IP Rated Enclosures Explained

Jun 30 , 2021

Protect your electrical enclosure and its contents by knowing where and how it will be used so that you can order one with the correct IP Rating.

  • What is an IP rating?

IP (or "Ingress Protection") ratings are defined in international standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529:1992, European IEC 60509:1989). They are used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies (tools, dirt etc) and moisture.

  • What do the numbers in an IP Rating mean?

The numbers that follow IP each have a specific meaning. The first indicates the degree of protection (of people) from moving parts, as well as the protection of enclosed equipment from foreign bodies. The second defines the protection level that the enclosure enjoys from various forms of moisture (drips, sprays, submersion etc). The tables below should help make sense of it:

Refer to the chart below for the ratings of relative protection of electrical enclosures:


The IP rating normally has two (but may have three) numbers:

  1. Protection from solid objects or materials
  2. Protection from liquids (water)
  3. Protection against mechanical impacts (commonly omitted, the third number is not a part of IEC 60529)

IP First Number – Protection against solid objects; IP Second Number – Protection against liquids

For example, in an IP rating of IP 54 for an electrical enclosure, 5 describes the level of protection from solid objects and 4 describes the level of protection from liquids. In this case, 5 indicates the enclosure is designed and built for protection against dust limited ingress (no harmful deposit) while the 4 indicates limited ingress protection against low pressure jets of water from all directions.

An “X” can be used for one of the digits if there is only one class of protection, i.e. IPX1 which addresses protection against vertically falling drops of water e.g. condensation.

IP Code            Minimum NEMA Enclosure rating to satisfy IP Code

IP20                  1

IP54                  3

IP66                  4, 4X

IP67                  6

IP68                  6P

The United States National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) also publishes protection ratings for enclosures similar to the IP rating system published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). However, it also dictates other product features not addressed by IP codes, such as corrosion resistance, gasket aging, and construction practices. Thus, while it is possible to map NEMA enclosure rating/NEMA ratings that can satisfy or exceed the IP Code criteria, it is not possible to map IEC ratings (IP codes) to NEMA enclosure ratings, as the IP Code does not mandate the additional requirements. The table above indicates the minimum NEMA rating that satisfies or exceeds a given IP code, but can only be used in that way, not to map IP to NEMA.

By knowing the right IP rating for your electrical enclosure upfront you could save a whole lot on the back end – especially if your enclosure is going to be used in extreme weather conditions. 

Looking for IP rated outdoor enclosures?

Outdoor Server Cabinet    Wall Mount Outdoor Cabinet      Outdoor Telecom Enclosure    Outdoor Battery Enclosure 

From data center to outdoor telecom infrastructure products, AZE has the right product for you. AZE designs and manufactures Server Racks and Enclosures, Outdoor Telecom Cabinets and Electronic Enclosures, Power Distribution (Basic Rack PDUs and Smart PDUs), KVM Switches and Fiber optics products to globe customers in the market.

Make IT Connected, AZE can support you to make IT happen with affordable cost.

Contact AZE  to customize your IP rated outdoor enclosures.

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