February 2, 2021
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IP68 rated enclosures are a common choice for outdoor electrical enclosures.
Why IP Ratings Are Important
Why are IP ratings such an important piece of information for people who work with and design electrical devices? Here are the basic principles that make IP ratings useful:- Ingress from water and/or solid materials can seriously damage or destroy an electrical device. Thus, it’s critically important that devices be outfitted with an electrical enclosure that will withstand the environmental conditions the device will encounter.
- An IP rating is an internationally-recognized standard that allows device designers and builders to confidently select an enclosure that they know will provide the level of protection their devices need.
- Rather than individually specifying each protective characteristic that a device enclosure needs to have, device designers can specify an IP rating on the device’s schematic and/or bill of materials. This provides a useful shorthand and an easy to use standard that leaves relatively little room for ambiguity.
Now that we’ve seen why IP ratings are so important, let’s take a deeper look at how they actually work in practice. How IP Ratings Work
The IP rating system is part of the standards established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). More specifically, IP ratings are based on the IEC 60529 standard, which establishes two-digit numerical categories for rating electrical enclosures based on the level of ingress protection that they provide. Each IP rating follows the formula of “IPXX,” where each X is a number that represents a specific level of protection as outlined in IEC 60529. The first number represents solid ingress protection, while the second number represents water ingress protection. Each numerical increase represents a step up in protection. For example, when comparing IP67 vs. IP68 ratings, you’ll notice that IP68 provides a higher degree of protection in a number of specific ways (which we’ll discuss below). Devices that don’t require a certain kind of protection may have one digit listed as an X, such as an IPX7 rating for a device that only requires water protection rather than water and dust protection. However, most electrical enclosures are rated for both dust and water ingress protection.Protective Qualities of an IP68 Enclosure
IP68 is the highest standard rating on the IP enclosure scale. That means that IP68 enclosures are the choice of professionals who need to provide their devices with the ultimate in rugged protection, especially for devices that may spend a substantial amount of time submerged. So, when it comes to the specific rating of IP68, what levels of protection can a device manufacturer or designer expect? We’ll break it down according to the two digits that comprise the IP68 rating:
- 6: The 6 means that IP68 is a dust proof IP rating and is protected from any and all solid ingress. That includes everything from accidental contact with tools and body parts to fine dust and debris circulating through the air.
- 8: The 8 means that an IP68 enclosure is functionally waterproof, even during prolonged periods of submersion at a depth of over 1.5 meters. As we’ll discuss later, the specific level water protection that an IP68 enclosure provides can vary by model.
Applications for an IP68 Enclosure
What are the applications in which you might see an IP68 enclosure used in today’s world? These are some of the most common applications where you’ll find them in use:- Industrial control panels in challenging environments where the device may be exposed to significant amounts of flying debris or splashing water
- Devices designed for marine applications (such as diving, shipping or oil drilling work) or other circumstances in which submersion is either possible or certain
- Waterproof junction boxes for applications that require underwater electrical equipment
- Consumer electronics, such as smartphones, cameras and Bluetooth speakers, that are designed to survive temporary immersion in water
- Devices that need maximum protection because their failure would cause injury, death or hazardous conditions
How Is an IP68 Rating Determined?
An enclosure manufacturer can claim that its products are IP68 rated, but how are these claims verified? That’s an important question that all enclosure buyers should ask before purchasing an enclosure because the IP ratings system is voluntary and is not enforced by any single centralized authority. Thus, it’s important to purchase enclosures only from manufacturers who verify their enclosures’ IP ratings through an independent quality assurance authority. An independent QA tester will perform rigorous testing that mimics the conditions that an enclosure might experience, such as flying dust or submersion in water. The most reliable solution is to look for enclosures that are tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratories (now called UL). UL is the industry leader in independent QA and safety testing, and you’ll find their logo on a huge range of electrical and electronics devices that they’ve tested for quality and performance. Every IP-rated enclosure from Polycase has been tested and verified by UL experts. These tests help us confirm that every enclosure provides dependable performance at the IEC 60529 standard. To see the UL test results of any Polycase enclosure, just find the UL file number on the enclosure’s product listing and enter it into UL’s Product iQ search database.What NEMA Rating Is Equivalent to an IP68 Rating?
