Technical Information

Protection Classifications

Standards Comparison:
NEMA, UL, CSA Standard Enclosures

Type Designation	National Electrical Manufacturer's Association (NEMA Standard 250)	Underwriter's Laboratories Inc. (UL 50 and UL 508)	Canadian Standards Association (Standard C22.2, Nos. 14, 40 and 94)
1	Enclosures are intended for use indoors, primarily to prevent accidental contact of personnel with the enclosed equipment in areas where unusual service conditions do not exist.	Indoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection against contact with the enclosed equipment and against a limited amount of falling dirt.	General purpose enclosure. Protects against accidental contact with live parts.
2	Indoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection against contact with the enclosed equipment and against a limited amount of falling water and dirt.	An enclosure for indoor use, constructed so as to provide a degree of protection against dripping and light splashing of non-corrosive liquids, and falling dirt.	Indoor use to provide a degree of protection against limited amounts of falling water and dirt.
3	Enclosures are intended for outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection against windblown dust, rain, sleet, and external ice formation.	Outdoor use to provide a degree of protection against windblown dust, rain, and sleet; undamaged by the formation of ice on the enclosure.	An enclosure for either indoor or outdoor use, constructed so as to provide a degree or protection against rain, snow, and windblown dust; undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure.
3R	Enclosures are intended for outdoor use primarily to provide a degree or protection against windblown falling rain, sleet, and external ice formation. (May be ventilated).	Outdoor use to provide a degree of protection against windblown dust, rain, and sleet; undamaged by the formation of ice on the enclosure.	An enclosure for either indoor or outdoor use, constructed so as to provide a degree of protection against rain, snow, windblown dust, splashing and hose-directed water; undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure.
4	Enclosures are intended for use indoors or outdoors, to protect the enclosed equipment against splashing water, seepage of water, falling or hose directed water, and severe external condensation. They are sleet resistant but not sleet (ice) proof.	Indoor or outdoor use to provide a degree of protection against splashing water, windblown dust and rain, and hose-directed water; undamaged by the formation of ice on the enclosure.	An enclosure for either indoor or outdoor use, constructed so as to provide a degree of protection against rain, snow, windblown dust, splashing and hose-directed water; undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure.
4X	Type 4X enclosures have the same provisions as Type 4 enclosures and, in addition, are corrosion-resistant.	Indoor or outdoor use to provide a degree of protection against splashing water, windblown dust and rain, and hose-directed water; undamaged by the formation of ice on the enclosure; resists corrosion.	An enclosure for either indoor or outdoor use, constructed so as to provide a degree of protection against rain, snow, windblown dust, splashing and hose-directed water; undamaged by the external formation of ice on the enclosure; resists corrosion.
12	Enclosures are intended for use indoors to protect the enclosed equipment against fibers, flyings, lint, dust, and dirt, and light splashing, seepage, dripping and external condensation of non-corrosive liquids.	Indoor use to provide a degree of protection against dust, falling dirt, and dripping non-corrosive liquids.	An enclosure for indoor use, constructed so as to provide a degree of protection against circulating dust, lint, fibers, and flyings; drippings and light splashing of non-corrosive liquids; not provided with knockouts.
13	Enclosures are intended for use indoors primarily to house pilot devices such as limit switches, foot switches, pilot lights, etc., and to protect these devices against lint and dust, seepage, external condensation, and spraying of water, oil, and coolant.	Indoor use to provide a degree of protection against dust and spraying of water, oil, and non-corrosive coolants.	An enclosure for indoor use, constructed so as to provide a degree of protection against circulating dust, lint, fibers, and flyings; seepage and spraying of non-corrosive liquids including oils and coolants.

Please Note: The information presented here is for reference only and is not meant to be a definitive description of the test requirements and/or
qualifications.
The complete standards should be obtained from the appropriate association or agency.

