IP Rating for Enclosures.

The IP code or IP rating defined in international standard IEC 60529 classifies the level of protection that electrical appliances provide against the intrusion of solid objects or dust, accidental contact, and water. The resulting Ingress Protection (IP) rating (explanation of the letters IP is given in IEC 60529(ed2.1), clause 4.1), is identified by a code that consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. The digits ('characteristic numerals') indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below. Where there is no protection rating with regard to one of the criteria, the digit is replaced with the letter X.

The First digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.

Level Object size protected against Effective against

0 — no protection against contact and ingress of objects.
 
1 >50 mm any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part.

2 >12.5 mm fingers or similar objects.

3 >2.5 mm tools, thick wires, etc.

4 >1 mm most wires, screws, etc.

5 dust protected ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact .

6 dust tight no ingress of dust; complete protection against contact

 

PC enclosures