The IP rating/code is an abbreviation for Ingress Protection Rating or International Protection Rating. The code classifies the degree of protection for electrical enclosures and expresses the ability of enclosures to resist firm particles/solids (dirt, dust, and the like) as well as liquids like water/other fluid.
Electrical enclosures are rated with different IP ratings/codes; a code which consist of the letters IP followed by two digits. Each code represents the degree of protection from solids and liquids. The first digit in the code e.g.IP65 reflects the protection degree from solids, while the second digit IP65 reflects the protection degree from liquids (waterproof rating).
IP rating chart
The below chats explains the meaning behind the IP code and digits.
First digit
The first digit reflects the enclosure’s level of protection from firm particles/solids.
Second digit (fluid)
The second digit reflects the protection degree of the enclosure from harmful liquid ingress such as water/other fluid.
IP Ratings for Blue Line’s electrical enclosures
Blue Line is an expert in IP rated products for demanding environments. This can e.g. be industrial PCs and monitors for dusty and wet environments.
Typically, the solutions will appear in IP codes/protection classes such as IP65, IP66, IP67 and IP69K:
- IP65: Totally dust-proof and protected from rinsing from all sides
- IP66: Totally dust-proof and protected from strong rinsing from all sides
- IP67: Totally dust-proof and protected from short term water immersion
- IP69K: Totally dust-proof and protected from steam-jet cleaning
Products with IP69K classification are used in environments with tough cleaning, e.g. on production of foods and beverages.
NEMA rating
The U.S.-based National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) provides a rating system to classify industrial enclosures based on their ability to protect users from internal electronics and internal electronics from the external environment. NEMA ratings only apply to products going to North America.
While NEMA and IP ratings are not identical, they are very similar and can often be used interchangeably for the purpose of rating enclosures for industrial environments. IP ratings specify standards primarily for protection against ingress of solid foreign objects or liquids, while NEMA ratings also specify protection against other conditions, such as the presence of corrosive agents. This chart gives an approximate comparison of the NEMA and IP ratings used by Blue Line:
Discover our products here