What IP Rating Do You Need?

Water and dust can cause electric and electronic equipment to deteriorate or malfunction. To combat this, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has created the ingress protection (IP) ratings. These ratings assess the level of resistance an enclosure has against the infiltration of dust or liquids. Widely utilized in various industries, IP ratings play a crucial role in safeguarding equipment from potential damage.

The dust-resistance and waterproofing degrees of protection for equipment are classified according to EN 60529 and EN 60034-5. The higher the IP number code, the higher the protection. IP67: the letters, “IP” stand for “Ingress Protection” and are followed by two numerical digits which indicate degrees of protection and solid objects and moisture.

EN 60529: Specification Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Code) (=IEC 60529)
EN 60034-5: Rotating Electrical Machines – Part 5: Degrees of Protection Provided by The Integral Design of Rotating Electrical Machines (IP Code) – Classification (=IEC 60034-5).

IP Code Definitions

IP Code	Protection against Ingress of Human Body Parts and Solid Objects
First Number	Protection Level	Test Condition
IP0X	None	None
IP1X	Protection against approach by hands	Solid objects with a diameter of 50 mm or more do not enter
IP2X	Protection against approach by fingers	Solid objects with a diameter of 12 mm or more do not enter
IP3X	Protection against tips of tools, etc.	Solid objects with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more do not enter
IP4X	Protection against ingress of wires, etc.	Solid objects with a diameter of 1.0 mm or more do not enter
IP5X	Protection against powdery dust	Powdery dust that may inhibit normal operation does not enter
IP6X	Completely dust-proof design	Cannot be penetrated by powdery dust

IP Code	Protection against Ingress of Water
Second Number	Protection Level	Test Condition
IPX0	None	None
IPX1	Protection against water drops falling vertically	Water drops at a rate of 3 to 5 mm/min for 10 minutes from a height of 200 mm
IPX2	Protection against water drops from directions within a range of 15˚ relative to the vertical plane	Water drops at a rate of 3 to 5 mm/min for 10 minutes from directions within 15˚ from a height of 200 mm
IPX3	Protection against raindrops from directions within a range of 60˚ relative to the vertical plane	Sprayed water at a rate of 10 /min for 10 minutes from directions within 60˚ from a height of 200 mm
IPX4	Protection against ingress of splashes from all directions	Sprayed water at a rate of 10 /min for 10 minutes from all directions at a distance of 300 to 500 mm
IPX5	Protection against water jet from all directions	Sprayed water jet of 30 kPa at a rate of 12.5 /min for 3 minutes from all directions at a distance of 3 m
IPX6	Protection against strong water jet such as ocean waves	Sprayed water jet of 100 kPa at a rate of 100 /min for 3 minutes from all directions at a distance of 3 m
IPX7	Usable after immersion in water under specified conditions	Immersion to a depth of 1 m for 30 minutes
IPX8	Usable under water	Determined through cooperation between user and manufacturer

Contact us for help choosing the right motor for your application.

Liked this article? Share:

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Be the first to learn about classes, training, webinars, products news and more.