Degree of Protection

OR
Ingress Protection

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla

 Degree of Protection ->-> Ingress Protection
Ingress Protection or IP, refers to prevention against the entry of potentially harmful of Solid and
Liquid foreign objects.
The standard protection level consists TWO numerals with TWO optional letters since the IP is
used for all switchboards and enclosure assemblies that are covered by the 2nd Edition of "IEC-
60529 Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP code)"

1st Letter 2nd Letter 3rd Optional Letter 4th Optional Letter
SOLID LIQUID Additional for Access to Supplemental for
Hazardous parts Condition Specific

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla

 Degree of Protection

IP - Ingress Protection

1st 2nd Additional Supplementary

0 No Protection 0 No Protection A Back of Hand H High Voltage Equipments
1 ≥ 50mm Dia 1 Vertical Dropping B Finger M Motion During Water Test
2 ≥ 12.5mm Dia 2 Dripping (15° tilted) C Tool S Stationary During Water Test
3 ≥ 2.5mm Dia 3 Spraying D Wire W Weather Condition
4 ≥ 1mm Dia 4 Splashing
5 Dust Protected 5 Jetting
6 Dust Tight 6 Power Jetting
7 Temparory Immersion
8 Countinues Immersion

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla

 Degree of Protection – 1st Letter
1st Ingress of solid foreign Additional Specifications for Access to hazardous parts
Letters objects w.r.t. Equipment the Test w.r.t. Person
0 No-Protection Open Access No-Protection
With Rigid 50mm sphere Back of Hand
≥ 50 mm
1 without handle/guard.
Diameter Object
50N ± 10% Test Force
With Rigid 12.5mm sphere Finger
≥ 12.5 mm
2 without handle/guard.
Diameter Object
30N ± 10% Test Force
Rigid steel rod 2.5mm diameter Tool
≥ 2.5 mm
3 sharp edges.
Diameter Object
3N ± 10% Test Force
Rigid steel wire 1mm diameter Wire
≥ 1.0 mm
4 sharp edges
Diameter Object
1N ± 10% Test Force
Dust chamber, Thin Wire
5 Dust Protected
with or without Under pressure

Dust chamber, Thin Wire

6 Dust Tight
with Under pressure

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla

 Degree of Protection – 2nd Letter
2nd Ingress of Liquid Image Illustration of
Test Conditions Details of the Test's Additional Criteria
Letters w.r.t. Equipment Test
0 No - Protection No Test Required No Test Required

Water Dripping Pipes Chamber

1 Vertically Dripping Vertically falling drops shall have no harmful effects
with 1mm/Min. for 10Minutes

15°
Dripping Water Dripping Pipes Chamber When the enclosure is inclined @ 15° on either side of vertical, falling
2
(15° tilted) with 3mm/Min. for 10Minutes droplets vertically shouldn't lead to harm.

Swinging Pipe/Tube from a distance max. 60°

3 Spraying
4 Splashing
5 Jetting
6 Powerful Jetting
Temporary
7 enclosure's water level was 150mm above
Immersion
Continuous
8 Immersion tank; water-level by agreement
Immersion
When the enclosure is inclined @ 60° on either side of vertical, falling
200mm/Spray nozzle; Spraying at vert. ±60°
droplets vertically shouldn't lead to harm
With 10 Ltr/Min for 1min/SqMtr (>5Min.)
Swinging Pipe/Tube from Spraying 180°
No harm takes place if water is splashed on the enclosure from any
at ±180° from vert.
direction
10 Ltr/Min for 1min/SqMtr (>5Min.)
6.3mm Nozzle
6.3mm Water Jet Nozzle
Any direction's jets of water directed against the enclosure ought to
with 2.5 -3 Meter distance,
prevent any kind of harm.
12.5 Ltr/Min for 1min/SqMtr (>3Min.)
12.5mm Nozzle
12.5mm Water Jet Nozzle
Powerful jets of water may be thrown in any direction against the
with 2.5 -3 Meter distance,
enclosure without doing any harm.
100 Ltr/Min for 1min/SqMtr (>3Min.)
Immersion tank; a period of 30 minutes, the When submerged in 1 metre of water for 30 minutes, the enclosure
must be protected up to prevent the entrance of water in amounts
the top and 1 metres above the bottom. that might result in harm.
When the enclosure is continually submerged in water under
conditions that the maker and user must agree upon (>IPX7), water
ingress in amounts that cause negative effects must be prevented.

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla

 Degree of Protection – 3rd Optional Letter
Additional Optional Letter
IEC 60529's Subclause 7 permits the inclusion of an additional letter, such as A, B, C, or D, to denote the
protection of people from access to potentially dangerous parts.

For example, barriers, the right design of openings, or distances inside the enclosure may offer this increased
protection.

3rd Against access to

Letters hazardous parts
Back of Hand
A

Finger
B

Tool
C

Wire
D

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla

 Degree of Protection – 4th Optional Letter
Supplementary Optional Letter
IEC 60529's Subclause 8 permits the use of the supplemental letters H, M, S, or W to denote additional
requirements typically related to water ingress.
Additional letters are only used:
• If the first characteristic numeral does not accurately reflect the real level of protection against access to dangerous parts;
• Alternatively, if the first digit is replaced with an "X" just the safety from entering possibly harmful parts is mentioned.

4th Ingress of solid foreign objects w.r.t.

Letters Supplementary information specific to

H High voltage Equipment

M Motion during the water test

S Stationary during the water test

W Weather circumstances

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla

Technical Article - FY23-24 Sandeep Bishla