| NUMBER | EFFECTIVE AGAINST | DESCRIPTION | TEST CONDITIONS |
| X | – | Not tested/not applicable. | – |
| 0 | None | No protection. | – |
| 1 | > 50 mm | hand | Protection against solid foreign objects greater than 50 mm, such as the back of a hand. | A 50 mm probe pushed with a force of 50 N must have adequate clearance from hazardous parts and must not be able to fully penetrate the item. |
| 2 | > 12,5 mm | finger | Protection against solid objects greater than 12.5 mm, such as a finger. | A standardised 12 mm diameter test finger with a force of 10 N must not be able to fully penetrate the item, and a 12,5 mm sphere with a force of 30 N must have adequate clearance from hazardous parts. |
| 3 | > 2,5 mm | tool | A standardised 12 mm diameter test finger with a force of 10 N must not be able to fully penetrate the item, and a 12,5 mm sphere with a force of 30 N must have adequate clearance from hazardous parts. | A 2.5 mm probe in the form of a steel wire and pushed with a force of 3 N must not be able to penetrate the item. |
| 4 | > 1 mm | wire | Protection against solid foreign objects greater than 1.0 mm, such as a wire. | A 1 mm probe in the form of a steel wire and pushed with a force of 1 N must not be able to penetrate the item. |
| 5 | Dust protected | Partial protection against dust. The quantities of dust penetrating the device must not damage it, nor prevent its satisfactory performance. | A 1 mm probe in the form of a steel wire and pushed with a force of 1 N must not be able to penetrate the item. Furthermore, the device must endure fine-grained circulating talcum powder in a dust chamber for 2- 8 hours without suffering any damage or having safety or performance issues. |
| 6 | Dust tight | Protection against the ingress of a wire and complete protection against dust.. | A 1 mm probe in the form of a steel wire and pushed with a force of 1 N must not be able to penetrate the item Furthermore, fine-grained circulating talcum powder in a dust chamber for 2- 8 hours must not be able to penetrate the device. |
IP Ratings for Linear Actuators: IP54 to IP68
Regner® Editorial Team
Aiguaviva -
31/01/2017
IP Ratings for Linear Actuators: What They Mean and How to Choose the Right One
IP ratings indicate how well an enclosure protects electrical equipment against access to hazardous parts, solid particles and water. In a linear actuator, the IP rating helps determine whether the product is suitable for environments exposed to dust, splashes, water jets or temporary immersion.
Choosing between IP54, IP65, IP66, IP67 or IP68 should depend on the actual operating environment, mounting conditions and level of exposure expected throughout the product’s service life.
What determines the IP rating of a linear actuator?
Different linear actuator applications require different levels of environmental protection. An actuator installed in protected indoor equipment does not face the same conditions as one exposed to dust, water, cleaning processes or outdoor environments. The required IP rating should therefore be defined according to the actual operating conditions of the application.
The IP rating of a linear actuator depends on the performance of the enclosure as a complete system. Housing design, seals, cable entries, connectors, moving interfaces and mechanical joints all contribute to limiting the ingress of dust and water. Materials such as anodised aluminium can provide mechanical strength and durability, but the housing material alone does not determine the final IP rating.
Seals and dynamic sealing elements are particularly important because they may need to maintain protection in areas subject to movement, wear, pressure changes and repeated operating cycles. Their design, material and integration therefore have a direct influence on the long term protection of the actuator.
What do the numbers in an IP rating mean?
The IP code indicates the degree of protection provided by an enclosure against access to hazardous parts, the ingress of solid foreign objects and the harmful effects caused by the ingress of water. In a linear actuator, it provides a standardised way of describing protection against dust, particles and liquids.
An IP code normally consists of two digits. The first digit, from 0 to 6, indicates protection against access to hazardous parts and solid foreign objects. The second digit indicates protection against water. If one of these protection levels has not been specified, the corresponding digit is replaced by an “X”. For example, IPX7 specifies protection against temporary immersion in water without defining a protection rating against solids.
Interpretation of the first number of the ingress protection (IP) code
Interpretation of the second number of the ingress protection (IP) code:
| NUMBER | EFFECTIVE AGAINST | DESCRIPTION | TEST CONDITIONS |
| X | – | Not tested / not applicable. | – |
| 0 | None | No protection | – |
| 1 | Dripping water | Protection against vertically falling drops of water. | Dripping water with a flow rate of 1 mm/min for 10 minutes must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 2 | Dripping water when tilted at 15° | Protection against vertically dripping water when the device is tilted at an angle of 15°. | With the equipment mounted in four different positions tilted at a 15º angle, dripping water with a flow rate of 3 mm/min for 2.5 minutes at every position must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 3 | Spraying water | Protection against water sprayed at an angle up to 60° from the vertical.
