Technical Information — Protection Ratings

IP Protection Ratings (IP Code) — Table, Meaning and Applications

The IP code per IEC 60529 (identical to EN 60529) specifies how well an electrical enclosure or device is protected against the ingress of solid foreign objects, dust and water. The two digits are internationally binding — from junction boxes to industrial computers.

Standard: IEC 60529 — successor to the former DIN 40050 & IEC 529

Contents

» Structure of the IP Code	» 1st Digit — Dust & Contact	» 2nd Digit — Water Protection
» Additional & Supplementary Letters	» IP69K (High-Pressure Cleaning)	» Typical Ratings by Application

Structure of the IP Code

A complete IP code consists of the prefix IP (International Protection / Ingress Protection), two mandatory digits and optional letters:

IP	X	X	[A-D]	[H,M,S,W]	Example: IP 65 = dust-tight, water jets
Prefix	1st digit Dust	2nd digit Water	Additional letter (contact)	Supplementary letter (special cases)

Note on “X”: If a characteristic is not tested or not relevant, an X is placed in that position (e.g. IPX4 = water protection only, no dust ingress test value specified).

1st Digit — Protection Against Solid Foreign Objects and Contact

The first digit indicates how well the device is protected against the ingress of solid foreign objects (including dust) and against contact with live parts.

Digit	Protection against solid objects	Protection against contact	Typical application
0	No protection	No protection	Dry indoor environment
1	Large objects Ø > 50 mm	Large body areas (back of hand)	Open control cabinets
2	Medium objects Ø > 12.5 mm	Fingers	Indoor luminaires
3	Small objects Ø > 2.5 mm	Tools and wires Ø > 2.5 mm	Junction boxes
4	Granular objects Ø > 1 mm	Wires Ø > 1 mm	Control technology
5	Dust-protected — no harmful dust ingress	Full contact protection	Outdoor industrial PC, IP54/55 enclosures
6	Dust-tight — no dust ingress at all	Full contact protection	IP65/66/67/68 — outdoor devices
X	No test value specified	—	e.g. IPX4

2nd Digit — Protection Against Water Ingress

The second digit describes the degree of protection against the ingress of water. Higher digits generally include the requirements of lower digits, with the exception of digit 6 versus digits 7/8 (separate test procedures apply).

Digit	Protection against water ingress	Test condition	Typical application
0	No protection	—	Dry indoor environment
1	Vertically dripping water	1 mm/min, 10 min	Ceiling installations
2	Dripping water up to 15° tilt	15° tilt, 10 min	Angled-mount luminaires
3	Spraying water up to 60° from vertical	Spray nozzle, 5 min	Weather-protected enclosures
4	Splashing water from all directions	Spray nozzle, all directions, 10 min	Outdoor installation, IP44/54
5	Water jets from all directions	6.3 mm nozzle, 12.5 l/min, 3 min/m²	IP65 cabinets, outdoor PCs
6	Powerful water jets / brief flooding	12.5 mm nozzle, 100 l/min, 3 min/m²	IP66 marine technology
7	Temporary immersion in water	1 m depth, 30 min	IP67 field devices, tablets
8	Continuous immersion (watertight)	Depth and duration specified by manufacturer	IP68 underwater technology
X	No test value specified	—	e.g. IP6X

Additional and Supplementary Letters

Additional Letter — Contact Protection

More precise contact protection when the 1st digit is insufficient:

A	Protected against access with back of hand
B	Protected against access with finger
C	Protected against access with tool (Ø > 2.5 mm)
D	Protected against access with wire (Ø > 1 mm)

Supplementary Letter — Special Cases

Additional information about special protection types:

H	High-voltage equipment
M	Water ingress test with moving parts
S	Water ingress test with moving parts at standstill
W	Specific weather conditions (with additional measures)

Example IP 68 H: Dust-tight (6), continuous immersion (8), high-voltage equipment (H). Shown in the IP code as “IP68H”.

Special Class

IP69K — High-Pressure and Steam Jet Cleaning

IP69K is not part of IEC 60529 but originates from DIN 40050 Part 9. It is particularly relevant in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical and automotive industries — wherever equipment must withstand high-pressure hot-water or steam cleaning.

Parameter	IP69K Test Condition
Pressure	80–100 bar
Temperature	80 °C (steam jet)
Flow rate	14–16 l/min
Nozzle distance	10–15 cm
Test duration	30 s per position (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°)

Important: IP69K-rated devices do not necessarily also meet IP67/IP68 (different test methods). Manufacturers therefore often specify “IP67/IP69K” combined.

Typical IP Ratings by Application

Environment	Typical IP Rating	Meaning / Example products
Office / indoor (dry)	IP20	Standard for PSUs, servers, desktop PCs in enclosed rooms
Production hall	IP44 / IP54	Control cabinets, distribution boards, luminaires in manufacturing halls
Outdoor / exterior	IP65 / IP66	Outdoor enclosures, exterior cameras, outdoor luminaires, industrial connectors
Wet areas / washdown	IP55 / IP65	Wet-area luminaires, industrial PCs for cleanrooms and laundries
Food / pharmaceutical	IP67 / IP69K	Panel PCs, sensors, luminaires for wet cleaning and steam jets
Underwater	IP67 / IP68	Underwater cameras, marine instruments, submersible pumps
Hazardous areas (ATEX)	IP54–IP66	Explosion-proof luminaires and enclosures, combined with ATEX marking

Matching Product Categories in Our Shop

Enclosures & Control Cabinets

Control cabinets / enclosures
Outdoor enclosures
Small enclosures
Wet-area enclosures / ISO distribution

Industrial Computers

Industrial PCs
Panel PCs
Industrial connectors

Sensors, Cameras & Luminaires

Sensors
Outdoor cameras
Wet-area luminaires
Ex-luminaires (ATEX)

Consulting on IP-rated Industrial Equipment

Looking for enclosures, computers or sensors for a specific IP rating? Our sales team will help with selection — from IP44 to IP69K.

Phone: +49 (0)7666 / 88499-0 · E-mail: sales@industry-electronics.com

Standard: IEC 60529:1989+A1:1999+A2:2013 / EN 60529:2000 — IP69K per DIN 40050 Part 9 — Updated: May 2026 — Lieske Elektronik — industry-electronics.com