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Understanding Security Camera IP and IK Ratings

IP and IK Ratings

IP: Ingress Protection

IK: Impact Protection

If you’ve ever wondered what those numbers are that you see on our web pages or in the product spec sheets then today’s your lucky day! Wonder no more!

IP Ratings

The IP system is an international standard that defines the level of protection against intrusion (ingress) into enclosures by various things such as dust, solids and liquids. For years, Europe and most other countries have been using the IP rating standards based on IEC 60 529 while Canada and the US use the NEMA Standard 250. While the two standards are similar, there is no direct correlation other than the protection provided against dust and moisture. This is because the IEC IP rating only covers two aspects of intrusion whereas the NEMA ratings cover thirteen! Fortunately, our only concern here is going to be CCTV security camera enclosures manufactured outside of the USA that are covered by the IEC IP rating.

When looking for the IP rating you should look for the letters “IP” followed by two numbers ranging from 00-68. Every number in the IP rating chart represents a unique test and the greater the number, the more severe the test. Every test has stringent requirements that are tightly controlled during the testing procedure to ensure consistency. This way, customers can look for the desired ratings based upon their specific needs and they can feel comfortable knowing that their cameras have been tested to be compliant to the specified requirements.

hand camera

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First Number

The first number indicates the degree of protection of people in relation to their ability to access moving or hazardous  parts, other than smooth rotating shafts and the like, inside the enclosure and/or the protection of the equipment against intrusion of solid foreign objects in accordance with IEC 60 529. The information below should help clear up any confusion:

0
No protection against contact or entry of objects.

1
Protection against solid objects larger than 50 mm in diameter.
Accidental contact with a large object or part of the body, such as a hand (not protected against deliberate attempts to access).

2
Protection against solid objects not greater than 12 mm in diameter.
Fingers or similar sized objects not exceeding 80 mm in length.

3
Protection against solid objects larger than 2.5 mm in diameter.
Tools and other objects that are of a diameter or thickness greater than 2.5 mm.

4
Protection against solid objects that are larger than 1 mm in diameter.
Wires or other similar solid material of thickness greater than 1 mm in diameter.

5
Protected against dust.
No sufficient quantity of dust can enter that would impede the satisfactory operation of equipment.

6
Completely protected against dust.
No penetration of dust.

 

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Second Number

The second number indicates the degree of protection against the penetration of moisture as defined in IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) Standard IEC 60 529.

0
No protection

1
Protected against drops of water falling vertically.
Dripping water (vertically falling drops) will have no adverse effect.

2
Protected against drops of water falling straight with a slope of 15º.
Vertically dripping water will have no harmful effect when the CCTV enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15º from its normal   position.

3
Protected against  sprays  of  water  from  any  direction,  up  to  60º  from  the  vertical.
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60º from the vertical will have no harmful effect.

4
Protected against splash water coming from all directions.
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction will have no harmful effect. Limited ingress permitted.

5
Protected  against  low  pressure  water  jets  from  any  direction. For instance, water from a sprinkler or faucet. Limited ingress permitted.
Water sprayed by a nozzle against the enclosure from any direction will have no harmful effects.

6
Protected  against  high  pressure  water  jets  from  any  direction.  Limited ingress permitted.
Water from heavy seas or projected in powerful water jets shall not enter the enclosure in harmful quantities.

7
Protected from ingress of water in harmful quantity when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (between 15 cm and 1 m depth of submersion). Limited ingress permitted.
Intrusion of water in a harmful quantity will not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time.

8
Protected from intrusion of water when the enclosure is completely submersed in water continuously for long periods of time. Limited ingress permitted.
This would typically mean that the camera is securely sealed but in some cases, water may still enter but should not have adverse effects. This equipment is suitable for continuous submersion in water under conditions which will be specified by the manufacturer. Submersible cameras with an IP68 rating are specialized products that are meant to be used for specific applications (e.g., underside of dock, mounting on a boat). Any camera that is rated IP68 will be clearly labelled..

 

 

Impact Protection (IK) Rating

This rating, IEC standard 62 262, is used to specify how mechanical impact protection tests on enclosures (specifically CCTV enclosure for our purposes) are conducted. IK ratings fall into a numerical range from 00 to 10 and indicate the degree of protection provided by enclosures against external mechanical impacts. The different IK ratings relate to the ability of an enclosure to resist impact energy levels measured in joules (J). The equipment being protected cannot exceed a voltage rating of 72.5 kV in accordance with IEC 62 262.

Note: While our cameras are tested and meet the requirements to be certified as they are, please refrain from attempting to confirm that they will meet or exceed their respective ratings!

IK Ratings

 

ninja

 

IK00
Not protected

IK01
Protected against 0.14 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 0.25 kg mass dropped from 56 mm above impacted surface.

IK02
Protected against 0.2 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 0.25 kg mass dropped from 80 mm above impacted surface.

IK03
Protected against 0.35 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 0.25 kg mass dropped from 140 mm above impacted surface.

IK04
Protected against 0.5 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 0.25 kg mass dropped from 200 mm above impacted surface.

IK05
Protected against 0.7 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 0.25 kg mass dropped from 280 mm above impacted surface.

IK06
Protected against 1 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 0.25 kg mass dropped from 400 mm above impacted surface.

IK07
Protected against 2 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 0.5 kg mass dropped from 400 mm above impacted surface.

IK08
Protected against 5 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 1.7 kg mass dropped from 300 mm above impacted surface.

IK09
Protected against 10 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 5 kg mass dropped from 200 mm above impacted surface.

IK10
Protected against 20 joules impact.
Equivalent to impact of 5 kg mass dropped from 400 mm above impacted surface.

 

If you ever have any questions relating to Security Camera Surveillance, make sure you give us a call and speak to someone in our sales department and they will be happy to answer any questions you have! They’ll help guide you in the direction that will work best for you, your budget and your space. We can help you with HD-CVI, HD-TVI, IP Network, Tribrid DVRs, Hybrid DVRs and whatever else you may need. Just give us a call at 866-573-8878 or check out our website at www. securitycameraking.com for sales or information from our CCTV learning center, product downloads, our CCTV forum and even information on installations!