| The test can be performed using an oscillating fixture or a spray nozzle. With the oscillating fixture, a water volume of 0.07 l/min per hole is sprayed for 10 minutes. With the spray nozzle, a water volume of 10 l/min is sprayed for 1 min/m2, with a minimum of 5 minutes. In either case, spray must not exceed 60° from the vertical and water must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 4 | Splashing of water | Protection against splashing water from any direction.. | As for the IPX3, the test can be performed using an oscillating fixture or a spray nozzle. With the oscillating fixture, a water volume of 0.07 l/min per hole is sprayed for 10 minutes. With the spray nozzle, a water volume of 10 l/min is sprayed for 1 min/m2, with a minimum of 5minutes. In either case, spray is projected from all directions and water must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 5 | Water jets | Protection against splashing water from any direction. | A jet of water projected from a Ø 6.3 mm nozzle at a distance of 2.5-3 m from the device with a flow rate of 12.5 l/min for 1 min/m2for at least 3 minutes, must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Protection against strong water jets projected from any angle. | A jet of water projected from a Ø 12.5 mm nozzle at a distance of 2.5-3 m from the device with a flow rate of 100 l/min for 1 min/m2,for at least 3 minutes, must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 6K (DIN 40050) | Powerful water jets with increased pressure | Protection against high-pressure water jets projected from any direction. | A jet of water projected from a Ø 6.3 mm nozzle at a distance of 2.5-3 m from the device with a flow rate of 75 l/min for 1 min/m2for at least 3 minutes, must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 7 | <1 m < depth immersion | Protection against temporary immersion in water at a maximum depth of 1 m. | The device—placed in its service position—is immersed in water for 30 minutes, with the lowest point of the equipment 1 m below the surface of the water, or the highest point 15 cm below the surface, whichever is deeper. Water must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 8 | >= 1 m > depth immersion | Protection against immersion in water at a greater depth and for a longer period. | The device is immersed in water following the duration, depth and conditions agreed upon by the manufacturer and the user. Water must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
| 9K (DIN 40050) | Powerful high-temperature water jets | Protection against high-pressure hot water sprayed from any direction. | Water at a temperature of 80 °C projected 0.10-0.15 m from the device with a flow rate of 14-16 l/min and a pressure of 8-10 MPa, for 30 seconds in each of 4 angles (for a total of 2 minutes), must not penetrate the device in such a quantity or position that it prevents satisfactory operation or presents a safety risk. |
In some cases, additional or supplementary letters may appear after the two digits of an IP code. Additional letters A, B, C and D provide further information about protection against access to hazardous parts. Supplementary letters can provide information about specific test conditions or characteristics of the equipment. These letters are only used when the corresponding information needs to be specified.
ADDITIONAL LETTER DESCRIPTION:
| LETTER | DESCRIPTION |
| A | Protection against access to hazardous parts with the back of a hand. |
| B | Protection against hazardous parts with fingers. |
| C | Protection against tools interfering with hazardous parts. |
| D | Protection against wire entering hazardous parts. |
SUPPLEMENTARY LETTER DESCRIPTION:
| LETTER | DESCRIPTION |
| f | Oil resistant device. |
| H | High voltage device. |
| M | Device moving during water test. |
| S | Device standing still during water test. |
| W | Weather conditions. |
As an example, a linear actuator rated IP54 is protected against dust ingress in quantities that could interfere with satisfactory operation and against water splashes from any direction. This level of protection may be suitable for indoor or protected environments, but it does not provide protection against powerful water jets or immersion.
The appropriate IP rating should always be selected according to the actual operating conditions. A linear actuator installed in laboratory equipment, a medical device, an industrial machine or an outdoor application may require different levels of protection even when the mechanical requirements are similar.
The IP code provides a standardised reference for understanding the environmental protection verified for an enclosure. However, it should not be interpreted as a complete indication of resistance to every environmental condition. Chemical resistance, corrosion, temperature, cleaning agents and mechanical wear may require separate evaluation.
Mechanical impact resistance is not expressed by the current IP code. When resistance to external mechanical impacts needs to be specified, the IK classification defined by IEC 62262 is used instead. The IK code indicates the level of protection provided by an enclosure against mechanical impacts.
| IK rating IK | IK00 | IK01 | IK02 | IK03 | IK04 | IK05 | IK06 | IK07 | IK08 | IK09 | IK10 |
| Impact energy (joules) | Not protected | 0,15 | 0,20 | 0,35 | 0,50 | 0,70 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
IEC 60529 and the NEMA enclosure classification system are not directly equivalent. IEC 60529 defines IP ratings mainly in relation to access to hazardous parts, solid foreign objects and water, while NEMA enclosure types can include additional environmental requirements such as corrosion, icing, oil or coolant exposure.
For this reason, a NEMA enclosure type may meet or exceed the requirements of certain IP ratings, but an IP rating cannot be used on its own to determine an equivalent NEMA enclosure type. Any comparison between the two systems should therefore be treated as a reference rather than a direct conversion.
| NEMA | IP Code |
| 1 | IP20 |
| 2 | IP22 |
| 3, 3X, 3S, 3SX | IP55 |
| 3R, 3RX | IP24 |
| 4, 4X | IP66 |
| 5 | IP53 |
| 6 | IP67 |
What does IP67 mean on a linear actuator?
IP67 means that the actuator enclosure is dust tight and protected against the effects of temporary immersion in water under the conditions defined by the standard. It does not mean that the actuator is designed for continuous underwater operation.
Is IP68 always better than IP67?
Not necessarily. IP68 indicates protection under immersion conditions that are more demanding than IP67, but the specific depth and duration depend on the conditions defined for the product. The correct rating should be selected according to the real application.
What IP rating does a linear actuator need for industrial use?
It depends on the environment. Applications exposed to dust, cleaning processes or water may require ratings such as IP65, IP66 or IP67, while protected indoor equipment may require a lower level.
Does an IP rating also indicate chemical resistance?
No. An IP rating primarily addresses protection against access, solid foreign objects and water. Resistance to chemicals, detergents or cleaning agents must be evaluated separately.
