IEC 60529 has classified the degree of protection offered by an enclosure against solid particles and liquid. This classification is known as the ingress protection code/ IP code/ IP rating/ index of protection. To ensure the correct protection of the internal components and to suit the environment where the enclosure is installed, these codes are used.
What is IP rating?
IP stands for ingress protection. It is the international classification of the level of protection offered by an enclosure against dust, accidental contacts, and water.
Reading ingress protection rating
The rating is mentioned as IP followed by two numbers or in some cases three letters.
The first digit indicates the level of protection offered by the enclosure against the intrusion of foreign bodies such as dust, tools, and fingers and the degree of protection for persons against access to hazardous parts inside the enclosure.
The second digit indicates the level of protection offered against the ingress of liquids, such as water.
The third digit indicates the mechanical protection and its resistance to impact. It is indicated most often.
Example: The below image shows the nameplate of an electric motor with its ingress protection code highlighted. Its code IP55 means that the motor enclosure can provide sufficient protection to the internal parts against dust particles and protect from small water jets (projected by a nozzle of 6.3 mm) from any direction
When there is not enough data to specify the level of protection, the number is replaced by the letter X. For example, if the ingress protection rating is IPX8, it means that there is not enough data to indicate the level of protection offered against dust and ‘8’ indicates that it can protect against long periods of immersion (if the equipment can be submerged, dust might not be able to enter).
Ingress Protection table
| Code | Protection against solids (Denoted by the first character of IP code) |
|---|---|
| 0 | No protection against solids. |
| 1 | Protected from all solids greater than 50 mm and accidental touch by hands. |
| 2 | Protected from all solids greater than 12 mm and accidental touch by fingers. |
| 3 | Protected from all solids greater than 2.5 mm. |
| 4 | Protected from all solids greater than 1 mm. |
| 5 | Protected from all kinds of dust -limited ingress. |
| 6 | Completely protected from dust. |
| Code | Protection against liquids (Denoted by the second character of IP code) |
|---|---|
| 0 | No protection against liquids. |
| 1 | Protection against vertical water drops (example: rain). |
| 2 | Protection against direct sprays at 150. |
| 3 | Protection against direct sprays at 600. |
| 4 | Protection against direct sprays from any direction. |
| 5 | Protection against low-pressure jets from any direction. |
| 6 | Protection against high-pressure jets from any direction and high seas. |
| 7 | Protection against the effects of immersion between 15cm – 1 meter. |
| 8 | Protection against long periods of immersion. |
| 9K | Protection against high-temperature water jets at a pressure of 80bars from any angle. |
| Code | The energy of impact (Denoted by the third character of the IP code) |
|---|---|
| 0 | No protection impact protection. |
| 1 | 0.15J |
| 2 | 0.20J |
| 3 | 0.37J |
| 4 | 0.50J |
| 5 | 0.70J |
| 6 | 1J |
| 7 | 2J |
| 8 | 5J |
| 9K | 10J |
Ingress Protection chart
| IP Number | First Digit – SOLIDS | Second Digit – LIQUIDS |
|---|---|---|
| IP00 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Exposed to direct contact with liquids. |
| IP01 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against condensation. |
| IP02 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against water sprays less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP03 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against water sprays less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP04 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against water spray from any direction. |
| IP05 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP06 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP07 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP08 | Exposed to direct contact with solids. | Protection against long-term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP10 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Exposed to direct contact with liquids. |
| IP11 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against condensation. |
| IP12 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against water sprays less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP13 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against water sprays less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP14 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against water spray from any direction. |
| IP15 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP16 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP17 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP18 | Not protected against direct contact by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protection against long-term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP20 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Exposed to direct contact with liquids. |
| IP21 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against condensation. |
| IP22 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against water sprays less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP23 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against water sprays less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP24 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against water spray from any direction. |
| IP25 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP26 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP27 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP28 | Not protected against direct contact by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protection against long-term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP30 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Exposed to direct contact with liquids. |
| IP31 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against condensation. |
| IP32 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against water sprays less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP33 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against water sprays less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP34 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against water spray from any direction. |
| IP35 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP36 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP37 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP38 | Not exposed to tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protection against long-term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP40 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Exposed to direct contact with liquids. |
| IP41 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against condensation. |
| IP42 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against water sprays less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP43 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against water sprays less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP44 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against water spray from any direction. |
| IP45 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP46 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP47 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP48 | Not exposed to tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protection against long-term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP50 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Exposed to direct contact with liquids. |
| IP51 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against condensation. |
| IP52 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against water sprays less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP53 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against water sprays less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP54 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against water spray from any direction. |
| IP55 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP56 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP57 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP58 | Protection against limited dust ingress. | Protection against long-term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP60 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Exposed to direct contact with liquids. |
| IP61 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against condensation. |
| IP62 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against water sprays less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP63 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against water sprays less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP64 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against water sprays from any direction. |
| IP65 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP66 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP67 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP68 | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against long-term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP69K | Completely Protection against dust ingress. | Protection against steam-jet cleaning. |
Ingress protection rating in pdf