Learn what IP Protection Rating is and how to make the best choice:

You may have noticed that different products have a description related to the IP Protection Rating, which is used to show the protection of electronic products against dust and water particles by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

In Brazil, the IEC 60529 standard, published by ABNT in 2017, provides for international standards for the classification and evaluation of the degree of protection that affects the durability of products.

If you want to learn more about the topic and finally find out what IP Protection Rating really means, keep reading this post, as we will present all the details. Check it out!

What is IP Protection Rating?

As we saw, the IP Protection Rating is used to demonstrate protection against dust and water particles in electronic products. For this reason, it can be found in devices such as smartwatches, cell phones, LED luminaires, LED floodlights, electrical cables, and other electronic devices.

In general, people look at the IP Protection Rating to evaluate the protection of their devices against liquids. However, in the industrial sector, it is also important to pay attention to protection against dust particles because there are production processes that leave them in the air.

What is the importance of IP Protection Rating?

To prevent your electronic devices from being damaged and lost, it is important to pay attention to the IP Protection Rating. In addition, this indicator points to the resistance and suitability of products for use in indoor or outdoor environments, which are subject to moisture and variable conditions of temperature, vapors, or noise.

A device such as an LED luminaire or an LED floodlight that has an IP Protection Rating of 20 should not be installed in outdoor environments, as this rating does not provide any protection against water. Therefore, contact with liquids can damage the internal components present in the device.

Similarly, there is no need to install an LED luminaire or any other equipment with an IP Protection Rating of 68 – the highest level of protection that a device can obtain – in an indoor environment, as enclosed spaces are less subject to the action of dust and water.

The higher the IP Protection Rating, the more technology is involved in its production to create barriers against water and solid objects, which consequently increases the development costs of the product.

Therefore, it is essential to always take into consideration the IP Protection Rating against dust and humidity indicated by the manufacturer of the item, as its misuse can generate damage to the functioning of the product.

How to interpret the code that defines the IP Protection Rating?

The IP Protection Rating is composed of two numbers: the first refers to the degree of protection provided against solid objects such as dust, while the second number presented corresponds to the protection that the item offers against liquids.

In this sense, the higher the number, the greater its resistance to the ingress of foreign bodies. The degree of protection against water follows a scale from 0 to 8, while the degree of protection against solids is classified from 0 to 6.

The first numeral, which indicates the IP Protection Rating against solid objects, corresponds to the following classification:

• 0 – Not protected against solid objects;
• 1 – Protected against solid objects with a diameter of 50 mm or more;
• 2 – Protected against solid objects with a diameter of 12 mm or more;
• 3 – Protected against solid objects with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more;
• 4 – Protected against solid objects with a diameter of 1 mm or more;
• 5 – Protection against dust, but there is still the possibility of its entry in small quantities;
• 6 – Dust-proof and without any possibility of entry.

The second numeral, which indicates the IP Protection Rating against water in the electronic device, has the following classification:

• 0 – No protection against the ingress of water;
• 1 – Protection against drops of water falling vertically;
• 2 – Protection against drops of water falling vertically with the enclosure tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees;
• 3 – Protection against drops of water falling vertically with the enclosure tilted at an angle up to 60 degrees;
• 4 – Protection against water splashing from any direction;
• 5 – Protection against water jets;
• 6 – Protection against powerful water jets and waves;
• 7 – Protection against temporary immersion in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes;
• 8 – Protection against continuous immersion in water;
• 9 — Protection against immersion (up to 1 m) and pressure resistant;
• 9K — Protected against water from steam jets and high pressure.

Thus, the IP68 rating is the highest that can be achieved and indicates that the product is completely protected against dust and water. For example, an IP65 rating corresponds to a product that is completely dustproof but only protected against water jets.

The numerals indicating the classes or degree of protection must always be preceded by the invariant acronym IP, which stands for International Protection. It is worth noting that the levels of IP protection classes are international standards defined by the IEC 60529 norm.

A well-designed product with appropriate protection can prevent various problems, including physical damage such as electric shock to users, as well as prevent damage to the electronic equipment itself.

Now that you know all the details about the IP Protection Rating, you may have realized that understanding its particularities is more important than you imagined. After all, only someone who has knowledge about the existing protection ratings is capable of choosing the appropriate devices for each environment.

The SX Lighting LED luminaires and LED floodlights have an IP66 protection rating, ensuring total protection against dust and strong water jets, and can therefore be applied in various indoor and outdoor locations, maintaining all their characteristics and perfect operation.

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