Airline Hydraulics Blog

IP Rating Meanings | IP69K, IP67, IP65, How Do I Choose?

Written by Todd Huber | May 5, 2022 4:48:02 PM
  1. Editor's note: This post has been updated in April 2024 for comprehensiveness.

  2. IP ratings are specified so buyers can be confident in an electrical product's use for specific environments and applications. Unlike vague marketing speak like 'waterproof' and 'dust-resistant' - which don't clearly define the extent an item can resist moisture and dirt - an IP rating is designed to provide a far more specific explanation of the item's degree of protection. The list of IP ratings is long and can be confusing to remember, so follow our guide to understand what each IP rating means and what matters most for your application.

 

 Skip to a section: 

IP Ratings Explained  |  The First Digit  |  The Second Digit  |  Applications  |  Common IP Ratings  |  
IP Ratings Reference Chart  |  Summary & Resources  

 

👉 Did you know you can shop by IP Rating on airlinehyd.com?


Browse our products and use our filtering attribute "degree of protection" to select your preferred IP rating.

 

  1. Key Takeaways 

    1. ✔️ IP ratings provide a clear and specific measure of an electrical product's resistance to dust, moisture, and other environmental factors. This system offers a standardized method to gauge protection levels, which is more precise than general terms like 'waterproof' or 'dust-resistant'.
    2.  
    3. ✔️ Each IP code consists of two digits. The first digit indicates the level of protection against solid objects and dust, while the second digit represents the degree of protection against liquids. Knowing the meaning behind these digits helps in selecting the right product for specific needs and environments.
    4.  
    5. ✔️ The choice of an IP rating should be guided by the intended application of the product. For environments exposed to high levels of dust or water, such as outdoor settings or manufacturing plants, a higher IP rating (e.g., IP67 or IP69K) is essential for ensuring durability and reliability.
    6.  


What are Ingress Protection Ratings?

The International Electrotechnical Commission, or IEC, developed Ingress Protection Ratings, or IP ratings, to rate the resistance an object has against the intrusion of foreign bodies and moisture. IP ratings help users know how protected an electrical item is from dust, water, and other foreign bodies that cause deterioration or malfunctions in the device,

IP ratings are widely used throughout most industries and are especially important to companies working in harsh environments with a high level of dust and debris, or in washdown applications like food, beverage, packaging, and other industries. These ratings are also vital in the selection of electrical products for outdoor use, such as lighting fixtures and outdoor power outlets.

 

How Do Products Get an IP Rating?

To obtain an ingress protection rating, a company must undergo Ingress Protection Testing by an independent, certified party. The company first determines which IP rating it wishes to obtain for a particular product, and then the independent party performs a series of tests to give the proper IP rating. The party conducting the testing will charge for their services, and in many cases, the cost is ultimately passed to consumers with the product's final price point. Though consumers may pay more up-front, they usually benefit from long-term savings by avoiding frequent repairs and product replacement. 

 

How to Interpret IP Ratings

IP ratings consist of the letters "IP" followed by a two-digit code (for example, IP67). Each digit of the code represents the item's protection range. The first number denotes foreign body ingress protection, the second number denotes moisture. In general, the higher the number, the greater the protection. 

 

The First Digit: Protection Against Solids


The first number of an IP code defines the protection an item has against solid objects. This includes tools or fingers that could be hazardous if they came into contact with conductors or moving parts, as well as airborne dirt and dust that could damage circuitry.

Level Ingress Limit 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 >12.55 mm Fingers or similar objects.
3 >2.5 mm Tools, thick wires, etc.
4 >1 mm Most wires, slender screws, large ants, 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.
6 Dust-tight No ingress of dust, complete protection against contact (dust-tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on airflow.
 

 

The Second Digit: Protection Against Liquids & Moisture


The second number of an ingress protection rating defines the equipment's protection against various forms of moisture (drips, sprays, submersion, etc).

 

Level Ingress Limit Effective Against
0 No protection against liquids/moisture
1 Dripping water Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect on the object when mounted in an upright position onto a turntable and rotated at 1 RPM.
2 Dripping water when tilted at 15° Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the object is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position.
3 Spraying water Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture or b) A spray nozzle with a counterbalanced shield.
4 Splashing of water Water splashing against the object from any direction shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture or b) A spray nozzle with no shield.
5 Water jets Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against the object from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
6 Powerful water jets

Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm nozzle) against the object from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

6K Powerful water jets with increased pressure Water projected in powerful jets (6.3 mm nozzle) against the object from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects.
7 Immersion, 1 m or more depth Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the object is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion).
8

Immersion, 1 m or more depth

The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions that shall be specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects.
9K Powerful high-temperature water jets Protected against close-range high pressure, high-temperature spray downs.

