IK-08 Degrees of Protection Provided by Electrical Equipment Enclosures Against External Mechanical Impacts

The IEC 62262 standard published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) describes the classification of the degrees of protection provided by enclosures against external mechanical impacts when the rated voltage of the protected equipment is not greater than 72,5 kVolts. The full name of this standard is: IEC 62262 Degrees of protection provided by electrical equipment enclosures against external mechanical impacts (IK code). This standard only applies to equipment enclosures where the specific standard specifies the degree of protection of the enclosure against mechanical impact.

The objectives of this standard can be listed as follows:

• To give definitions of the degrees of protection provided by enclosures of electrical equipment with regard to the protection of equipment inside the enclosure against the harmful effects of mechanical shock.
• To give definitions of degrees of protection
• Explain the requirements for each assignment
• Define the tests to be performed to verify that the enclosure meets the requirements of this standard

It is the responsibility of the individual technical committees to decide to what extent and how the classification will be used in their standards, and to define the enclosure as it applies to their equipment. However, it is recommended that the tests for a particular classification do not differ from those specified in this standard. If necessary, supplementary requirements can be included in the relevant product standard.

For a particular type of equipment, a product committee may set different requirements, provided that at least the same level of safety is ensured.

The IEC 62262 standard applies only to enclosures that are suitable for the use specified in the specific product standard and that guarantee that the declared degrees of protection in terms of materials and workmanship do not change under normal use conditions. This standard is also applicable to empty enclosures provided that the general test requirements are met and the degree of protection chosen is appropriate for the equipment type.

In the IEC 62262 standard, the impact test specifications for the 08 IK code are determined as follows:

• Impact energy: 5 Joule
• Impact element radius: 25 mm
• Material: steel
• Mass: 1,7 kg
• pendulum hammer: yes
• Spring hammer: no
• Free fall hammer: yes

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