When
talk about LED products we often mention waterproof rating (IPXX), but what water-proof
rating is?
IP stands
for Ingress Protection.
The
rating’s first digit e.g. IP65 relates to the ingress protection against dust
(6 means dust tight, see the table below)
The
second digit e.g. IP65 relates to the
ingress protection against water (5 means protected against water jets, see the
table below)
Protection
against solid objects
|
||
1st
Digit
|
Description
|
Definition
|
0
|
Non-protected
|
No
special protection
|
1
|
Protected
against solid objects greater than 50 mm
|
A
large surface of the body such as the hand (no protection against deliberate
access). Solid objects exceeding 50mm diameter
|
2
|
Protected
against solid objects greater than 12 mm
|
Fingers
or other objects not exceeding 80 mm in length. Solid objects exceeding 12 mm
diameter
|
3
|
Protected
against solid objects greater than 2.5 mm
|
Tools,
wires, etc of diameter or thickness greater than 2.5 mm. Solid objects
exceeding 2.5 mm diameter.
|
4
|
Protected
against solid objects greater than 1.0 mm
|
Wires
or strips of thickness greater than 1.0 mm. Solid objects exceeding 1.0 mm
|
5
|
Dust
protected
|
Ingress
of dust is not totally prevented but dust does not enter in sufficient
quantity to interfere with satisfactory operation of the equipment
|
6
|
Dust-tight
|
No
ingress of dust
|
Protection
against liquids
|
||
2nd
Digit
|
Description
|
Definition
|
0
|
Non-protected
|
No
special protection
|
1
|
Protected
against dripping water
|
Dripping
water (vertically falling drops)
|
2
|
Protected
against dripping water when tilted up to 15º
|
Vertically
dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at
any angle up to 15º from its normal position
|
3
|
Protected
against spraying water
|
Water
falling as spray at an angle up to 60º from the vertical shall have no
harmful effect
|
4
|
Protected
against splashing water
|
Water
splashed against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful
effect
|
5
|
Protected
against water jets
|
Water
projected from a nozzle against the enclosure from any direction shall have
no harmful effect
|
6
|
Protected
against heavy seas
|
Water
from heavy seas or water projected in powerful jets shall not enter the
enclosure in harmful quantities
|
7
|
Protected
against the effects of immersion
|
Ingress
of water in a harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is
immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time
|
8
|
Protected
against submersion
|
The
equipment is suitable for continuous submersion in water under conditions,
which shall be specified by the manufacturer
|
Take
strip light as example:
Non-waterproof
LED strips: PCB (Printed Circuit Board) material with self-adhesive back
Waterproof
LED strip-surface injection: Except it PCB material is encapsulated with
plastic Gel at surface, with adhesive back, water resistant coat (IP-65)
Waterproof
LED strip-silicon tube: Except it PCB material is encapsulated with silicon
jacket. Without self-adhesive back, water resistant coat (IP-67)
Waterproof
LED strip-whole injection: Except it PCB material is encapsulated with plastic
GEL at both sides, Water resistant coat (IP-68)
If
you want to know more details about IP code, please reference to this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
