March 1999  Control Engineering

ONLINE EXTRA

IEC 529/IP

Environmental Ratings

Complied by Rittal

http://www.rittal.com/

The degree of protection provided by an enclosure is indicated by
the IP code in the following way: I P 2 3

First characteristic numeral - e.g. protection against solid foreign objects
of 12.5mm diameter and greater

Second characteristic numeral
- e.g. protected against spraying water

Degrees of Protection Against Solid Objects

Description

Definition

First Characteristic Numeral

Non-protected

0

Protected against
solid foreign objects of 50mm diameter and greater

The object probe,
sphere of 50mm diameter shall not fully penetrate

1

Protected against
solid foreign objects of 12.5mm diameter and greater

The object probe,
sphere of 12.5mm diameter shall not fully penetrate

2

Protected against
solid foreign objects of 2.5mm diameter and greater

The object probe,
sphere of 2.5mm diameter shall not penetrate at all

3

Protected against
solid foreign objects of 1.0mm diameter and greater

The object probe,
sphere of 1.0mm diameter shall not  penetrate

4

Dust protected

Ingress of dust is
not totally prevented, but dust shall not penetrate in a quiantity to
interfere with satisfactory operation of the apparatus or to impair
safety

5

Dust tight

No ingress of dust

6

Degrees of Protection Against Water

Second characteristic numeral

Description

Definition

0

No protection

1

Protected against
vertically falling water drops

Vertically falling
water drops shall have no harmful effects

2

Protected against
vertically falling water drops when enclosure tilted up to 15 degrees

Vertically falling
water drops shall have no harmful effects when the enclosure is tilted
at any angle up to 15 degrees on either side of the vertical axis

3

Protected against
spraying water

Water sprayed at an
angle up to 60 degreed on either side of the vertical axis shall have
no harmful effects

4

Protected against
splashing water

Water splashed
against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects

5

Protected against
water jets

Water projected in
jets against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful
effects

6

Protected against
powerful water jets

Water projected in
powerful water jets against the enclosure from any direction shall have
no harmful effects

7

Protected against
the effects of temporary immersion in water

Ingress of water in
quantities causing harmful effects shall not be possible when the
enclosure is continuously immersed in water under standardized
conditions of pressure and time

8

Protected against
the effects of continuous immersion in water

Ingress of water in
quantities causing harmful effects shall not be possible when the
enclosure is continuously immersed in water under  conditions
which shall be agreed between manufacturer and user but which are more
severe than for numeral 7

NEMA Type rating

UL Type rating

CSA Type rating

Apprx. IEC/IP classification

1

1

1

IP23

2

2

2

IP30

3

3

3

IP64

3R

3R

3R

IP32

4

4

4

IP66

4X

4X

4X

IP66

6

6

6

IP67

12

12

12

IP55

13

13

13

IP65

Control Engineering - March 1999

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