IP Ratings & Standards Explained

IP is an abbreviation for Ingress Protection. IP rating is a measure of the protection level against the ingress of foreign objects for electrical equipment enclosures. The standard is derived from the International Electrotechnical Commission's IEC 60529 and was adopted as a U.S. national standard in 2004.

In this standard, addressing protection against foreign objects for electrical equipment enclosures, the IP rating format is IPXX, where XX consists of two Arabic numerals. The first digit indicates the level of protection against contact and foreign objects, and the second digit indicates the level of waterproof protection. Specific protection levels can be referred to in the table below.

IP is the international code used to identify protection levels. The IP rating is composed of two digits, with the first digit representing dust protection, and the second digit representing water protection. A higher number indicates better protection.

Dust Protection Levels:

0: No protection, no special protection

1: Prevents the entry of objects larger than 50mm, protects against inadvertent contact with internal components of the luminaire, and prevents the entry of objects with a diameter greater than 50mm.

2: Prevents the entry of objects larger than 12mm, protects against finger contact with internal components of the luminaire.

3: Prevents the entry of objects larger than 2.5mm, protecting against tools, wires, or objects with a diameter greater than 2.5mm.

4: Prevents the entry of objects larger than 1.0mm, protecting against mosquitoes, insects, or objects with a diameter greater than 1.0mm.

5: Dust-resistant – unable to completely prevent dust ingress, but the amount of dust ingress does not affect the normal operation of the luminaire.

6: Dust-tight – completely prevents dust ingress.

Water Protection Levels:

0: No protection, no special protection.

1: Prevents dripping water ingress, protects against vertically falling water drops.

2: Even when tilted up to 15 degrees, it still prevents dripping water ingress.

3: Prevents spraying water ingress, protects against rainwater or water sprayed up to a 50-degree angle from the vertical direction.

4: Prevents splashing water ingress from any direction.

5: Protects against water jets, preventing ingress from powerful water jets.

6: Protects against powerful water jets and temporary immersion in water for a specified time and pressure, ensuring normal luminaire operation.

7: Protects against continuous immersion in water under specified conditions, ensuring normal luminaire operation.

8: Protects against the effects of immersion.

Standards for IP (INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION) Ratings:

1）Drafted by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the international standards for protection and waterproof testing are outlined in the IEC standards IEC 529 – 598.

2）National Standard of China (GB) GB 700 – 86.

3）GB 4208 and others.

IP Rating Testing Laboratories:

Laboratories capable of conducting IP rating tests include the Environmental Reliability and Electromagnetic Compatibility Test Center, Aerospace Environmental Reliability Test and Detection Center, among others.