Degrees of Protection Provided by IEC 529 Enclosures (IP Code)

The IEC 529 standard, developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) , applies to the classification of the degrees of protection provided by enclosures for electrical equipment with a rated voltage not exceeding 72,5 kV.

It is not enough for a piece of equipment to simply meet the functional requirements assigned to it. It should also be ensured that it is protected against possible negative external effects and that it does not harm the user or the environment.

The IP code stands for International Protection. This code allows for the identification of the degree of protection provided by enclosures against access to hazardous parts, ingress of solid foreign objects, and harmful water effects, using numbers and letters. The IP letters in the code are followed by two independent numbers and sometimes letters. If the degree of protection corresponding to one of the numbers is not specified, it is replaced with "X".

The first digit, the degrees of protection against solid objects, denotes:

• 0 = Unprotected
• 1 = Protected against solid foreign objects of 50 mm diameter and larger (object probe does not fully penetrate the 50 mm diameter sphere)
• 2 = Protected against solid foreign objects of 12,5 mm diameter and larger (object probe does not fully penetrate the 12,5 mm diameter sphere)
• 3 = Protected against solid foreign objects of 2,5 mm diameter and larger (object probe does not fully penetrate the 2,5 mm diameter sphere)
• 4 = Protected against solid foreign objects of 1,0 mm diameter and larger (object probe does not fully penetrate the 1 mm diameter sphere)
• 5 = Dust protected (dust ingress is not completely prevented, but must not enter in sufficient quantities to interfere with satisfactory operation of the appliance or impair safety)
• 6 = Dustproof (no dust ingress)

The second digit, the degrees of protection against water, denotes:

• 0 = No protection
• 1 = Protected against vertically falling water drops (vertical falling water drops have no harmful effect)
• 2 = Protected against vertically falling water drops when the enclosure is tilted up to 15 degrees (vertically falling water drops will not have harmful effects when the enclosure is tilted at any angle up to 15 degrees on either side of the vertical axis)
• 3 = Protected against spray water (water sprayed at an angle of up to 60 degrees on either side of the vertical axis has no harmful effects)
• 4 = Protected against splashing water (water splashing into the enclosure from any direction has no harmful effects)
• 5 = Protected against sprays of water (water sprayed into the enclosure from any direction has no harmful effects)
• 6 = Protected against strong jets of water (water sprayed with strong jets of water against the enclosure from any direction has no harmful effects)
• 7 = Protected against the effects of temporary immersion in water (when the enclosure is continuously immersed under standard pressure and time conditions, ingress of water in quantities that cause harmful effects is not possible)
• 8 = Protected against the effects of continuous immersion in water (continuous immersion of the enclosure will not allow ingress of water in quantities to cause harmful effects)

When water or dust enters an electrical or electronic device, these devices break down or malfunction. In short, ingress protection (IP) ratings, which rate an enclosure's resistance to dust or liquid ingress, are widely used across the industry today.

Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services for the degrees of protection (IP code) provided by the enclosures, within the scope of the IEC 529 standard, with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.