IP code
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from IP Code)
"International Protection" redirects here. For the treaty that grants asylum seekers protection,
see Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Not to be confused with IP address or
Intellectual property. For other uses, see IP (disambiguation).
Example IP code. From left to right:
• IP = International Protection
• 2 = number from 0 to 6, or X
• 3 = number from 0 to 9, or X
• C = (optional) letter A, B, C or D
• H = (optional) letter H, M, S or W
IP65 touchscreen display
IP65 LED lamp
The IP code or Ingress Protection code indicates how well a device is protected against water
and dust. It is defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) under the
international standard IEC 60529[1] which classifies and provides a guideline to the degree of
protection provided by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures against intrusion, dust,
accidental contact, and water. It is published in the European Union by the European Committee
for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) as EN 60529.
The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such
as waterproof. For example, a cellular phone rated at IP67 is "dust resistant" and can be
"immersed in 1 meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes". Similarly, an electrical socket rated
IP22 is protected against insertion of fingers and will not become unsafe during a specified test
in which it is exposed to vertically or nearly vertically dripping water. IP22 or IP2X are typical
minimum requirements for the design of electrical accessories for indoor use.[2]
The digits indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below. The digit 0 is
used where no protection is provided. The digit is replaced with the letter X when insufficient
data has been gathered to assign a protection level. The device can become less capable;
however, it cannot become unsafe.
There are no hyphens in a standard IP code. IPX-8 (for example) is thus an invalid IP code.[3]
Etymology
In the original IEC 60529 standard from year 1976, the letters IP are used without providing an
explanation, and referred as "characteristic letters".[4] In the next editions of the standard, from
years 1989 and 1999 respectively, the IP is explained to denote "international protection" on
both French and English pages. According to the Finnish national committee of the IEC, one
possibility is that the abbreviation is a combination of English word ingress and French word
pénétration which stands for ingress, but finding the correct answer would require doing a
historical study on the 1970's standardization, which is difficult because the experts preparing
the original standards are likely retired or deceased.[5]
Code breakdown
This table shows what each digit or part of the IP code represents.[6]
First Second Third Additional Supplementary
Code
letters Solid particle Liquid ingress Mechanical impact
Other protections
protection protection resistance
IP 0–6 or X 0–9 or X 0–9 Letter Letter
By
Required Required No longer used Optional Optional
definition
First digit: Solid particle protection
The first digit indicates the level of protection the enclosure provides against access to
hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign
objects.[7]
Level Effective
Description
sized against
X means no data is available to specify a protection rating about this
X Unknown
criterion.
0 — No protection against contact and ingress of objects
> 50 mm Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no
1
2.0 in protection against deliberate contact with a body part
> 12.5 mm
2 Fingers or similar objects
0.49 in
> 2.5 mm
3 Tools, thick wires, etc.
0.098 in
> 1 mm
4 Most wires, slender screws, large ants, etc.
0.039 in
Dust Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in
5
protected sufficient quantity to interfere with the safe operation of the equipment.
No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust-tight). A
6 Dust-tight vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on
airflow.
Second digit: Liquid ingress protection
The second digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against harmful
ingress of water.[3]
The ratings for water ingress are not cumulative beyond IPX6. A device compliant with IPX7
(covering water immersion) is not necessarily compliant with IPX5 or IPX6 (covering exposure to
water jets). A device that meets both tests is indicated by listing both tests separated by a slash,
e.g. IPX5/IPX7.
Protection
Level Effective against Details
against
X means no data is available to
X Unknown — specify a protection rating
concerning these criteria.
No protection against ingress
0 None —
of water
Dripping water (vertically falling drops) Test duration: 10 minutes
shall have no unsafe effect on the
1 Dripping water
specimen when mounted upright onto a Water equivalent to 1 mm
turntable and rotated at 1 RPM. (0.039 in) rainfall per minute
Vertically dripping water shall have no Test duration: 2.5 minutes for
Dripping water harmful effect when the enclosure is every direction of tilt (10
2 when tilted at tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal minutes total)
15° position. A total of four positions are Water equivalent to 3 mm
tested within two axes. (0.12 in) rainfall per minute
For a spray nozzle:
Water falling as a spray at any angle up
to 60° from the vertical shall have no Test duration: 1 minute per
harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an square meter for at least
oscillating fixture, or b) a spray nozzle5 minutes[8] Water volume: 10
with a counterbalanced shield. liters per minute
3 Spraying water (0.037 impgal/s) Pressure: 50–
Test a) is conducted for 5 minutes, then 150 kPa (7.3–21.8 psi)
repeated with the specimen rotated
horizontally by 90° for the second 5- For an oscillating tube: Test
minute test. Test b) is conducted (with a duration: 10 minutes Water
shield in place) for 5 minutes minimum. volume: 0.07 liters per minute
(0.00026 impgal/s) per hole
Water splashing against the enclosure
from any direction shall have no harmful
effect, utilizing either: Oscillating tube: Test duration:
Splashing of a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray 10 minutes, or spray nozzle
4
water nozzle with no shield. Test a) is (same as IPX3 spray nozzle
conducted for 10 minutes. b) is with the shield removed)
conducted (without shield) for 5 minutes
minimum.
