IP (Ingress Protection) Test

Many products are subjected to various tests before they reach the market. These tests include product safety testing, electromagnetic compatibility, vibration testing, and others.

What is IP Test?

The Ingress Protection test or IP test tests the ability of a product to protect against "penetration", that is, leakage of water, dust and foreign objects. Some of the standards for IP testing are MIL-STD-810 (Military), RTCA / DO-160 (Aviation Radio Technical Commission) and IEC 60529 (International Electrotechnical Commission).

Why Use Entry Test?

There are several reasons for entry testing, including security, functionality, and product marketing. Many products require insulation from external elements in order to work properly. These external elements include fog, steam, sprayed water, sand, oil, and even fingers. The ingress protection test helps to determine whether a particular product will work properly when placed in the area.

Which Products Should Be Protected Against Ingress?

Different products require different levels of tests and different types of tests. In general, ingress protection is reserved for testing for entry from foreign objects or liquids. In many products, the point where the probability of malfunction is most likely is a stitch between the two parts.

Testing in Stitches

Dust and water can enter a product in a stitch that joins the two parts. Therefore, the seams between the components are usually closed with a seal - a rigid or flexible seal.

Rigid seals provide more protection against structural seals and inlet flexible seals, and flexible seals can provide more general functionality for the product. However, flexible seals often pose a challenge when trying to keep the elements out. Their flexibility can sometimes leave small gaps in a seal where the outside can enter the product.

In addition, the gaskets are sometimes incorrectly installed or screwed or bolted with little or too much pressure. In both cases, a gap may develop in the seam between the two components and provide a source for the external elements to enter the product.

More Generalized Entry Test

Some entrance tests are done under various temperature and pressure settings. This is important because in some cases, contact with water can change the internal pressure of a component. If this is important, certain materials such as Gore-Tex can be used to relieve pressure differences.

In other cases, a device may need to allow air to pass through, but still need to block water. For example, consider a microphone that will record a singer while singing a song. It works by working on pressure waves caused by the singer's voice, but any water that can flow into the microphone can make it useless.

Fortunately, water has surface tension and can be blocked by a mesh made of plastic or wire. The network still traps water and mostly prevents it from entering the microphone while the network still allows air to flow freely.

Which Products Need Input Protection?

Many products that are subject to engineering standards such as UL or CSA standards must specify an ingress protection (or IP) rating. These products include computers, laboratory equipment, some medical devices, light fixtures, and products that must be dust-free or moisture-resistant. Products that are likely to be placed in sealed and hazardous locations also require an IP rating.

In some cases, IP testing is optional, but vendors often request IP ratings from manufacturers before placing a product in inventory. For example, a hardware store may want all outdoor lights it sells to come with an IP rating against moisture ingress. The hardware store does not want to buy too many returned goods or want to be responsible in case of an accident due to the product's malfunction. In such a case, it is the duty of the manufacturer to meet the seller's standards.

Some other typical products that require ingress protection are components in automotive and military applications. In these cases, the water pressure test is very important as the water system can test it. Water is often used for cleaning, so the product must be water resistant to potentially sensitive components.

The water spray test can help fit the gaskets that seal the gaskets well in these systems. It is also important to think that the spray test may include water dispensed at high speed, which presents its own challenges.

Sometimes water can even pass a good seal. Making sure that the seal contains a shield that blocks the water spray can be important in these conditions to maintain the serviceability of a seal.

Other common items that require input protection testing include electrical sockets, mobile phones, refrigerators (especially electric motors) and wrist watches.

What are Entry Protection Ratings?

Ingress protection ratings are standard ratings used to identify the type and degree of input protection a particular item has. The values ​​come in two sets: one for foreign objects and dust (i.e. solid objects) and the other for liquids (like water).

Each rating starts with "IP", which means input protection. The first number after the "IP" relates to the rating against the penetration of foreign bodies and dust. The second number refers to protection against the ingress of liquids. While these address one of the two types of contaminants, the remaining type is identified by an X. For example, IP1X corresponds to 1 degree against the penetration of foreign bodies and dust, and X indicates that there is no ingress degree against liquids. given. Note that X does not show zero protection.

