What is the meaning of the acronym IP covered by the IEC 60529 standard?
IP initials, which usually appear in the technical data of electronic and electrical equipment, derived from the English words Ingress Protection. These acronyms refer to the degree of protection envisaged by the US standard ANSI/IEC 60529-2004 Degrees of Protection., which is recognized by most countries and is included in several standards, such as the European one.
This regulation allows for an alphanumeric system composed of the letters IP followed by two digits. It serves to classify the equipment depending on the level of protection provided by the containers that protect the components, against the entry of foreign matter such as dust, lint, chips, water, etc. Thus, the higher IP the more protected is the equipment.
IEC 60529 defines the protection rates in relation to:
- The protection of people against access to hazardous parts.
- Protection of equipment and materials against the entry and penetration of solid bodies.
- And protection of equipment against the harmful effects caused by water access.
It also establishes the designation for each degree of protection, the requirements for each of them and the tests to be performed to verify compliance with the law prescription.
Most of the fotoelectric, inductive and conductive sensors, marketed currently, have a minimum level of protection of IP67, which reflects its ability to withstand the most aggressive environments present in the industry.
In the next post we will offer tables to interpret the IP code. Do not miss it!
