Engineering Reference
Quickly compare the protection levels against solid objects, dust, and water ingress provided by IP codes commonly used in electrical and mechatronic equipment.
Solid particle · dust · water protection
Each digit designates a distinct environmental protection characteristic.
IP
Ingress Protection
First Digit
Solid / dust protection
Second Digit
Water protection
6 = Dust tight · 8 = Continuous immersion under specified conditions
First Digit
0 → 6
Solid particle and dust protection.
Second Digit
0 → 9
Water ingress protection.
Example
IP67
Dust tight + temporary immersion.
Example
IP68
Dust tight + continuous immersion.
Level of protection against ingress of solid foreign objects and dust.
| Digit | Protection Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection | No protection against solid foreign objects. |
| 1 | ≥ 50 mm | Protection against large objects and accidental contact. |
| 2 | ≥ 12.5 mm | Protection against fingers and objects of similar size. |
| 3 | ≥ 2.5 mm | Protection against tools and small solid objects. |
| 4 | ≥ 1 mm | Protection against wires and very small objects. |
| 5 | Dust protected | Limited dust ingress is permitted without harmful effects. |
| 6 | Dust tight | No dust ingress under the specified test conditions. |
Level of protection against water ingress.
| Digit | Protection Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection | No protection against water. |
| 1 | Vertical drops | Protection against vertically falling water drops. |
| 2 | 15° tilt | Protection against water drops with enclosure tilted up to 15°. |
| 3 | Spray | Protection against water spray up to 60° from vertical. |
| 4 | Splashes | Protection against water splashes from any direction. |
| 5 | Water jets | Protection against water jets from any direction. |
| 6 | Powerful jets | Protection against powerful water jets. |
| 7 | Temporary immersion | Protection against temporary immersion in water. |
| 8 | Continuous immersion | Protection against continuous immersion under specified conditions. |
| 9 | High-pressure jets | Protection against high-pressure and high-temperature water jets. |
Frequently encountered enclosure protection ratings.
| Rating | 1st Digit | 2nd Digit | Solid / Dust | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP00 | 0 | 0 | No protection | No protection |
| IP10 | 1 | 0 | Protected against objects ≥ 50 mm | No protection |
| IP11 | 1 | 1 | Protected against objects ≥ 50 mm | Vertically falling water drops |
| IP20 | 2 | 0 | Protected against objects ≥ 12.5 mm | No protection |
| IP21 | 2 | 1 | Protected against objects ≥ 12.5 mm | Vertically falling water drops |
| IP22 | 2 | 2 | Protected against objects ≥ 12.5 mm | Water drops when tilted up to 15° |
| IP23 | 2 | 3 | Protected against objects ≥ 12.5 mm | Water spray up to 60° from vertical |
| IP30 | 3 | 0 | Protected against objects ≥ 2.5 mm | No protection |
| IP31 | 3 | 1 | Protected against objects ≥ 2.5 mm | Vertically falling water drops |
| IP32 | 3 | 2 | Protected against objects ≥ 2.5 mm | Water drops when tilted up to 15° |
| IP33 | 3 | 3 | Protected against objects ≥ 2.5 mm | Water spray up to 60° from vertical |
| IP34 | 3 | 4 | Protected against objects ≥ 2.5 mm | Water splashes from any direction |
| IP40 | 4 | 0 | Protected against objects ≥ 1 mm | No protection |
| IP41 | 4 | 1 | Protected against objects ≥ 1 mm | Vertically falling water drops |
| IP42 | 4 | 2 | Protected against objects ≥ 1 mm | Water drops when tilted up to 15° |
| IP43 | 4 | 3 | Protected against objects ≥ 1 mm | Water spray up to 60° from vertical |
| IP44 | 4 | 4 | Protected against objects ≥ 1 mm | Water splashes from any direction |
| IP45 | 4 | 5 | Protected against objects ≥ 1 mm | Water jets from any direction |
| IP50 | 5 | 0 | Dust protected | No protection |
| IP54 | 5 | 4 | Dust protected | Water splashes from any direction |
| IP55 | 5 | 5 | Dust protected | Water jets from any direction |
| IP56 | 5 | 6 | Dust protected | Powerful water jets |
| IP57 | 5 | 7 | Dust protected | Temporary immersion |
| IP60 | 6 | 0 | Dust tight | No protection |
| IP65 | 6 | 5 | Dust tight | Water jets from any direction |
| IP66 | 6 | 6 | Dust tight | Powerful water jets |
| IP67 | 6 | 7 | Dust tight | Temporary immersion |
| IP68 | 6 | 8 | Dust tight | Continuous immersion under specified conditions |
| IP69 | 6 | 9 | Dust tight | High-pressure / high-temperature water jets |
Temporary immersion
The first digit 6 signifies that the enclosure is completely dust tight. The second digit 7 designates protection against temporary immersion in water under standardized test conditions.
Continuous immersion
IP68 offers identical dust protection to IP67. The key distinction is water ingress: 8 represents a higher rating designed for continuous submersion under specific depth and duration parameters defined by the manufacturer.
Control panels, sensor housings, electric motor enclosures, and field instrumentation must be matched with appropriate IP ratings corresponding to their operational environment.
Environmental factors such as airborne dust, directional spray, washdown, and temporary submersion must be evaluated across robotics, AGVs, automated equipment, and mobile platforms.
Ratings such as IP65, IP66, or IP69 should be considered for applications exposed to high-pressure washdowns; final equipment specification must be validated against actual sanitation routines.
An IP rating alone does not guarantee resistance across every environmental hazard (e.g., chemical exposure, corrosion, thermal shock). In particular, IP67 and IP68 are not automatic drop-in substitutes for each other. Actual submersion depth and test duration for IP68 must always be verified against the manufacturer's product data sheet.