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 RatingFirst Characteristic Numeral - Solid ResistanceSecond Characteristic Numeral - Liquid Resistance
IP00Not protected from solids.Not protected from liquids.
IP01Not protected from solids.Protected from condensation.
IP02Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP03Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP04Not protected from solids.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP05Not protected from solids.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP06Not protected from solids.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP07Not protected from solids.Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth.
IP08Not protected from solids.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP10Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Not protected from liquids.
IP11Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from condensation.
IP12Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP13Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP14Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP15Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP16Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP17Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth.
IP18Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimetres.Protected from long trem immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP20Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Not protected from liquids.
IP21Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from condensation.
IP22Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP23Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP24Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP25Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP26Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP27Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth.
IP28Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimetres.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP30Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Not protected from liquids.
IP31Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from condensation.
IP32Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP33Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP34Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP35Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP36Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP37Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth.
IP38Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimetres.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP40Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Not protected from liquids.
IP41Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from condensation.
IP42Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP43Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP44Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP45Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from low pressure water jets in any direction.
IP46Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP47Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth.
IP48Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP50Protected from limited dust ingress.Not protected from liquids.
IP51Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from condensation.
IP52Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP53Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP54Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP55Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP56Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP57Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth.
IP58Protected from limited dust ingress.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP60Protected from total dust ingress.Not protected from liquids.
IP61Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from condensation.
IP62Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP63Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP64Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP65Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP66Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP67Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from immersion between 15 centimetres and 1 metre in depth.
IP68Protected from total dust ingress.Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP69KProtected from total dust ingress.Protected from steam-jet cleaning.