Is your machine operating at optimal performance? Were the components used certified to a specific IP rating? If you do not know, you may want to ask your machine builder about the process they use in specifying the components for your machine. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standards is the international standards and conformity assessment body for all fields of electro technology.

These standards help engineers to determine the level of protection required based on the environment in which the machine will operate. With this said the IEC guidelines for ingress protection ratings are used by engineers to insure that machines will meet the environmental requirements specified by the customer over a specified period. Using these guidelines may not be a necessity, but if followed and applied appropriately, they can provide, with some degree of certainty that the machine being designed is not under- or over-engineered. Read more »