I.P. Ingress Protection Classifications to DIN VDE 0470/EN 60529*

The protection classification offered by an enclosure is shown by the letters IP Ingress Protection, and two digits. The first digit indicates two factors (protection for persons and equipment). The second digit indicates only one factor, protection against water.

Similarly, changes in temperature, as may occur, for example, in the open air, are not taken into account. Such changes in temperature may cause a loss of pressure in the enclosure, and dampness may be absorbed through the seal area. Rose+Bopla can supply pressure compensation elements for this purpose.

Digit	Persons		Equipment
Digit	Brief Description	Definition	Brief Description	Definition
0	Not protected	-	Not protected	-
1	Protection against the back of the hand touching dangerous parts	A round body, 50mm in diameter, must be at a sufficient distance from dangerous parts	Protection against a solid foreign body of 50mm or more in diameter	A round body, 50mm in diameter, must not fully penetrate
2	Protection against a finger touching dangerous parts	The test finger, jointed, 12mm in diameter and 80mm long, must be at a sufficient distance from dangerous parts	Protection against a solid foreign body of 12.5mm or more in diameter	A round body, 12.5mm in diameter, must not penetrate at all
3	Protection against a tool touching dangerous parts	A body, 2.5mm in diameter, must not be able to penetrate	Protection against a solid foreign body of 2.5mm or more in diameter	A round body, 2.5mm in diameter, must not penetrate at all
4	Protection against a wire touching dangerous parts	A body, 1.0mm in diameter, must not be able to penetrate	Protection against a solid foreign body of 1.0mm or more in diameter	A round body, 1.0mm in diameter, must not penetrate at all
5	Protection against a wire touching dangerous parts	A body, 1.0mm in diameter, must not be able to penetrate	Protection against dust	No dust penetration
6	Protection against a wire touching dangerous parts	A body, 1.0mm in diameter, must not be able to penetrate	Sealed against dust	No dust penetration

¹⁾Dust must not penetrate in sufficient quantities to prevent the equipment from operating satisfactorily, or to impair safety.

Important note: The protection classifications given for the enclosures refer to unmachined enclosures as supplied. In the case of protection against water in particular (second digit), the test conditions will be met if during the given time for the experiment no water has penetrated, or not in harmful quantities. As the tests to show protection classifications take no account of ageing, the maintenance of the protection classification throughout the lifetime of the equipment is not guaranteed.

*We assume no liability for quoted standards.

I.P. Ingress Protection Classifications to DIN VDE 0470/EN 60529*

Example: IP54
   –first digit 5= protection against dust and wire
     contact with dangerous parts
   –second digit 4= protection against splashing
     water

Digit	Brief Description	Definition
0	Not protected	-
1	Protection against vertical water drops	Drops of water falling vertically onto the enclosure must not have any harmful effects
2	Protection against vertical water drops when the enclosure is inclined at 15º	Drops of water falling vertically onto the enclosure must not have any harmful effects if the enclosure is inclined by up to 15º on both sides of the vertical
3	Protection against water spray	Water sprayed onto the enclosure at up to 60º on both sides of the vertical must not have any harmful effects
4	Protection against water spray	Water splashed onto the enclosure from any direction must not have any harmful effects
5	Protection against water jet	Water splashed onto the enclosure from any direction must not have any harmful effects
6	Protection against powerful water jet	A strong water jet directed at the enclosure from any direction must not have any harmful effects
7	Protection against the effect of temporary immersion in water	Water must not enter in a quantity that could have harmful effects if the enclosure is temporarily immersed in water under standardized pressure and time conditions
8	Protection against the effects of constant submersion in water	Water must not enter in a quantity that could have harmful effects if the enclosure is kept permanently under water under conditions agreed between the manufacturer and the user; however, these must be more severe that those under figure 7

We have attempted to present the information about our enclosures on this website in a straight-forward manner. We offer this information as accurate at the time of publication. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Rose+Bopla Enclosures is not responsible for inadvertent errors.