Ingress protection (IP) or also known as the International protection rating is devised to classify degrees of protection for an enclosure from impact, water, and dust. After the word IP, it is then followed by two digits or numbers as its code. These digits indicate the conditions of the material to a specific table made by the IP rating, which we will tackle in a while. Defined in the international standard IEC, it classifies the degree of protection of an enclosure from an intrusion of solid objects, dust, and water in electrical enclosures. This is intended to provide consumers more detailed information on the durability of the product as compared to some basic terms in marketing like 'waterproof'. Now let us talk about those digits attached to IP.
IP Rating Reference
The first digit of the degree of protection that the enclosure offers is against solids. The enclosure against hazardous parts such as electrical conductors and moving parts and the insertion of solid foreign objects. The level may range from 0 to 6, 0 being the lowest and 6 as the highest range. Level 0 is not protected from any ingress of solid, 1 is protected to more than 50mm or larger surfaces like the back of the hand, 2 is more than 12.5mm such as fingers, 3 is more than 2.5mm such as tools and thick wires, 4 is more than 1mm like most wires or screws, 5 is dust protected, and lastly 6 is dust-tight or complete protection against the contract. Next, we have the protection level for water in the second digits. This means that it measures the protection of the enclosure from the ingress of water. This level starts from 0 being not protected to 8 or immersion beyond 1m, or the water can enter in 8 but has no harmful effects. Another reference on the IP rating chart can be useful to suggest the level of rating that your product or material mostly needs. For example, IP20 is protected from touch by fingers but is not protected from liquids.
IP for Metal casing and Electrical enclosure
Another important purpose of IP rating is in the metal and electrical industry. We know how easily these metal and electrical appliances are prone to damage when ingressed by both solids and liquid matter. The IP rating by International Electromechanical Commission (IEC), rates the resistance of these enclosures, may it be metal or plastic, against any hazardous intrusion of dust, solid, or liquid. IEC is in charge of standardizing the protection levels involved in electric and electronic fields together with the Internation Organization for Standards or ISO. For example, nowadays smartphones are very in demand due to their water-resistant and waterproof enclosures, but does it indicate what IP rating it has. Of course, they will not let you dig deeper into this, since it's a marketing strategy to label them dust-free, water resistant, and many more.
IEC 60529 has been developed to grade the level of resistance that these enclosures of electronic devices against the hazardous intrusion of dust, solid, and water can offer. It was first published in 1976 to singularly organize the protection levels of all electronic devices. Some examples of IP ratings in electronic enclosures are IP54, IP55, IP65, and IP66. For example, IP54 enclosures have fair protection from liquids and high-level protection for solid particles. IP55 has complete protection from solid particles and intermediary protection from water. IP65 completely protects your electronic device from solid particles, and is a good protector from water, while IP66 has a higher level of water protection. Lastly, IP67 offers waterproof protection with the highest possible protection from solid particles. Some of our products like the YONGU IP68 Wall mounted, Waterproof enclosure for wifi devices and IP68 Die-casting Custom has high-end quality protection for both hazardous liquid and solid matter. Our YONGU IP67 Power Supply enclosure can withstand harsh weather conditions and dust areas, proven and tested by its IP rating of IP67. Next, the ever efficient YONGU Underwater Outdoor Aluminum Waterproof IP68 Case for Battery has the highest degree of protection for both the ingress of solid and liquid. It is very excellent for underwater detection and outdoor monitoring equipment, this type of enclosure assures that your electronic devices are well protected from any matter. Not only that we have met the highest IP rating, but we can customize the design based on your needs.
About Yongu Waterproof Enclosure
Here in Yongu, you can expect us to meet your product's desired degree of protection may it be from hazardous dust, water or solid matter. We assure you that through strictly following the standards of IEC to obtain the appropriate IP rating, our manufacturing and production of your products are at their highest level always. These levels are very much depending on what your product fits, come and give us a call.
