Dust and Waterproof Testing

According to the testing requirements for dust and water resistance of the product, in accordance with the testing specification IEC/EN 60529. As long as there is a need to prevent solid objects such as arms, fingers, metal rods, metal wires, and even dust or liquid (water) from entering the interior of the product, there is a set of standard testing equipment, methods, time, and judgment criteria that are met.

The full name of IEC/EN 60529 standard is Degrees of protection provided by enclosure (IP code), which means the level of protection provided by the product casing. IP stands for International Protecion, which means the internationally recognized level of protection. Currently, more and more countries are adopting it, except for the United States and Canada, where national standards such as UL50 and CSA are still used for dust and water resistance.

Generally speaking, most IEC or EN product standards make modifications to the conditions of IEC/EN 60529, such as testing conditions or judgment standards, when setting their dust and waterproof requirements to meet the specific needs of their products. These standards, such as IEC/EN 60598 for lighting products, IEC/EN 60335 for household appliances, IEC/EN 60558 for power supplies, and even IEC/EN 60950 for information products, often require dust and water resistance testing.

Products require dust-proof and waterproof testing, and most of them are used outdoors or in humid environments, such as lighting fixtures, advertising materials, air conditioning products, bathroom supplies, washing machines, swimming pool supplies, sauna supplies, fish tank supplies, power supplies for the above products, and even information products are increasingly emphasizing dust-proof and waterproof functions.

The meaning of IP Code: IP N1 N2 Y Z

The first number (N1) can be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or X, representing the ability to prevent solid objects from entering (dust prevention).

The second number (N2) can be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or X, representing the ability to prevent liquid from entering (waterproof).

The additional first letter (Y) can be H, M，S，W， Representing additional protective conditions

The additional second letter (Z) can be A, B，C，D， Represents the ability to protect against contact with hazardous components.

First digit

Test significance

Testing Capability

0

Not required

—

one

50mm diameter sphere

50N

two

12.5mm diameter sphere

30N

three

2.5mm diameter metal rod

3N

four

1.0mm diameter metal wire

1N

five

Dust chamber, with or without negative pressure

—

six

Dust chamber, with negative pressure

—

X

unspecified

—



The second number

Test significance

Water quantity or depth

Test time

0

Not required

—

—

one

Vertical drip test

1mm/min

10min

two

Tilt 15 degree drip test

3mm/min

Each slope takes 2.5 minutes

three

Spray test (60 degrees)

0.07 L/min per hole

10min

four

Splash test (180 degrees)

0.07 L/min per hole

10min

five

Water column test

12.5 L/min

1min/m2，≥ 3min

six

Strong water column test

100L/min

1min/m2，≥ 3min

seven

Short immersion test

Top is 375px above the water surface or bottom is 1m above the water surface

30min

eight

Continuous immersion test

Individual regulations, but stricter than 7

＞30 min

X

unspecified

—

—

Judgment after testing

Generally, if there are no specific regulations in the product standards, the requirements for IP5X dust testing are:
·Talc powder must not accumulate or enter the product. If any other dust enters, it may cause harm to the normal operation or product safety of the product.
·No talcum powder is allowed to enter, which may reduce the creepage distance and fail to meet safety requirements.



Generally, if there are no specific regulations in the product standards, the requirements for IP6X dust testing are:

·No dust is allowed to enter the casing.



If the product standard does not specify otherwise, the requirements for IPX1-IPX6 waterproof testing are:
·It shall not affect the normal operation of the product.
·Do not endanger the safety of the product.
·No water shall enter and come into contact with live parts or coils that are not waterproof.
·There shall be no water accumulation at the cable terminal or entering the cable line.