First digit
Solid objects and dust: 1 over 50 mm, 2 over 12.5 mm, 3 over 2.5 mm, 4 over 1 mm, 5 dust-protected, 6 dust-tight. It also states access to hazardous parts: by hand, finger, tool or wire.
Reference tool — not a selection
IP codes, before they go in an RFQ.
IP code
Dust, water, letters.
Enter the code from the plate or the data sheet. Put an offered replacement in the second field, and the reader checks it against the fitted one, digit by digit. The drawing and the RFQ line update with every change.
Examples:
Replacement check
On the codes alone: the replacement’s data sheet and tests decide.
All 130 engineering tools
A motor, a luminaire, a junction box or a sensor carries an IP code such as IP66/IP67: the first digit for solid objects and dust, the second for water. Enter it as marked, and the reader takes it apart, draws what each digit keeps out and writes the RFQ line.
Above 6 the water digits are separate tests: IPX7 does not show that the jet tests were passed. An item that needs both is marked with both, such as IP66/IP67.
How the code is built
IP, two digits, letters.
Second digit
Water: 1 dripping, 2 dripping at a 15° tilt, 3 spray to 60° from vertical, 4 splashing, 5 jets, 6 powerful jets, 7 temporary immersion, 8 continuous immersion, 9 high-pressure, high-temperature jets.
Letters and X
An additional letter A to D states access protection on its own (hand, finger, tool, wire); H, M, S and W add test conditions. X means not stated, not no protection.
| Digit | Water | Also meets |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | no protection | — |
| 1 | vertically dripping water | — |
| 2 | dripping water, tilted 15° | 1 |
| 3 | spraying water to 60° from vertical | 1–2 |
| 4 | splashing water from any direction | 1–3 |
| 5 | water jets | 1–4 |
| 6 | powerful water jets | 1–5 |
| 7 | immersion to 1 m for 30 minutes | a separate test |
| 8 | continuous immersion, maker’s conditions | a separate test |
| 9 | high-pressure, high-temperature jets | a separate test |
Up to 6, a higher digit meets the lower ones; 7, 8 and 9 are separate tests. An item that passed both jets and immersion is marked with both: IPX5/IPX7, IP66/IP67. The K in IP69K comes from DIN 40050-9 (now ISO 20653), not from IEC 60529.
Sources
Digits and their meaning: Wikipedia ("IP code"), Ineltro (EN 60529) and the Saginaw Control IEC IP chart; letters A to D, H, M, S, W and X: Wikipedia, the Saginaw chart and the OSRAM guide to IEC 60529; the non-cumulative rule above 6 and dual marking: Wikipedia and OSRAM; the letter K: Wikipedia and OSRAM. Test details (nozzles, flow, pressure) are not given the same way everywhere and are left out.
Before you send the request
Questions about IP codes in an RFQ
What does IP66/IP67 mean?
Dust-tight, protected against powerful water jets, and against temporary immersion to 1 m for 30 minutes. Both water tests were passed, which is why both codes are given.
Is IP67 better than IP66?
Not in every way. 7 is an immersion test and 6 a jet test; above 6 the water digits are not cumulative, so IP67 on its own does not show resistance to powerful jets.
What does the X in IPX4 mean?
That no rating is stated for solid objects. It is not the same as no protection; if dust or contact matters for the place where the item is fitted, ask for the first digit.
What should the request include?
The full code as marked, both ratings where there are two, the item with its type or size, where it is fitted on board (open deck, engine room, accommodation) and the quantity.
Code clear?
Send the line with a photograph of the plate.
Reading the code is a cross-check, not a selection. Attach a photograph of the plate and say where the item is fitted, and Vessel Core checks them before an offer goes back.
Buyer tools