 

 


Additional Letters


Additional letters are sometimes added to an IP rating to provide additional information related to the device's protection:

Letter Meaning
F Oil resistant
H High voltage device
M Device moving during water test
S Device standing still during water test
W Weather conditions

 

 

 

What Applications Need Higher IP Ratings?

Dusty Environments


Some packaging environments for products like snacks or coffee create particulate that wreaks havoc on machinery. Dust easily penetrates improperly sealed enclosures, so a solid IP rating of at least 5 - 6 should be considered for this type of environment. Waterproofing is not as important, so the liquid IP rating does not have to be as high.

 

Wet Environments

 

In many food packaging applications, protection from liquids like water and cleaning solutions are vital. Packaging machines for products like cheese, meat, or candy need to be cleaned regularly, and exposed components must be rated to withstand a company's strict washdown process. Therefore, a liquid IP rating of at least 5 - 8, or even 9K for harsh washdown procedures, should be considered for these applications. The solid IP rating, in many cases, does not need to be as high.

 

Dusty & Wet Environments

 

Some packaging environments are both dusty and require harsh washdown procedures. In these circumstances, a total IP rating of at least 55 - 68 should be considered - possibly 69K for harsher steam-cleaning procedures. This covers environments that need protection from dust and water jets, up to environments that need total dust-proofing and immersion in water.

 

Outdoor Use

 

Outdoor use almost always requires the highest possible level of protection to keep contaminants from penetrating your equipment. Dust-tight enclosures with an IP68 are recommended for outdoor environments. The second digit should be at least 5 for a water-resistant product, but if the enclosure is not exposed to washdowns or rain, then the second digit can be lower.  

 

Need a good IP-rated component? Check out our top picks here.

 


Common IP Ratings

What is IP69K?


It's the creme-de-la-creme when it comes to IP ratings, as it's the highest an item can receive. The IP69K rating was added by the IEC for applications that need devices to be routinely exposed to high-pressure and/or high-temperature washdowns. Before, the highest rating was IP68, which was sometimes found to be insufficient for harsh wash-downs. For this reason, a special rating was created by ISO to test the most intensive forms of cleaning, and the IP Ratings Code has since adopted this degree of protection and labeled it IP69K.

IP69K offers the highest protection against dust and water ingress. To achieve this rating, an item has to go through rigorous testing, including:

- Close distance spray: 10-15 cm
- Very hot water: 80°C/176°F
- High pressure: 1160-1450 psi
- Turntable rotation: 5 rpm

Only if the device passes all items of this test can it be considered IP69K and be confidently used in harsh environments with high pressure and steam cleaning.

 

What is IP67?


The IP67 rating means the item is 100% protected against solid objects like dust and sand and has been tested to work for at least 30 minutes while under 15cm to 1m of water. This rating is commonly found in the connectivity market.

 

What is IP65?


An IP65-rated item is protected against multi-directional, low-pressure water jets. In order to pass required testing, an item must be able to withstand water projected by a 0.25-inch nozzle for a minimum of fifteen minutes, with the water source placed three yards from the item. The water pressure must also be 30 kPa with a water volume of 3.3 gallons per minute. 

 

What If There's an X in the IP Rating?

Sometimes, an IP rating's number is replaced by X. This indicates that the enclosure is not rated for that specification. In most cases, it would be safest to replace the X with a zero, assuming it has no ingress protection rating. Although this assumption may not be valid, it's better to be safe than sorry.

"IPX5," for example, means there is no defined protection from solid objects but protection against low-pressure water jets. At the same time, "IP5X" denotes partial protection from dust but no rated protection from moisture.

 

IP Rating Reference Chart

Here's a chart of all IP Ratings and their definitions organized in an easy-reference guide.

IP Number First Digit - Solids Second Digit - Liquids
IP00
Not protected from solids.
Not protected from liquids.
IP01
Not protected from solids.
Protected from condensation.
IP02
Not protected from solids.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP03
Not protected from solids.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP04
Not protected from solids.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP05
Not protected from solids.
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP06
Not protected from solids.
Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP07
Not protected from solids.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP08
Not protected from solids.
Protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP10
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Not protected from liquids.
IP11
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Protected from condensation.
IP12
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP13
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP14
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP15
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP17
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP18
Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters.
Protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP20
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Not protected from liquids.
IP21
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from condensation.
IP22
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP23
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP24
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
 
IP25
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP26
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP27
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP28
Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters.
Protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP30
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Not protected from liquids.
IP31
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from condensation.
IP32
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP33
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP34
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP35
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP36
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction.
 
