications for hoisting machinery* (fully replaces GB 5226.2-2002; issued Dec 29, 2017; implemented July 1, 2018); Measurement—GB/T 42125.1-2024 *Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use—Part 1: General requirements* (adopts IEC standard; upcoming implementation; under the jurisdiction of TC338; competent authority: China Machinery Industry Federation); Pneumatics—The standard series for fluid power systems and components covers cylinders and valves (GB/T 2348 for cylinder bore and piston rod diameter, GB/T…
…9094 mounting dimensions)—Fluid power “Six Aspects”: 2348 cylinder bore, 9094 mounting dimensions, 6067 lifting safety, 5226.6 construction machinery, 5226.32 lifting electrical systems, and 42125 measuring equipment;
the “Six Aspects” ensure fluid power compliance.
Conclusion
What are the GB standards for automation components? The conclusion is that they are defined across five dimensions: systems, machinery safety, electrical motors, power transmission, and fluid power.
System—National standards are categorized into mandatory (GB) and recommended (GB/T) types (currently 2,031 mandatory and 47,164 recommended standards; searchable via the National Standard Information Public Service Platform and the National Standard Full-Text Disclosure System; managed by Technical Committees (TCs); extensive adoption of ISO/IEC standards via identical adoption); Machinery Safety—GB/T 15706 General principles for design (ISO 12100:2010), GB/T 16855.1-2025 General principles for the design of safety-related control systems (ISO 13849-1:2023), GB/T 5226.1-2019 General technical specifications for electrical equipment of machines (implemented in 2020), GB/T 20438.1 Functional safety (IEC 61508-1:2010), GB/T 38244-2019 General safety requirements for robots, GB/T 30174 Terminology for machinery safety; Electrical Motors—GB 30253-2024 Minimum allowable values of energy efficiency for permanent magnet synchronous motors (implemented Oct 2025), GB 47501-2026 Safety technical specifications for rotating electrical machines (implemented Nov 2026), GB/T 755-2025 Rating and performance of rotating electrical machines, GB/T 7344 AC servo motors, GB/T 14817 DC servo motors, GB/T 20638 Stepper motors; Power Transmission—GB/T 30819-2024 Harmonic gear reducers for robots, GB/T 34884-2017 Flexible bearings, GB/T 45865-2025 Harmonic drive modules, GB/T 40729-2021 Fatigue life testing; Fluid Power—GB/T
…2348-2018 (cylinder bore and piston rod diameters), GB/T 9094-2020 (cylinder mounting dimensions), GB/T 6067.1 (safety rules for lifting appliances), GB/T 5226.32 (electrical equipment for lifting machinery), and GB/T 42125.1 (safety of measurement and control equipment). To summarize industry practice regarding GB standards: mandatory GB standards set the baseline, while recommended GB/T standards drive quality improvement;
simply address the “five-piece set” for machinery safety and the specific requirements for motors, drive systems, and fluid power—clear these four hurdles, and compliance is assured.
