What IP Rating means
An IP rating classifies an enclosure against intrusion by solids (first digit, 0–6) and water (second digit, 0–9K). IP65 means dust-tight and protected against water jets; IP67 adds immersion up to 1 m for 30 minutes. The code comes from IEC 60529, and the rating belongs to a tested enclosure design — gasket geometry, lid compression, fastener pattern, cable entries — not to a material or a finish.
Why it matters on the shop floor
For sheet metal work the rating is earned in the details: a continuous gasket groove rather than a glued strip, a lid flange that compresses the gasket evenly, welded seams dressed before coating, and cable glands instead of drilled holes. A design that reaches IP65 on the drawing can fail the test on a missed gasket land or an unsealed knockout — which is why the rating is agreed at quotation, proven at first article, and tested against the standard rather than claimed.
What to remember
- First digit = solids (6 is dust-tight); second = water (5 jets, 7 immersion, 9K high-pressure).
- The rating attaches to the tested enclosure design — changing the gasket or entries voids it.
- Cable entries and door seals fail IP tests more often than the welded body does.