IP rating chart for commercial vehicle safety solutions

Our IP rating chart and guide aims to explain everything you need to know about ingress protection and what you should look for when buying electronics for outdoor use.

What is an IP rating?

An IP rating or Ingress Protection rating is a system formed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to define levels of sealing effectives of electrical enclosures against foreign bodies. To put this simply, an IP rating will indicate how waterproof and dustproof an electrical product is.

This system for measuring ingress protection is defined in standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529:1992, European IEC 60509:1989) and describes how foreign bodies can enter an electrical products housing.

What do the numbers mean?

The two digits in an IP rating will define how protected the product is. The first number refers to protection against solids such as dust and dirt, and the second number refers to liquids such as water.

The IP rating chart below shows a scale for what each number represents:

First Digit after ‘IP’:

1. Protection from the ingress of large objects greater than 50mm in diameter e.g. a hand
2. Protection against fingers or other objects greater than 12mm in diameter but no greater than 80mm.
3. Protection from entry by tools, etc, with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more.
4. Protection against solid foreign bodies larger than 1mm (e.g. fine tools).
5. Limited ingress of dust that will not interfere with equipment.
6. Completely dust tight.

Second Digit after ‘IP’:

1. Protection from condensation
2. Protection against vertically falling water droplets when tilted at up to 15°
3. Protected against spraying of water up to 60° from vertical.
4. Protected from water spray and splashes from all directions.
5. Protection against low pressure jets of water from all directions.
6. Protection against high pressure jets of water from all directions.
7. Protected against temporary immersion in water.
8. Protected against effects of immersion in water for long periods.
9. Protected against close range, powerful and high temperature water jets.

The Commercial Vehicles Market

Many vehicle safety solutions operate outside of the vehicle, exposed to the elements and vulnerable to penetrative dust and water. Ingress protection is vital in instances where safety solutions need to work to protect drivers and vulnerable road users. Use our IP rating chart to fully understand how your product will perform.

From Calcutta to Kilmarnock

Brigade’s products have been designed to stand the test of time and to operate in the toughest environments around the world. Where possible, we strive to produce products that hold a rating of IP69K.

Our Backsense® radar keeps Indian miners safe in the sweltering heat where dust and mud would cause inept electronic safety equipment to fail.

“Davesmen, India, fit Brigade Backsense”

Wet weather is no challenge for our camera systems. With complete ingress protection our cameras can operate come rain or shine. Whether it be a small splash from the road or a complete downpour in the Scottish Highlands, water will not fault our systems.

“Malcolm Group., Scotland, fitted Brigade to it’s fleet.”

Many of our products can operate at temperatures as low as -40°C, perfect for the mines of Kazakhstan, where working products are essential. The blistering cold means only the toughest equipment is up to the job with ingress protection pivotal to electrical equipment’s survival.

 “Alpha Safety, Kazakhstan, is just one of Brigade’s 70+ international distributors.”

In the deserts surrounding Bahrain where sand finds its way in to every chasm, it would have been thought that Brigade’s monitors and displays were protected by a vehicles cab. However, the extreme heat means open windows leave flailing winds to hurl sand far and wide. IP69 rated monitors and displays work perfectly in this environment, stopping the grit and sand, keeping operations safe.

Whatever environment you are working in, a Brigade product will be right there with you. We’re so confident in our products we offer up to a Lifetime warranty. Our testing procedure is extensive and thorough so that commercial vehicle safety can be upheld across the globe.

Please get in touch if you would like to find out how we can help you.