An Ingress Protection rating (IP) is essential for ensuring that electrical equipment complies with the international standard, protecting it from environmental hazards like water, dust, and debris. This minimises damage, ensures safety, and extends equipment lifespan. By providing a standardised measure of protection, IP ratings help users select internationally compliant equipment suitable for their specific application requirements, promoting reliability and regulatory adherence.
How do I read an IP rating code?
The IP code always consists of the letters IP (Ingress Protection) followed by two digits and an optional letter. The two digits and the last letter indicate the classified protection below.
First digit in IP code: Solids protection
The first digit in the IP rating code indicates the level of protection against solid foreign objects and accidental contact with hazardous components, such as electrical conductors. This ensures the enclosure meets safety standards by preventing access to dangerous parts and protecting against dust and debris.
Level
Object size protected against
Effective against
X
-
X means no data available to specify a protection rating
O
Not protected
No protection against contact and ingress of objects
1
>50mm in diameter
Any large surface of the body
No protection against deliberate contact
2
>12.5mm in diameter
Fingers or similar objects
3
>2.5mm in diameter
Tools, thick wires, etc.
4
>1mm in diameter
Most wires, screws, etc.
5
Dust protected
Ingress of dust sufficient to cause damage inside the equipment operation
Complete protection against contact
6
Dust tight
No ingress of dust
Complete protection against contact
Second digit in IP code: Liquids protection
The second digit in the IP rating indicates the degree of protection against water ingress. It distinguishes between resistance to low pressure water jets, high pressure water jets, and water tests, thus ensuring comprehensive safeguarding against water-related hazards.
Level
Object size protected against
Effective against
X
-
X means there is no data available to specify a protection rating
O
Not protected
No protection against water ingress
1
Dripping water
Vertically falling water drops
2
Dripping water when tilted < 15º
Vertically falling water drops when enclosure is tilted < 15º
3
Spraying water
Water sprayed at an angle < 60º from the vertical position
4
Splashing water
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction
5
Water jets
Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against the enclosure from any direction
6
Powerful water jets
Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction
7
Immersion up to 1m
Ingress of water when temporarily immersed (up to 1m of submersion)
8
Immersion beyond 1m
Ingress of water when continuously immersed (beyond 1m of submersion)
9K*
Powerful high temperature water jets
Close-range, high pressure and high temperature spray downs
*Identified as IPx9 in standard IEC 60529. All tests with the letter ‘K’ are defined by standard ISO 20653
LINAK® actuators with IP66 and IP69K
Industrial actuators are typically used in environments where they are exposed to both liquids and solid objects. Therefore, all our actuators with aluminium housings are tested to meet ratings IP66 and IP69K, making them extremely versatile in various applications.
For a deeper understanding of actuator technology, please refer to our detailed overview on what is an actuator.
Differences between IP66 and IP69K ratings
Actuators with IP66 rating are totally protected from dust ingress and powerful water jets from any direction. This makes these actuators suitable for outdoor use with changing weather conditions.
In case the application requires wash-downs with high-pressure water jets and high temperatures, IP69K is the recommended protection class. This is a common demand in, for example, agricultural machinery, where the actuator is not necessarily shielded or protected. Here the actuator is exposed to dirt, fertilisers and frequent high-pressure washing, typically at the end of a workday in the fields.
IP66
- Protected from total dust ingress
- Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction
IP69K
- Protected from total dust ingress
- Protected from steam-jet cleaning
This is how we test and determine Ingress Protection at LINAK.
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