For outdoor and water-resistant electronics applications, you will want to consider IP65-rated enclosures. These enclosures are specifically designed to endure in more demanding environments and the outdoors, as they effectively shield sensitive electronic components and wiring from environmental stressors including dust, solid foreign objects and moisture. Specifically, IP65 enclosures are completely protected against dust ingress (they are totally “dust-proof”) and protected against low-pressure water jets (hosing) from any direction.NOTE: NEMA enclosures and IP enclosures differ. You can read more about the difference here. Our WP Series enclosures are both NEMA 4X and IP65 rated, so they offer additional protection against impact, corrosion and heat in addition to their protection against dust and water. Thus, they are an ideal choice for a range of demanding environments, including those listed below.

Where Can IP65 Enclosures Be Used?

As you can see, IP65-rated electronic enclosures are pretty versatile because of their ability to withstand tough environments and exposure to dirt and debris. Here are some of the most common places people employ these kinds of enclosures:
  • Outdoor Environments—The most common place where IP65 enclosures are used is in the outdoors, in both covered and uncovered environments. Some examples include security cameras and outdoor surveillance equipment.
  • Factories and Warehouses—Factories, warehouses or manufacturing facilities where chemicals, dirt, dust and debris are a given must use IP65 enclosures or NEMA rated enclosures to prevent damage to internal components.
  • Agricultural Facilities—Many electronics designed for use on farms and in greenhouses utilize IP65 enclosures to prevent components from becoming damaged due to excess exposure to dirt, dust or water.
  • Garages and Automotive Shops—The particles emitted from auto paint, welding and oil can be detrimental to certain electronics, so it’s important that electronics used in these environments are made with weatherproof enclosures.
  • Boats and Marine Environments—Naturally, you shouldn’t employ any electronics in moist environments that are not specifically designed to get wet and to get wet often. Marine-rated meters, testers and other devices are often built with IP65 enclosures.
  • Washdown and Sanitary Areas—Because these environments are often subjected to water jets, they require enclosures that are rated to protect from direct spray.

WP-20 WP Series Polycarbonate NEMA Enclosure

What Are IP65 Enclosures Used For?

IP65 enclosures have been used in the design of everything from biomethane analyzers that provide high-accuracy readings of methane and oxygen levels to outdoor security devices that need to be protected from dust and water. In fact, some security cameras need to be IP65-rated not only because they are used outdoors, but also because they could be tampered with or damaged with water jets. Thus, IP-rated enclosures are ideal for both durability and safety. Other common implementations of these enclosures include external temperature sensors and various other types of sensors, including those that measure humidity and barometric pressure. We have also begun to see IP65-rated enclosures used in many cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) devices. For example, a Plano, Texas company recently unveiled a new industrial forklift reader that’s made with an IP65 enclosure. This device features an RFID scanner that allows workers to manage autonomous pick, drop, move and stack operations. According to the company, the IP65 rating was necessary for both indoor and outdoor use due to the harsh environments of warehouses, construction sites, shipping facilities and other places where autonomous forklifts are used.WP-23F WP Series Polycarbonate NEMA Enclosure

Customized IP65-Rated Enclosures

With a wide variety of IP65 enclosures, it’s easy to find the perfect enclosure to fit your needs. Once the right size and style has been selected, Polycase can customize your enclosure with any CNC machining and digital printing your product requires. Our cable glands and venting accessories ensure your IP65 rating remains unchanged with cutouts, and our digital printing is tested to withstand the same harsh outdoor conditions as the enclosure making our customization services an easy choice. Get your instant quote today!
In IP Rated Enclosures