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.
IP Rating Chart: Waterproof and Dust Resistant Meaning
| FIRST NUMBER | DEFINITION | SECOND NUMBER | DEFINITION |
| Protection against solid objects | Protection against liquids | ||
| 0 | No protection | 0 | No protection |
| 1 | Protected against solid objects over 50mm (e.g. accidental touch by hands) | 1 | Protected against vertically falling drops of water |
| 2 | Protected against solid objects over 12mm (e.g. fingers) | 2 | Protected against direct sprays up to 15° from the vertical |
| 3 | Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm (e.g. tools and wires) | 3 | Protected against direct sprays up to 60° from vertical |
| 4 | Protected against solid objects over 1mm (e.g. tools, wires and small wires) | 4 | Protected from sprays all directions – limited ingress permitted |
| 5 | Protected against dust – limited ingress (no harmful deposit) | 5 | Protected against low pressure jets if water from all directions – limited ingress permitted |
| 6 | Totally protected against dust | 6 | Protected against strong jets of water (e.g. for use on shipdecks – limited ingress permitted) |
| 7 | Protected against the effects of temporary immersion between 15cm and 1m. Duration of test 30 min. | ||
| 8 | Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure |
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.
IP Rating Chart PDF For Download
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 Series toggle switch. You can also find a wide variety of IP67 sealed switches right here, including tactile, rocker, slide, pushbutton, detector, pilot lamp, rotary DIP and snap action switches.
Alternatively, you can use our advanced parametric search page to select the type of switch you’re looking for along with the required ingress protection rating.