The National Association of Electrical Manufacturers also produces a rating scale called the NEMA enclosure ratings system that’s used to rate electrical enclosures in the U.S. The NEMA rating system assesses many similar enclosure qualities as the IP rating system, but it has some key differences (which we address in detail in our IP to NEMA conversion guide).
The main advantage of NEMA ratings is that they rate protection against corrosion, external ice formation and several other factors that IP ratings don’t consider. If your enclosure application requires protection against these environmental conditions, it’s important to also learn about any NEMA ratings that an enclosure carries. In the case of IP68 enclosures, a NEMA 6P rating is considered roughly equivalent to an IP68 rating. To make it easier for our customers to find the best enclosure for their needs, Polycase tests each enclosure to both NEMA and IP standards and lists both NEMA and IP ratings on every rated enclosure that we offer. Limitations of IP68 Rated Enclosures
Device designers and builders should note that IP68 ratings have some limitations when it comes to the protection that they provide. The common theme among these limitations is that, because of its place atop the IP ratings scale, the IP68 rating doesn’t always tell the whole story. It’s important to evaluate the specific testing standards of an IP68 enclosure because of the potential variation between individual models. Be aware of the following facts about IP68 enclosure ratings and be ready to investigate these aspects further when evaluating a specific IP68 enclosure model:- IP68 liquid ingress testing includes only water, not other liquids. An IP68 enclosure may provide protection against other liquids such as oil, coolant, cleaning fluids and more, but it’s not guaranteed.
- The IP68 rating specifies only that the enclosure must prevent water ingress at a depth of 1.5 meters or more. The specific depth up to which the enclosure is rated to protect the device varies by manufacturer and model. Always check to ensure that your IP68 enclosure is rated for the specific depth that your application requires.
- Similarly, the IP68 rating only specifies that the enclosure must remain submerged for at least 30 minutes. When selecting an enclosure, check the submersion time that it’s been tested for.
- An IP68 enclosure may allow very small amounts of water ingress if the water is present in such small amounts that it does not present a significant hazard to the enclosed device. However, the amount of water that constitutes a device hazard can vary widely by application––so again, check the UL test results in detail to learn about the amount of water that a given enclosure may allow.
- Some IP68 enclosures require the user to install the gasket. For these models, it’s important to follow instructions carefully to ensure that your enclosure provides the protection that it’s designed to.
Polycase HD-44F Polycarbonate Enclosure
IP68 Enclosure Options from Polycase
Polycase offers a full range of IP68 outdoor enclosures that are built for superior performance. We have IP68 enclosures in both aluminum and polycarbonate plastic, designed for the toughest outdoor applications and rigorously tested using industry standard methods. Below are a few of Polycase’s most popular IP68 options:- Polycase AN Series: The AN Series are diecast aluminum enclosures that offer some of the best IP68 protection available from Polycase. These enclosures provide natural EMI/RFI shielding to protect sensitive devices and are designed to present an attractive and polished look.
- Polycase HD Series: One of our most popular enclosure series, the HD Series models are built with a powerfully tough design, including hidden screws that help prevent tampering and provide a sleek appearance. Includes built-in mounting bosses for quick and easy PCB mounting.
- Polycase ML Series: Our ML Series IP68 polycarbonate enclosure models are a tried and true solution for outdoor and industrial enclosure applications. These rugged enclosures are built for exceptional toughness and resistance to all kinds of harsh environmental conditions.
- Polycase ZH Series: The ZH Series is an uncompromisingly high-performance addition to the Polycase line of IP68 outdoor enclosures. Every ZH enclosure includes options for a built-in hinged latch system or screw-closed configuration, including optional tamper-resistant protection.
- Polycase ZQ Series: Another innovative addition to Polycase’s IP68 enclosure lineup, the ZQ Series offers a screw-closed configuration with optional tamper-resistant screws. Includes built-in PCB mounting bosses, an optional transparent cover and your choice of mounting feet or mounting flanges.
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