IP protection or ingress protection - protection against solid objects, liquids and mechanical damage

1. IP PROTECTION
Introduction:
On the Name Plate of electrical equipment (motors, inverters, generators, transformers
etc), there is a protection called IP Protection. IP protection is the abbreviation of “INGRESS
PROTECTION”.
The dictionary meaning of word ingress is “Right of entrance”. In electrical equipment Ingress
protection meaning is that how much your equipment is save from the entrance of external
objects and interference.
“It is the protection provided by enclosure or by the body of electrical
equipment from external environment”
Explanation:
On name plate it is usually specified by two alphabets preceded by two or three digits and
one letter
2nd ALPHABET
LETTER
1st ALPHABET
LETTER
3RD DIGIT
2ND DIGIT
1ST DIGIT
RESERVE WORD
RESERVE WORD
Now we will explain each digit one by one.
 “I” stands for “Ingress”.
I P X X X X X

2.  “P” stands for “Protection”.
 First digit:
 Fist digit gives us the level of protection against solid objects.
 It ranges from 0 to 6.
 It is mandatory
 Detail of each digit is given below:
Digit Level of protection Detail
0 No special protection Person’s hand may accidentally in contact
with hazard part or any solid object may
enter
1 Protection against objects having
size more than 50mm
It avoids the possibility of accidental touch of
person’s hand or any object of this size
2 Protection against objects having
size more than 12mm
It avoids the possibility of accidental touch of
person’s finger or any object of this size
3 Protection against objects having
size more than 2.5mm
It make sure that objects like thick wires or
any tool of this size would not enter into the
enclosure
4 Protection against objects having
size more than 1mm
It make sure that objects like small wires,
screw or any tool of this size would not enter
into the enclosure
5 Protection against dust particles. It will make sure that there will be no
ingression of dust. But it will not provide
complete protection against dust particle.
There is limited ingression.
6 Complete Protection against dust
article
There will be no ingression of dust. Dust
tight.
 Second Digit:
 Second digit gives us the level of protection against liquid.
 Second digit ranges from 0 to 8.

3.  It is mandatory.
 Detail of each digit is given below.
Digit Level of protection Test Performed Test Duration
0 No special protection No testing
1 Protection against
vertical fall of water
drops.
Water drops are fall vertically on the
equipment. If there is no disturbance, test
is passed by the equipment.
10 minutes
2 Protection against
spray of water fall at an
angle 15° from the
vertical
Equipment is placed under spray of water
falling at an angle of 15° from the vertical.
There should be no harmful effect
10 minutes
3 Protection against
spray of water fall at an
angle 60° from the
vertical.
Equipment is placed under spray of water
falling at an angle of 60° from the vertical.
There should be no harmful effect
5 minutes
4 Protection against
water spray from all
direction.
Equipment is placed under spray of water
falling from all direction. There should be
no harmful effect
5 minutes
5 Protection against low
pressure water jets
Water is sprayed through a low pressure
jet from all directions. There should be no
harmful effect
3 minutes
6 Protection against high
pressure water jet.
Water is sprayed through a high pressure
jet from all directions. There should be no
harmful effect
3 minutes
7 Protection against the
submersion in water at
a depth from 15cm to
1m.
The equipment is immersed into the water
up to given depth. If there is no harmful
ingression of water, equipment has
passed. the test.
30 minutes.
8 Protection against the
submersion in water for
longer period of time
beyond 1m under
pressure.
The equipment is immersed into the water
continuously up to depth given by
manufacturer. If there is no harmful
ingression of water, equipment has
passed. the test.
Continuous
immersion in
water
 Third Digit:

4.  Third digit gives us the level of protection against mechanical impact.
 Third digit ranges from 0 to 6.
 It is usually expressed in term of joules (unit of energy).
 Third digit is usually omitted.
 Detail of each digit is given below.
Digit Level of protection Test Performed
0 No special protection No testing
1 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.15
joules
We drop an object of mass 150g from height of 15
cm. there should be no damage to enclosure.
2 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.375
joules
We drop an object of mass 250g from height of 15
cm. there should be no damage to enclosure.
3 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.5
joules
We drop an object of mass 250g from height of 20
cm. there should be no damage to enclosure.
4 Protection against
mechanical impact of 2
joules
We drop an object of mass 500g from height of 40
cm. there should be no damage to enclosure.
5 Protection against
mechanical impact of 6
joules
We drop an object of mass 1.5Kg from height of 40
cm. there should be no damage to enclosure.
6 Protection against
mechanical impact of 20
joules
We drop an object of mass 5Kg from height of 40
cm. there should be no damage to enclosure.
The new products are likely to be given “IK” protection separately instead of giving third digit
in “IP” protection.

5. IK
Number
Level of protection Test Performed
0 No special protection No testing
1 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.15
joules
We drop an object of mass 200g from height of 7.5
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.
2 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.2
joules
We drop an object of mass 200g from height of 10
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.
3 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.35
joules
We drop an object of mass 200g from height of
17.5 cm. There should be no damage to
enclosure.
4 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.5
joules
We drop an object of mass 200g from height of 25
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.
5 Protection against
mechanical impact of 0.7
joules
We drop an object of mass 200g from height of 35
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.
6 Protection against
mechanical impact of 1
joules
We drop an object of mass 500g from height of 20
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.
7 Protection against
mechanical impact of 2
joules
We drop an object of mass 500g from height of 40
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.
8 Protection against
mechanical impact of 5
joules
We drop an object of mass 1.7Kg from height of
29.5 cm. There should be no damage to
enclosure.
9 Protection against
mechanical impact of 10
joules
We drop an object of mass 5Kg from height of 20
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.
10 Protection against
mechanical impact of 20
joules
We drop an object of mass 5Kg from height of 40
cm. There should be no damage to enclosure.

6. Note: IP22 or IP2X is the minimum protection that electrical equipment must posses to
for indoor use.
 1st Alphabet Letter:
 This letter provides us information against asses to hazard part of the
equipment.
 It is optional.
 The detail of each letter is explain below:
Letter Level Of Protection
A Back Of Hand
B Finger
C Tool
D Wire
 2nd Alphabet Letter:
 This letter provides us further information about the protection of device.
 It is optional.
 The detail of each letter is explain below:
Letter Meaning
H High voltage device
M Device moving water test
S Device standing still during
water test
W Weather condition
Examples:
 IP22 :
It provides protection against insertion of finger and there will be no damage to
equipment when water drops are fall on the equipment at an angle of 15° from the
vertical.
 IP2X:

7. It provides protection against insertion of finger and there is no protection against the
insertion of water
 IPX1
It provides no protection against insertion of solid object or dust but there will be no
damage to equipment when water drops are fall on the equipment vertically..
 IP55
It provides limited protection against insertion of dust and there will be no damage to
equipment when water is projected on the equipment through a low pressure nozzle.
 IP23
It provides protection against insertion of finger and there will be no damage to
equipment when water drops are fall on the equipment at an angle of 60°from the
vertical.
 IP68
It is completely dust tight and there will be no harm to equipment even if the equipment
is immersed into water at a depth beyond 1m continuously under pressure.