The IP rating (International Protection Rating, or sometimes called an Ingress Protection Rating) consists of the letters IP followed by two numbers and an optional letter. As defined in international standard IEC 60529, IP ratings classify the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague terms such as waterproof.
The two numbers after the letters IP indicate the level of conformity within the tested conditions. The first number indicates the level of protection against solids (including fine particles such as dust or dirt, or larger items such as tools and insects) and ranges from one to six. The second number tells you how much water a device can handle without suffering damage and ranges from one to eight. In both cases, the higher the number the better the protection. For example, a display rated IP67 is completely protected against dust and will not be damaged or become unsafe during a specified test in which it is immersed in water to a depth of 1 meter (3.3 feet) for 30 minutes.
IP ratings are also "self-certifying" and products that Enovation Controls lists with IP ratings have been rigorously by our engineering team to meet these standards, occasionally using additional outside testing to certify some standards as needed.
First Digit - Solid Particle Protection
| Level sized | Effective against | Description |
|---|---|---|
| X | — | X means there is no data available to specify a protection rating with regard to this criteria. |
| 0 | — | No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
| 1 | >50 mm | Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part |
| 2 | >12.5 mm | Fingers or similar objects |
| 3 | >2.5 mm | Tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 | >1 mm | Most wires, screws, etc. |
| 5 | Dust protected | Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment. |
| 6 | Dust tight | No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust tight). |
Second Digit - Liquid Ingress Protection
| Level | Protection against | Effective against |
|---|---|---|
| X | — | — |
| 1 | Dripping water | Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect on the enclosure when mounted in an upright position onto a turntable and rotated at 1 RPM. |
| 2 | Dripping water when tilted at 15° | Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position. A total of four positions are tested within two axes. |
| 3 | Spraying water |
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with a counterbalanced shield. Test a) is conducted for 5 minutes, then repeated with the specimen tilted 90° for the second 5-minute test. |
| 4 | Splashing of water |
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with no shield. Test a) is conducted for 10 minutes. |
| 5 | Water jets | Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 6K | Powerful water jets with increased pressure | Water projected in powerful jets (6.3 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects. |
| 7 | Immersion, up to 1 m depth | Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion). |
| 8 | Immersion, 1 m or more depth | The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects. The test depth and duration is expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7, and other environmental effects may be added, such as temperature cycling before immersion. |
| 9K | Powerful high temperature water jets | Protected against close-range high pressure, high temperature spray downs.
Smaller specimens rotate slowly on a turntable, from 4 specific angles. Larger specimens are mounted upright, no turntable required, and are tested freehand for at least 3 minutes at distance of 0.15–0.2 m. |
IP Rating Reference Chart
Below is an easy to follow reference chart to help you decide which IP rating you need or have.
| Rating | Definition | Example Products |
|---|---|---|
| IP65 |
Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
EMS-Pro Lite* Cascade* |
| IP66 |
Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
PV380 panel mount with gasket MPC-10/MPC-20 panel mount with gasket EMS-Pro* |
| IP67 |
Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
Most PowerView Displays (PV1200, PV1100, PV780B, PV780, PV485, PV450, PV380, PV350) Most PowerCore controllers (MPC-20, MPC-10, TEC-10) |
| IP68 |
Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
PV101, PV25 |
| IP69K |
Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from powerful high temperature water jets. |
PV700 |
*Also meets NEMA 4
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