The IP Rating Chart (Ingress Protection), also known as the IP Code, is a standardized system used to classify and rate the degree of protection provided by an electrical enclosure or electronic device against the intrusion of solids and liquids.
The IP Rating is typically used to describe the environmental protection of products like switches, smartphones, outdoor lighting, industrial equipment and more.
IP Rating Chart Meaning
Definition of IP Ratings: The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 60529 Standards document specifies an international Classification system for the sealing effectiveness of enclosures of electrical equipment against the “intrusion of foreign bodies and moisture.”
The IP Rating consists of two digits, with each digit representing a specific aspect of protection. The first digit denotes protection against solids and the second digit denotes protection against liquids.
Here’s how the IP Rating Chart works:
In summary, the higher the digits in the IP Rating, the better the protection against solids and liquids. For example, an IP68-rated device is highly protected against both dust (6) and immersion in water (8).
It’s important to note that the absence of a digit (e.g., IPX7) means that the device is not rated for that specific protection, so it may lack protection against solids or liquids in that regard.
What is a Process-Sealed Switch?
Based on the above, our standard for defining a process-sealed switch is “sealed to meet the minimum requirements of IP67.” This means that a switch rated to IP67 is “dust-tight” and will pass a water submersion test at 40″ (1m), for up to 30 minutes.
IP67, IP68 Waterproof and Other Sealed Switches
E-Switch offers IP68-rated anti-vandal switches in both the CS and PZ series, as well as the ST4 toggle switch series. You can also find a wide variety of sealed switches right here.
Alternatively, on the product detail page of every series you will find information about the switch. If it’s washable or sealed to a certain IP Rating, it will list it on the product detail page. To get to the product detail page, go to our product catalog and search by type or by feature.