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Ingress Protection: Protection of equipment and other stuff ...



The IP rating gives an 'at a glance' method of recognising the level of environmental protection that an enclosure gives to the equipment/components contained within it.

Ingress Protection (IP) ratings were developed by the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) (the specification is fully described in Document IEC/EN 60529).

The IP rating normally has two numbers, but occassionally a third is added.


IP 54

  • In this example ...
    • IP identifies the Ingress Protection standard.
    • 5 describes the level of protection from solid objects.
    • 4 describes the level of protection from liquid.
The IP Ratings table


Protection from solid objects or materials
Protection from liquids
Protection against mechanical impacts
(this code is very often omitted)
0
 No protection.
0
 No protection.
0
 No protection.
1
 Protected against solid objects up to 50mm (e.g. accidental touch by hands).
1
 Protection against vertically falling drops of water (e.g. condensation).
1
 Protects against impact of 0.225 joule (e.g. 150g weight falling from 15cm height).
2
 Protected against solid objects up to 12mm (e.g. fingers).
2
 Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15° from the vertical.
2
 Protected against impact of 0.375 joule (e.g. 250g weight falling from 15cm height).
3
 Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm (tools and wires).
3
 Protected against direct sprays of water up to 60° from the vertical.
3
 Protected against impact of 0.5 joule (e.g. 250g weight falling from 20cm height).
4
 Protected against solid objects over 1mm (tools, wire, and small wires).
4
 Protection against water sprayed from all directions. Limited ingress permitted.
4
 Protected against impact of 2.0 joule (e.g. 500g weight falling from 40cm height).
5
 Protected against dust limited ingress (no harmful deposit).
5
 Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions. Limited ingress.
5
 Protected against impact of 6.0 joule (e.g. 1.5kg weight falling from 40cm height).
6
 Totally protected against dust.
6
 Protected against low pressure jets of water (e.g. for use on ship decks). Limited ingress permitted.
6
 Protected against impact of 20.0 joule (e.g. 5kg weight falling from 40cm height).
 
 
7
 Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m.    
 
 
8
 Protects against long periods of immersion under pressure.    
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Rev: 04-2004