27 www.drivesncontrols.com April 2025 MACHINE-BUILDING n What IP ratings mean for machine-builders Ingress protection (IP) testing assesses the degree of protection provided against mechanical intrusion, dust, accidental contact, and water into casings and enclosures. IEC 60529 - Degrees of Protection provided by IP Code de nes the varying levels of protection provided and describes the test methods required for verifying that level of protection. The IEC ingress protection (IP) ratings grade an enclosure’s level of resistance to items entering it, de ning three dierent types of protection that an enclosure could provide against: n human access to hazardous components within an enclosure; n solid objects or dust; and n liquids. The IP code consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. The rst digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts and the ingress of solid foreign objects. It is rated on a scale from 0 to 6: 0 no protection against the penetration of solid particles, objects or dust. 1 the equipment is protected against any solid object larger than 50mm. 2 the equipment is protected against any solid object larger than 12.5mm. 3 the equipment is protected against any solid element larger than 2.5mm – for example, if a machinery operator attempted to insert ne tools 4 the equipment is protected against any solid object larger than 1mm – for example, larger types of tools or screws 5 the equipment is partially protected against dust – while dust can enter crevices in the equipment, it cannot damage it, and contact is not possible 6 the equipment is completely dustproof, so that dust is unable to enter crevices and the equipment cannot be soiled or damaged. The second digit indicates protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of liquids, using a scale from 0 to 9. It covers both the amount of water and the depth of immersion, including the power of a jet. An additional letter can be appended to classify only the level of protection against access to hazardous parts by persons: 0 no protection against moisture or any liquid coming into contact with the equipment 1the equipment is protected only against liquid falling vertically 2the equipment is protected against drops falling at an angle of 15 degrees 3the equipment is protected against liquid sprays in all directions, provided that they do not exceed an angle of 60 degrees 4the equipment is protected against splashing 5the equipment is protected against water projections 6the equipment protected against powerful water jets – for example, if equipment is being cleaned with a high-pressure device 7the equipment is waterproof up to a depth of 1m 8the equipment is waterproof beyond a depth of 1m, so water may be able to seep into the equipment, but it cannot damage it 9the equipment can resist high-pressure hot water from dierent angles. For example, IP69-rated machinery is eective against powerful high-temperature water jets used in environments that require a more stringent washdown, while IP66 is eective against powerful water jets. However, simply specifying an IP-rated machine does not cover the tting of any post-manufacture additions such as pushbuttons and indicator lights. Neither does it allow for any necessary drilling into the enclosure that is required for the addition of power cables once the machine is on site. Also, factories are likely to spray at a much closer distances than those stipulated in the IP-rated tests. All of this can impact the machine’s integrity, creating potential leakage points. To ensure problem-free operation in washdown areas, it is therefore important to maintain the ingress protection rating during assembly and installation. As machinery can deteriorate or malfunction when water or dust enters, it’s vital to ensure that it has the correct protection for its intended use. IP testing reduces the risk of product failure in the eld by assessing the degree of protection provided. This ensures machinery is robust enough to deal with the environment within which it has been installed. n We’re all familiar with IP ratings. But do you know precisely what each rating means? Darren Hugheston-Roberts, senior manager for digital and industry solutions at TÜV SÜD, decodes the ratings and explains the implications for machine-builders. It is important to maintain the ingress protection ratings during machine assembly and installation.
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