Standard ratings for entering foreign bodies and how to interpret powders are:

• IP0X: This rating indicates that the item has never been protected against input from foreign objects.
• IP1X: This rating stipulates that the item is protected from access from the back of a hand and solid foreign bodies larger than 50 mm (about 2 inches). This is confirmed by ensuring that a 50mm probe has enough gap from dangerous parts and does not fully penetrate the object.
• IP2X: This rating indicates that dangerous parts cannot be accessed with one finger or solid objects larger than 12,5 mm (about half an inch). This is tested using the "articulated finger" between 12 mm and 80 mm long.
• IP3X: This rating is given for items that are not accessible to dangerous parts with a tool such as a screwdriver or solid objects larger than 2,5 mm (one tenth of an inch). This is verified using a 2,5mm access probe that cannot penetrate the item.
• IP4X: This rating applies to items where hazardous parts cannot be reached, even to wires or foreign objects larger than 1,0 mm. This is tested using a 1,0mm access probe and to ensure that the incoming dust does not affect the functionality of the part.
• IP5X: This rating applies to hazardous parts that cannot be reached even with a cable, and protection against dust ingress also applies. This is tested using a 1,0mm access probe and to ensure that the incoming dust does not affect the functionality of the part.
• IP6X: There may be no dust ingress for this rating. Otherwise, it is similar to IP5X, except that the product is completely sealed from dust.

Next, entry ratings by liquids:

• IPX0: This rating indicates that the product is not protected at all from the ingress of liquids.
• IPX1: This rating indicates that the item is protected against vertically falling drops of liquid, that is, it does not create any harmful effects on the item.
• IPX2: This rating extends IPX15 by protecting against drops of liquid falling at an angle of up to 1 degrees.
• IPX3: This rating is given when an item is safe to enter from the spray liquid. This is tested by spraying water at a vertical angle of up to 60 degrees and determining that there is no damage from it. The spray may come in an oscillating pattern with a flow rate dependent on the substance under test.
• IPX4: This rating extends IPX3 to include protection against the ingress of splashed liquids. It is tested by determining that splashed water has no harmful effect on the substance.
• IPX5: This rating applies to products protected from penetration from liquid jets. It is given after testing with water jets and indicates no harmful effects.
• IPX6: This rating is given for products that can protect against entry from strong liquid jets. It is an extended version of IPX5. The water pressure in this test can reach 14,5 pounds per square inch (PSI).
• IPX7: This rating goes further and shows protection against temporary immersion in liquids. Grading is given after immersing an item in 30 meter of water for 1 minutes with no harmful effects.
• IPX8: This rating extends the IPX7 rating for deeper and longer periods for immersion. The immersion conditions are decided between the manufacturer and the test facility. Specifications must be clearly marked on the product.

These ratings are determined in an ANSI test standard called IEC 60529. Some grading systems extend the second number to a possible 9, which indicates protection against steam jet cleaning.

The test is verified by a test engineer, in any case, to examine the item being tested immediately after the test is completed to determine the result. It is very important that the test engineer is well trained and knowledgeable when conducting the test and reporting the results.

What Are The Problems With Entry Protection Testing?

There are several problems that arise in the input protection test. The first is that the ingress protection test requires rigorous installation and extensive performance. Another problem is that the manufacturer needs to know the level of ingress protection required for his products. For example, an electrical socket may need an IP22 rating, indicating that it cannot be finger-fed into the socket and that falling liquid cannot enter the socket at an angle of up to 15 degrees.

On the contrary, an electric motor in a refrigerator may require different values ​​from IP42 to IP66. Typically, the higher the rating, the higher the design and manufacturing cost. So a manufacturer needs to consider the input protection that is really necessary for the product. Any additional protection can only provide additional marketing potential.

For example, Samsung's Galaxy S5 mobile phone has an IP67 rating. It is completely impermeable to dust and dirt and can survive soaked in water up to 30 meter for 1 minutes. It is difficult to consider an application for a phone that needs to be immersed in 1 meter of water for such a long time, but it provides a marketing angle for the product.

However, if an item passes a certain test level, it does not mean that a lower value will pass all levels. For example, a product can survive by immersing it in water, but the water jet cannot survive by being shot for several minutes. When in doubt, learn more about the test a particular product has received.

Another point to consider is that different standards for input protection, such as ANSI / UL standards, are equivalent to IP standards. Test protocols are different and therefore satisfaction from one standard does not mean satisfaction from all other standards.