The IP Code Defined
An IP Code (IEC Standard 60529) is a two-digit number that indicates the resistance ability of an object to dust & solids (1st digit) and water (2nd digit), respectively, by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures. The higher the number, the more resistant the object is.
A code of IP54, for example, indicates protection against dust. along with protection against water sprays from any direction, with limited ingress permitted.
Numbers indicate protection against an object, dust or liquid as follows:
First Digit (Solids):
- 0 - none
- 1 - solid objects > 50 mm
- 2 - solid objects > 12.5 mm
- 3 - solid objects > 2.5 mm
- 4 - solid objects > 1 mm
- 5 - dust, limited ingress
- 6 - dust, no ingress (complete protection)
Second digit (Liquids):
- 0 - none
- 1 - vertically falling water drops
- 2 - dripping water, up to 15 degrees from vertical
- 3 - spraying water, up to 60 degrees from vertical
- 4 - splashing water, all directions
- 5 - low pressure water jets (to 6.3 mm), all directions
- 6 - strong water jets (to 12.5 mm), limited ingress
- 7 - temporary immersion in water to 1 m, up to 30 minutes
- 8 - long periods of immersion in water (usually to 3 m) under pressure
Thinlabs’ product line includes IP54 compliant Rugged Tablets, along with Industrial All-In-One Touch Thin Client Computers with IP65 compliant front-panels, for protection from dust and other non-corrosive materials, plus enclosure protection from nozzle-projected water in any direction, ideal for tough environments. Contact us today for more information.
You can also read more about IP Codes and the IP Scale on Wikipedia.