IP protection degree

Our products’ enclosures protect:

• people against access to hazardous parts in the interior
• equipment against ingress of foreign bodies and water from outside

Depending on the application site - household or industrial switching station and on the environmental conditions - clean room or motor compartment – the devices are selected according to the protection degree of their enclosures. In order to make installation and replacement as easy as possible for the user, we will answer some frequently asked questions about IP protection class in the following.

How do we indicate the degree of protection?

The degree of protection of devices is regulated by standards depending on the application. The DIN EN 60529 is the relevant standard for low voltage electrical equipment. For electrical equipment in road-bound vehicles, however, the ISO20653 applies. Both standards use the IP code. The structure of the IP code is shown in fig. 1.

If one of the code numbers does not have to be indicated, it is replaced by »X«. The protection degree of a device can be found on the housing or in the data sheet. The protection degree can depend on the mounting method.

What do the numbers or letters in the IP code mean?

The IP code marks the degree of protection. The first digit marks the degree of protection of people against contact with dangerous parts or the degree of protection against the complete ingress of solid foreign bodies (see table 1). The second digit indicates how the enclosure protects the interior against ingress of water (see table 2).

The additional letter marks the protection of people against access to hazardous parts. This letter is only indicated when

• the actual protection is higher than indicated by code
• only the protection against access to

hazardous parts is indicated (see table 3).

Additional letters can be added to provide further information on a product. The pertinent product standard must indicate the verification process of the letter in question (see table 4).