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Although every equipment has to fulfil its functional requirement, it also has to be
protected against possible external influences that may be harmful to the equipment, the user, operator or the environment.
Against this backdrop, the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 60529 Standard, specifies an international classification system for the ‘’sealing effectiveness of enclosures of electrical equipment against the intrusion into the equipment of foreign bodies i.e., tools, dust, fingers and moisture’’. This classification system utilizes the letters "IP" which stands for Ingress Protection followed by two digits.
An "X" is used for one of the digits if there is only one class of protection for example IP X4 addresses moisture resistance only.
How to Interpret the IP Codes of Equipment
The IP codes defined in the IEC 60529 degrees of protection provided by enclosures for equipment consist of two digits and two optional extra letters.
The first numeral 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or X defines the protection against ingress of solid foreign objects and against access to hazardous parts.
The second numeral 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or X defines the protection against the ingress of water. The sketch below illustrates the standard arrangement of the IP code:
In the IP code designation for equipment protection the higher the number, the more stringent the protection requirement.
Code Letters/Numerals
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IP Code
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Meaning for the Protection of Equipment
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Meaning for the Protection of Persons
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First Numeral
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Against ingress of foreign solid objects:
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Against access to hazardous parts with:
|
|
X
|
Not Required
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Not Required
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0
|
Non-Protected
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Non - Protected
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|
1
|
Greater than or equal to 50mm diameter
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Back of hand
|
|
2
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Greater than or equal to 12.5mm diameter
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Finger
|
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3
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Greater than or equal to 2.5mm diameter
|
Tool
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4
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Greater than or equal to 1.0mm diameter
|
Wire
|
|
5
|
Dust - Protected
|
Wire
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|
6
|
Dust - Tight
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Wire
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Second Numeral
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Against ingress of water with harmful effects:
|
Not Defined
|
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X
|
Not Required
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||
0
|
Non - Protected
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1
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Vertically Dripping
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2
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Dripping (15 degree tilted)
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3
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Spraying
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4
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Splashing
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5
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Jetting
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6
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Powerful Jetting
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7
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Temporary Immersion
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8
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Continuous Immersion
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Additional Letter (Optional)
|
Not Defined
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Against access to hazardous parts with:
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A
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Back of hand
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B
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Finger
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||
C
|
Tool
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D
|
Wire
|
||
Supplementary Letters (Optional)
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Supplementary information specific to:
|
Not Defined
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H
|
High voltage apparatus
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M
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Motion during water test
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S
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Stationary during water test
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W
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Weather conditions
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