To maintain safety and performance under arduous operating conditions and to reduce maintenance, products are designed to minimise the ingress of dust and water. The test equipment is designed to assess the degree of protection (IP rating) in accordance with IEC 598 (BS4533) and IEC 529 (BS 5490).
Water ingress testing includes hose testing from a pumped supply. Water flow rate is controlled to assess IP X5 (protected against water jets) and IP X6 (against heavy seas). Other equipment allows testing for IP X7 (watertight), IP X3 and IP X4 (rain-proof and splash-proof) and IP X1 and IP X2 (drip-proof).
Explanation of IP numbers for degrees of protection
The designation to indicate the degrees of protection consists of the characteristic letters IP followed by two numerals (the "characteristic numerals") indicating conformity with the conditions stated. The first numeral indicates the degree of protection against the ingress of solids, and the second numeral indicates the degree of protection against the ingress of water.
|
SCN* |
Degree of protection |
|
IP - 0 |
No special protection. |
|
IP - 1 |
Protected against vertical water droplets. |
|
IP - 2 |
Protection against falling water to a maximum of 15º from the vertical. |
|
IP - 3 |
Protection against rain to a maximum of 60º from the vertical (rain proof). |
|
IP - 4 |
Protected against water sprays (splash proof). |
|
IP - 5 |
Protected against water jets (jet proof). |
|
IP - 6 |
Protected against powerful water jets. |
|
IP - 7 |
Protected against the effects of temporary immersion in water. |
|
IP - 8 |
Protected against the effects of permanent immersion in water. |
