The IP rating system is a technical standard that provides a precise measurement of the level of protection an electrical enclosure offers against water and solid objects. This system is defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the standard IEC 60529, also known as EN 60529. The IP rating system is a two-digit code where the first digit indicates the degree of protection against solid objects, and the second digit represents the level of protection against water.
The first digit of the IP rating system ranges from 0 to 6 and indicates the level of protection against solid objects. For instance, an IP rating of 0 offers no protection against ingress of solid objects, while an IP rating of 6 offers complete protection against ingress of dust and other solid objects. The second digit ranges from 0 to 9 and indicates the level of protection against water. An IP rating of 0 offers no protection against water, while an IP rating of 9 offers complete protection against water projected by high-pressure water jets.
The IP rating system is crucial for determining the suitability of an enclosure for use in different environments. For instance, an IP65 enclosure is dust-tight and protected against low-pressure water jets, making it suitable for use in outdoor environments. However, an IP68 enclosure offers complete protection against water immersion, making it ideal for use in submerged applications. Electrical enclosures with high IP ratings require more complex designs and construction to achieve the required level of protection, and are often more expensive than those with lower ratings.
In conclusion, the IP rating system provides a standardized way of measuring the degree of protection an electrical enclosure offers against water and solid objects. The system’s two-digit code provides a precise indication of the level of protection, making it easier to select an appropriate enclosure for different environments. The IP rating system is widely used across various industries, and it is essential to consider the level of protection offered by an enclosure when selecting it for use in different environments to ensure its suitability for the intended application.
| IP Rating | First Characteristic Numeral - Solid Resistance | Second Characteristic Numeral - Liquid Resistance |
|---|---|---|
| IP00 | Not protected from solids. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP01 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP02 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP03 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP04 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP05 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP06 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP07 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP08 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP10 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP11 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP12 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP13 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP14 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP15 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP16 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP17 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP18 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres. | Protected from long trem immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP20 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP21 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP22 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP23 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP24 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP25 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP26 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP27 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP28 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP30 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP31 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP32 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP33 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP34 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP35 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP36 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP37 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP38 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP40 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP41 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP42 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP43 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP44 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP45 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from low pressure water jets in any direction. |
| IP46 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP47 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP48 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP50 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP51 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP52 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP53 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP54 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP55 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP56 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP57 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP58 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP60 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP61 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP62 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP63 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP64 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP65 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP66 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP67 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth. |
| IP68 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP69K | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from steam-jet cleaning. |
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