Understanding IP rating of panels

What is IP Rating?

An IP Rating (Ingress Protection Rating) is the basic indicator that classifies different levels of sealing effectiveness provided by a control panel manufacturer for a particular cabinet against foreign bodies such as objects, water, dirt, etc.

The international standard EN 60529 defines IP indicators (British BS EN 60529: 1992, European IEC 60509: 1989). They are used to determine how successful an electrical box is at keeping foreign objects (tools, dirt, etc.) away from entering into it.

What do an IP Rating’s two digits mean?

The rating consists of the letters of the IP followed by a two-digit number. The higher the number more powerful the protection will be. Numbers may be replaced by X. Which indicates that the case is not suitable for that specification.

The below sections describe the significance of each digit in a IP rating numeric representation

First Digit (Intrusion protection)

  1. (X - See the section below): No particular safeguards are in place. For protection against this type of infiltration, it is not rated (or no rating is provided).

  2. Protection from various body parts such as a hand (However, there is no safeguard against unauthorized access); On hard objects with a diameter of 50 mm or more.

  3. Other objects and fingers with a maximum length of 80mm and a diameter of 12mm are protected.

  4. Protection from tools, wires, and other objects with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more.

  5. Protection from solid objects bigger than 1mm like wires, nails, screws.

  6. Partially protects equipment from dust that could harm it.

  7. Completely dust-proof. Complete dust and particulate protection, including a vacuum seal, tested against continuous airflow.

Second Digit (moisture protection)

  1. (See the section below): No protection.

  2. Protection against vertical drops such as condensation. Make sure that there is no damage or disruption to the operation of the components when the object is in an upright position.

  3. Protection against water drops that deviate up to 15° from vertical.

  4. Protection against splashing at an angle of up to 60° from vertical.

  5. Protected against splashing water from all directions. Tested with vibrating spray for a minimum of 10 minutes (allowing limited penetration without harmful effects).

  6. Protection against low-pressure water jets (6.3 mm) directed at any angle (allowing limited penetration without harm).

  7. Protection against direct high-pressure jetting.

  8. Protect against full immersion for up to 30 minutes at depths of 15 cm to 1 m (limited penetration is allowed without harmful consequences).

  9. Avoid prolonged immersion at higher pressures (i.e. deeper water depths). The exact parameters of this test are established and published by the manufacturer and may include additional factors such as temperature fluctuations and flow rates depending on the type of equipment.

  10. (K): Protection against high-pressure, high-temperature jet sprays, wash-downs, or steam-cleaning treatments - most commonly found in specialized road vehicle applications (standard ISO 20653:2013 Road Vehicles - Degrees of Protection).

# Brief Idea About Ingress Protection: How to rate IP

IP RATING TABLE

IP Rating First Digit - SOLIDS Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP00 Solids are not protected. Not protected from liquids.
IP01 Solids are not protected. Protected from condensation.
IP02 Solids are not protected. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP03 Solids are not protected. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP04 Solids are not protected. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP05 Solids are not protected. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP06 Solids are not protected. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP07 Solids are not protected. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP08 Solids are not protected. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP10 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Not protected from liquids.
IP11 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from condensation.
IP12 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP13 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP14 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP15 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP16 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP17 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP18 Hands with a length of more than 50 mm are shielded from contact. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP20 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Not protected from liquids.
IP21 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from condensation.
IP22 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP23 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP24 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP25 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP26 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP27 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP28 Fingers and things larger than 12 mm are not allowed to contact it. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP30 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Not protected from liquids.
IP31 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from condensation.
IP32 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP33 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP34 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP35 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP36 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP37 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP38 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP40 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Not protected from liquids.
IP41 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from condensation.
IP42 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP43 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP44 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP45 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from low pressure water jets in any direction.
IP46 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP47 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP48 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP50 Protected against limited dust ingress. Not protected from liquids.
IP51 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from condensation.
IP52 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP53 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP54 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP55 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP56 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP57 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP58 Protected against limited dust ingress. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP60 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Not protected from liquids.
IP61 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from condensation.
IP62 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP63 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP64 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP65 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP66 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP67 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP68 It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP69K It is protected from complete ingress of dust. Protected from steam-jet cleaning.

What types of the panel needs IP Rating?

  1. Indoor Control system Panels – DCS control system panels in a controlled environment like DCS Rack room

  2. Indoor Machine Control Centre Panels – Electrical panels like feeders, UPS panels in a controlled environment like MCC rooms

  3. Outdoor Panels – All external panels placed outside in harsh environment like Light Distribution box (LDB), Junction Box (JB), Third Party system panels like Compressor panels, RTU Mounting Panels, etc.,

Ex: Rittal manufacturer supplies the majority of DCS/PLC Control system-oriented Rittal panels with multiple choices of IP ratings as per the specification of the customer. Rittal panels IP ratings will also follow the standards explained above.