What is an IP Rating?
IP rating is also known as Ingress Protection or International Protection ratings are defined to the international standard of EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529:1992). This standard is used to define the levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies such as tools, dirt and moisture.
What do the two digits in an IP Rating mean?
The rating consists of the letters IP followed by two digits, the higher the number the better the protection. Sometimes a number is replaced by X, which indicates that the enclosure is not rated for that specification.
IP65 = First Digit - Solids
The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against the ingress of solid foreign objects, from tools or fingers that could be hazardous if they came into contact with electrical conductors or moving parts, to airborne dirt and dust that could damage circuitry.
IP65 = Second Digit - Liquids
The second digit defines the protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against various forms of moisture (drips, sprays, submersion etc).
|
First Digit |
Intrusion Protection |
Second Digit |
Moisture Protection |
|---|---|---|---|
|
0 |
No protection. |
0 |
No protection. |
|
1 |
Protected against solid objects over 50mm, e.g. accidental touch by hands. |
1 |
Protected against vertically falling drops of water, e.g. condensation. |
|
2 |
Protected against solid objects over 12mm, e.g. fingers. |
2 |
Protected against direct sprays of water up to 150 from the vertical. |
|
3 |
Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm, e.g. tools & wires. |
3 |
Protected against direct sprays of water up to 600 from the vertical. |
|
4 |
Protected against solid objects over 1mm, e.g. wires & nails. |
4 |
Protected against water splashed from all directions, limited ingress permitted. |
|
5 |
Protected against dust limited ingress, no harmful deposits. |
5 |
Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions, limited ingress permitted. |
|
6 |
Totally protected against dust. |
6 |
Protected against strong jets of water, e.g. on ships deck, limited ingress permitted. |
we utilize the IEC's standardized International (or Ingress) Protection Code system for measuring enclosures' capabilities. The IP Code reflects the degree of protection as "IP" followed by two numbers; the first digit shows the extent to which enclosures are protected against particles, and protection to others from enclosed hazards. The second digit indicates the extent of protection against water. We carry IP65 enclosures which offer complete protection against particles, and a good level of protection against water. Because all of our enclosures strictly observe the standards, you can expect first-rate and competitively-priced enclosures.