IP Ratings - Dust and Water Resistance
Learn about IP Certifications and see how Getac IP certified dust and water-resistant tablets and laptops can help you work in challenging environments.
What is an IP rating?
IP (Ingress Protection) ratings are used to describe different levels of protection against dust, water, and foreign body intrusion for electrical enclosures. IP qualifications are defined in the international standard EN 60529 and aim to denote exact levels of waterproof or dust-proof casings. Typically, IP ratings are composed of two letters, “IP,” followed by two numbers.
What do the IP rating numbers mean?
First digit
The first digit of an IP rating denotes the level of protection from solid ingression, from things as large as hands, to particles as small as dust. The first digit can range from 0 (no protection) to 6 (complete protection from dust ingression) with the levels in between varying by particle size (protection from 50mm, 12.5mm, 2.5mm, 1.0mm particles).
Second digit
The second digit of an IP rating denotes the level of protection from liquid ingression, including liquid droplets, rain, spray, submersion and spills. It goes from 0 (no protection) to 9 (protection against continuous submersion in water within certain limits and conditions).
IP Rating example digit
A certified IP67 tablet would be completely protected from dust and protected against temporary immersion in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Getac offers solutions with highly rated intrusion and moisture protection, allowing professionals to work in challenging conditions when dust and moisture are present.
Digits marked 'X'
In IP ratings, X is sometimes used in place of a rating. ‘X’ is used to replace the variable if either the water resistance or dust resistance is unimportant or unknown. It does not signify that there is no protection for the rating it replaces (in which case it would be represented as 0). For example, a product rated IP20 is protected against solid objects greater than 12.5mm and is certified to have no liquid protection. A product rated IP2X is known and certified to be protected against solid objects greater than 12.5mm but the certified liquid resistance for that product is not available or known.
IP Rating Table
| First Digit | Symbol | Solid Protection* | Second Digit | Symbol | Liquid Protection* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | N/A | Not Protected | 0 | N/A | Not Protected |
| 1 |  | Protected against solid objects greater than 50mm | 1 |  | Protected against vertically dripping water when the product is upright |
| 2 |  | Protected against solid objects greater than 12.5mm | 2 |  | Protected against dripping water when tilted up to 15 degrees |
| 3 |  | Protected against solid objects greater than 2.5mm | 3 |  | Protected against spraying water with the device tilted up to 60 degrees from its upright position |
| 4 |  | Protected against solid objects greater than 1.0mm | 4 |  | Protected against splashing water from any direction |
| 5 |  | Dust cannot ingress in an amount sufficient to affect the normal operation of the device | 5 |  | Protected against jetting water projected from a 6.3mm nozzle at 12.5 litres per minute |
| 6 |  | Dust tight; dust cannot ingress | 6 |  | Protected against powerful jetting water (12.5 mm nozzle, 100 litres per minute) |
 | 7 |  | Protected against the effects of immersion in water up to 1m for 30 minutes | ||
How are IP rated solutions tested
IP ratings are certified by independent testing companies. Waterproof tests are performed in a controlled environment with either a 12.5mm or 6.3mm nozzle. The water pressure is then altered and applied to certify various levels of water tightness.
Getac IP-Certified Rugged Computing Solutions
Getac offers a broad variety of rugged laptops and rugged tablets that are built with IP ratings from IP65 to IP67 to help professionals benefit from the advantages of a powerful computing solution in highly challenging environments. Filter and search through Getac’s IP rated offerings below to find the computing solution that best fits your needs.