IP37
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
 
IP38
Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters.
Protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure.
 
IP40
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Not protected from liquids.
IP41
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from condensation.
IP42
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP43
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP44
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP45
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP46
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP47
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP48
Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter.
Protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP50
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Not protected from liquids.
IP51
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from condensation.
IP52
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP53
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP54
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP55
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP56
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP57
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP58
Protected from limited dust ingress.
Protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP60
Protected from total dust ingress.
Not protected from liquids.
IP61
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from condensation.
IP62
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP63
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP64
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP65
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from low-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP66
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from high-pressure water jets from any direction.
IP67
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP68
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP69K
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from steam-jet cleaning.

    

 

So I hope this article de-mystified IP ratings, their meaning, configuration, and when they truly matter to your application. If you need any assistance with selecting IP-rated products for your application, don't hesitate to contact us, and we can help provide the best solution.

 

 
 
 
 

 

    1. Frequently Asked Questions about IP Ratings

    2. Can an item have different IP ratings at the same time?

       

    3. No, an item can only have one IP rating at any given time, which represents its protection level against both solids and liquids according to the strict testing criteria it has undergone. However, an item's design and materials might make it capable of achieving different ratings if tested or modified differently.

      How are IP ratings tested?

       

    4. IP rating tests are conducted by approved regulatory bodies that follow international standards set by the International Electrotechnical Commission. The tests for solids (the first digit) involve exposing the item to varying sizes of dust particles and objects to assess ingress. For liquids (the second digit), the item is subjected to different water exposure scenarios, from dripping to spraying, immersion, and in the case of IP69K, high-pressure steam cleaning.

      Does a higher IP rating mean better overall protection?

       

    5. While a higher IP rating does indicate a greater degree of protection against either solids or liquids, it doesn't necessarily mean it's better for all applications. The required IP rating depends on the specific environmental conditions the device will encounter. For example, an IP68-rated device is not inherently better than an IP65-rated device; it's simply more suited for different conditions.

      Are IP ratings applicable worldwide?

       

    6. Yes, IP ratings are recognized internationally as they are defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), a global standards organization. While there might be additional or different certification requirements in certain countries, IP ratings provide a standardized way to measure ingress protection across borders.

      Can an IP-rated item lose its rating over time?

       

    7. Yes, wear and tear, damage, or alterations to an item can affect its integrity, potentially compromising its original IP rating. It's important to regularly check the condition of IP-rated items, especially those in harsh environments, to ensure they continue to offer the expected level of protection.

      Is an IP Code and IP Rating the same thing?

       

    8. Yes, an IP Code and IP Rating refer to the same thing. The "IP" stands for "Ingress Protection," and both terms are used interchangeably to describe a device's ability to resist solids and liquids. However, some people may use the term "IP Codes" when referring specifically to the numerical code associated with IP ratings.

      What are the waterproof IP ratings?

       

    9. Waterproof IP ratings are a specific type of IP rating that indicates an item's ability to resist water ingress. These ratings typically start at IP65, which offers protection against low-pressure water jets, and can go up to IP68 or even higher for devices designed for submersion in water. It's important to note that items labeled as "waterproof" may still have limitations in their resistance to water. It's essential to check the specific IP rating and its corresponding testing criteria to understand a device's waterproof capabilities.

      What IP Rating offers complete protection?

       

    10. There is no single IP rating that can offer complete protection against all types of solids and liquids. Each IP rating has its own specific testing criteria, which means it offers a different level of protection in different scenarios. For example, an IP69K rating may provide complete protection against high-pressure water jets, but it may not be as effective against dust or submersion in water. It's important to consider the specific environmental conditions and hazards that an item will encounter when determining the necessary IP rating for complete protection. IP69K is currently the highest IP rating available and offers exceptional protection against both solids and liquids in harsh conditions.

      Can I modify or repair an IP-rated device without affecting its IP rating?

       

    11. No, any changes or repairs to an IP-rated device can potentially affect its ability to resist ingress. It's essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for the maintenance and repair of IP-rated devices to ensure their continued protection. If in doubt, consult with the manufacturer or a certified technician before making any modifications or repairs. Additionally, tampering or modifying an IP-rated device without proper knowledge and authorization can also make it unsafe for use.

 

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