Protection level
Introduction
The IP degree of protection refers to the international standard CEI 60529 Degrees of Protection[1] used very frequently in the technical data of electrical or electronic equipment, generally for industrial use such as sensors, meters, controllers, etc. It specifies an effective system to classify the different degrees of protection provided by the containers that protect the components that make up the equipment, against the entry of foreign materials (dust, water, etc.).
This standard has been developed to qualify equipment in an alphanumeric way based on the level of protection that its container materials provide. By assigning different numerical codes, the degree of protection of the equipment can be identified quickly and easily.
In this way, for example, a protection grade IP67 indicates the following:.
As a general rule, it can be established that the higher the IP protection degree, the more protected the equipment is.
As of August 2020, most of the inductive, capacitive and photoelectric sensors on the market have a minimum protection level of IP67, which makes them suitable to withstand most of the aggressive environments that occur in the industry.
IEC 60529 Nomenclature
First digit (IP [X] [ ])
The CEI 60529 standard establishes for the first digit that the equipment to be certified must meet one of the following conditions.
Second digit (IP [ ] [X])
The CEI 60529 standard establishes for the second digit that the equipment to be certified must meet one of the following conditions.
(The IPx9K level is defined in the German standard DIN 40050-9, and not in the IEC 60529).
Additional letters
More letters can be added to denote additional information related to device protection:.
The letter K is specified in DIN 40050-9 and not in IEC 60529.