Have you bought a product that has an IP68 in description? or other IP marking ? What does it mean and what is it good for ? We will try to answer these questions in the following article.
Ingress Protection or International Protection Code, IPxx
Each of us has definitely seen a product with marking ‘IP68’, ‘IP44’, or similar. Most of us probably know that it used to rate the degree of protection against external influences. But what do individual numbers mean and what level of protection is ideal ?
We will answer these questions in following article.
International standard used to rate the degree of protection or sealing effectiveness against intrusion of objects, water, dust or accidental contact. The IP code always consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter.The first digit following the IP indicates the level of protection of enclosed equipment against mechanical influences and ingress of solid foreign objects, The second digit following IP in the code rating shows the level of equipment protection inside the enclosure against water ingress.
Level of protection against mechanical influences and solid objects
Below you can find level of protection against mechanical influences where the first indicates the degree of protection.
IP0X: No protection against contact and ingress of objects
This level is without any protection. Thus, highly prone to mechanical damage, intrusion of objects and water.
IP1X: Protection from a large part of the body such as a hand and from solid objects greater than 50mm in diameter.
IP2X: Protection against solid objects larger than 12,5 mm.
IP3X: Protection against solid objects larger than 1mm.
IP4X: Protection against solid objects larger than 1mm.
IP5X: Protection against dust.
IP6X: Totally dust tight. Full protection against dust and other particulates.
Water protection
The following designation, which is the second number of the two digits indicates the degree of protection against water.
IPX0: No protection.
IPX1: Protection against vertically dripping water in the amount of 1-1,5 per minute.
IPX2: Protection against water droplets deflected up to 15° from vertical in the amount of 3-3,5 mm per minute.
IPX3: Protected against spray up to 60° from vertical in the amount of 10 l/min. for at least 5 minutes.
Practically any splashing of the product with water or rain.
IPX4: Protected against water splashes from all directions in the amount of 10 l/min. for at least 5 minutes.
Protection from any rain, including heavy rain.
In this case, the most common standard of protection is IP44 and you will find it for example in all outdoor lights.
IPX5: Protection against directed water jets of 6.5mm from any angle, pressure 12,5l/min. from 3 meters for at least 3 minutes.
IPX6: protection against high pressure water stream from any angle, pressure 100l/min., jets of diameter 12,5mm from 3 meters for at least 3 minutes.
IPX7: Protection against submersion up to the depth of 1m for 30 minutes.
IPX8: Protection against full submersion (according to the conditions designated by the manufacturer!)
IPX9: Protection against continual submersion, increased pressure and temperature (more detailed conditions are indicated by the manufacturer).
IP69K: The highest possible protection. Protection against permanent immersion, totally dust-proof, tested with pressure resistance up to 100 bar and temperatures up to 80 ° from a distance of 100mm.
Sometimes you can also see Supplementary letters. Products with additional protective features have this marking.
H: High-voltage apparatus
M: Movable parts of the equipment are tested for harmful effects due to Ingress of water when in motion.
S: Movable parts of the equipment are tested for harmful effects due to ingress of water when stationary
W: used under specified weather conditions with additional protective features
Now you know what all the markings mean and how is each and every product protected against external influences. If you are unsure about a product (poor quality construction, workmanship, seals, etc.), return such product (make complain), or check the level of protection by the manufacturer of that product.
These protection ratings are subject to testing in laboratories to standard ČSN EN 60529:1991 (international standard is IEC 529:1989) and the manufacturer must provide you with a laboratory protocol upon request, or declaration of conformity, which issues on the basis of a test protocol where the level of protection is listed.