Ingress Protection Standards Archives

Ingress Protection (IP) ratings, developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), are a standardized measure for manufacturers to specify and understand the level of protection that an enclosure offers against the intrusion of solid objects and liquids. It helps customers understand the suitability of a product for its intended use.

There are various levels of protection provided by IP ratings, and in this post, we’ll be discussing the differences between them.

Protection against solids

The first digit in an IP rating refers to the level of protection against solids – ranging from 0 to 6, with 0 being no protection and 6 providing protection against dust and other small particles. For example, a product with an IP rating of 4x provides protection against solid objects larger than 1mm in diameter.

Protection against liquids

The second digit in an IP rating refers to the level of protection against liquids – ranging from 0 to 9, with 0 being no protection and 9 providing protection against high temperatures, high pressure, water, and steam. A product with an IP rating of 7, for example, provides protection against immersion in water up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.

It is essential to note that higher IP ratings do not necessarily mean better protection. For instance, a product with an IP rating of 68 provides protection against dust and continuous immersion in water, making it suitable for underwater applications. However, it might not be suitable for areas with high humidity levels because it may not protect against condensation. Two common IP ratings are IP20, typical of control cabinet devices, and IP67, which is common in field devices.

Understanding the difference in IP ratings is essential for selecting the right product for its intended application. But it’s also important to follow appropriate guidelines to maintain a given device’s rating. This may include following specific mounting instructions, selecting the right connectors/cables, adhering to torque ratings, and more. One common example where we might see IP rating being negated would be a failure to use port plugs on unused ports on IO-Link master blocks.

In conclusion, the IP rating system is an important standard used to specify the level of protection against solids and liquids of a device. The first digit refers to the level of protection against solid objects, while the second digit refers to the level of protection against liquids. It is important to note that higher IP ratings do not necessarily mean better protection and understanding the difference between the ratings is crucial for selecting the right product for its intended application.

For a full description of the IEC IP ratings, including their testing conditions, please refer to IEC 60529.

As has been discussed previously, industrial sensors must be able to withstand some pretty punishing conditions. Although industrial sensors incorporate some of the same high-end technology found in, say, the blu-ray disc player in your home theater system, it’s not likely that your BD player is going to be subjected to punishing shock, vibration, and general abuse as do the sensors in your industrial machinery. To be sure, your blu-ray player doesn’t need to be protected against hydraulic fluid or moisture ingress. Which brings me to the topic of this entry: Ingress protection for industrial sensors.

In order to be viable in typical industrial environments, industrial sensors must often be able to tolerate getting wet, sometimes really, really wet. Fortunately, most sensors do indeed incorporate some degree of ingress protection by design. And it’s pretty easy to choose the proper sensor for a particular set of expected conditions thanks to a method of rating method outlined under international standard IEC 60529. This standard takes the somewhat vague term “waterproof” and provides specific details as to just how waterproof an electronic device is.

An IP (Ingress Protection) rating for an electronic device typically consists of the letters IP, followed by a two-digit number. The first digit identifies the protection against intrusion of solid objects (dirt, hand tools, your fingers, etc.):

Continue reading “Ingress Protection for Industrial Sensors”