Test duration: 1 minute per
square meter for at least
Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm 3 minutes
5 Water jets (0.25 in)) against enclosure from any Water volume: 12.5 litres per
direction shall have no harmful effects. minute Pressure: 30 kPa
(4.4 psi) at distance of 3
meters (9.8 ft)
Test duration: 1 minute per
square meter for at least
Water projected in powerful jets 3 minutes
Powerful water (12.5 mm (0.49 in) nozzle) against the
6
jets enclosure from any direction shall have Water volume: 100 liters per
no harmful effects. minute (0.37 impgal/s)
Pressure: 100 kPa (15 psi) at
distance of 3 meters (9.8 ft)
Water projected in powerful jets Test duration: at least
Powerful water (6.3 mm (0.25 in) nozzle) against the 3 minutes[9]
jets with enclosure from any direction, under Water volume: 75 liters per
6K
increased elevated pressure, shall have no harmful minute (0.27 impgal/s)
pressure effects. Found in DIN 40050, and not IEC Pressure: 1,000 kPa (150 psi)
60529. at distance of 3 meters (9.8 ft)
Test duration: 30 minutes.[7]
Ingress of water in harmful quantity Tested with the lowest point of
Immersion, up shall not be possible when the enclosure the enclosure 1,000 mm
7 to 1 meter (3 ft is immersed in water under defined (39 in) below the surface of
3 in) depth conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 the water, or the highest point
meter (3 ft 3 in) of submersion). 150 mm (5.9 in) below the
surface, whichever is deeper.
The equipment is suitable for continuous
immersion in water under conditions
which the manufacturer shall specify.
However, with certain types of Test duration: agreement with
Immersion, 1 equipment, it can mean that water can the manufacturer
meter (3 ft enter but only so that it produces no
8 Depth specified by the
3 in) or more harmful effects. The test depth and
depth duration are expected to be greater than manufacturer, generally up to
the requirements for IPx7, and other 3 meters (9.8 ft)
environmental effects may be added,
such as temperature cycling before
immersion.
Protected against close-range high-
pressure, high-temperature spray
downs.
Test duration: Fixture: 30 sec.
Smaller specimens rotate slowly on a in each of 4 angles (2 min.
turntable from 4 specific angles. Larger total), Freehand: 1 min/m2, 3
specimens are mounted in the intended min. minimum
Powerful high- position when used, no turntable Water volume: 14–16 liters per
9 temperature required, and are tested freehand for at minute (0.051–0.059 impgal/s)
water jets least 3 minutes at a distance of 0.15–0.2
Pressure: 8–10 MPa (80–
meters (5.9 in – 7.9 in).
100 bar) at distance of 0.10–
The specific requirements for the test 0.15 meters (3.9 in – 5.9 in)
nozzle are shown in figures 7, 8, & 9 of Water temperature: 80 °C
IEC (or EN) 60529. (176 °F)
This test is identified as IPx9 in IEC
60529.
(All tests with the letter "K" are defined by ISO 20653 (replacing DIN 40050-9) and are not found
in IEC 60529, except for IPx9, which is the same as the IP69K water test.)
Supplementary letter (optional)
For the protection of equipment specific to:
Letter Meaning
G Oil resistant
F Oil resistant
H High voltage apparatus
M Motion during water test
S Stationary during water test
W Weather conditions
The letter K is specified in ISO 20653 (replacing DIN 40050-9) and not in IEC 60529.
IPx9K and IPx9
DIN 40050-9 extended the newer IEC 60529 rating system with an IP69K rating for high-
pressure, high-temperature wash-down applications.[10] Enclosures conforming with ISO
20653:2013 must be both dust-tight (IP6X) and able to withstand high-pressure and steam
cleaning.
The IPx9K standard was originally developed for road vehicles—especially those that need
regular intensive cleaning (dump trucks, concrete mixers, etc.)—but it also finds use in other
areas, such as food processing machinery and car wash systems. It was superseded by ISO
20653:2013 Road Vehicles-Degrees of protection (IP code),[11] and complemented by the
addition of a level 9 water ingress testing to IEC 60529, which includes essentially the same
spray test as IPx9K, but also includes, in Figure 10 of the standard, a drawing for a test fixture
designed to verify the correct water pressure.
Test setup
The test specifies a spray nozzle that is fed with 80 °C (176 °F) water at 8–10 MPa (80–100 bar;
1,200–1,500 psi) and a flow rate of 14–16 litres per minute (3.7–4.2 US gal/min). The nozzle is
held 10–15 cm from the tested device at angles of 0°, 30°, 60° and 90° for 30 seconds each. The
test device sits on a turntable that completes a rotation once every 12 seconds (5 rpm). The
IPx9 specification details a freehand method for testing larger specimens that will not fit on a
turntable (see table above). The free hand method also requires (at least) one additional minute
of spray time (1 min/m2, 3 min. minimum). The test distance also increases to .175 m (0.15–0.2
m per section 14.2.9).
United States (NEMA rating)
Main article: NEMA enclosure types
In the U.S., the National Electrical Manufacturers Association defines NEMA enclosure types in
NEMA standard number 250. The following table outlines which IEC 60529 IP code each
respective NEMA guideline meets. Ratings between the two standards are not directly
equivalent: NEMA ratings also require additional product features and tests (such as
functionality under icing conditions, enclosures for hazardous areas, knock-outs for cable
connections and others) not addressed by IP ratings.