You are here: / / / In-House Testing

Protection Ratings and Environmental Testing in Our In-House Laboratory

When it comes to your technology, one thing matters above all: reliability! Our enclosures protect what matters to you and comply with internationally recognised standards and protection classes. These include IP, IK and NEMA protection ratings. In addition, we also carry out environmental testing, as we are your dependable partner when it comes to durability.

Compliance with IP protection ratings guarantees you protection against the ingress of dust and water into our enclosures. Protection against external mechanical impacts, on the other hand, is certified by IK protection ratings.

In our in-house laboratory, our enclosures are therefore tested for their resistance in heat and dust chambers, climate cabinets, immersion tanks and corrosion testing equipment. In this way, we ensure that our product meets your safety requirements day after day.

In-House Laboratory

To carry out all IP protection rating tests and environmental tests under standardised conditions, ROSE Systemtechnik has a laboratory equipped with a wide range of testing facilities. These include, among others:

  • Heat and dust chamber
  • Corrosion testing equipment
  • Climate cabinets
  • Immersion tanks

Testing in Accordance with Common Standards

Our tests are based on the relevant standards.

  • DIN EN 60529
  • DIN EN 60068
  • DIN EN 60079
  • DIN EN ISO 9227

Protection Rating Testing on Request

If desired, we can also test our enclosures with your installed components. Please feel free to contact us for personalised advice from our experts.

Contact form

PreviousNext

IP protection rating

In our in-house laboratory, we carry out IP protection rating tests according to DIN EN 60529. The laboratory test and protection rating provide information on which external influences the enclosure is protected against and to what extent the ingress of foreign bodies and moisture is prevented.

The IP classification always consists of a four-character code that begins with the letters “IP”. This is followed by two digits. If one of the two protection categories is not specified, it is replaced by an “X”. This ensures the code format remains consistent and unambiguous.

The first digit describes the protection against the ingress of solid foreign objects, ranging from 0 to 6, including dust. Using a dust chamber, we routinely test for dust protection classes IP5X and IP6X. During these tests, the enclosure is continuously dusted with talcum powder throughout the test duration.

The second digit assesses protection against moisture, ranging from dripping water to powerful jets of water, on a scale from 0 to 9. In the water protection tests according to DIN EN 60529, our in-house laboratory examines protection against water jets, temporary immersion, and hot water jets. Various nozzles are used to generate the required water volume flow and pressure. Using a swivel pipe, spray nozzle or different immersion tanks, we carry out protection rating tests from IP X4 to IP X9. During these tests, the enclosure is continuously sprayed with water or held at varying depths below the water surface for the entire test period.

To meet our high-quality standards, our enclosures have a minimum protection rating of IP 5X (dust protected) and IP X4 (splash water protected). Protection classes below these values are routinely met by our products and do not require testing in our in-house laboratory.

Protection classProtection against ingress of foreign objects
Negative pressureTest duration / Test force
IP 0X
No protection
No0
IP1X
Ball diameter 50 mm (does not fully penetrate)
No
50 N
IP 2X
Ball diameter 12.5 mm (does not fully penetrate)
No
20 N
IP 3X
Test wire diameter 2.5 mm (does not penetrate)
No
3 N
IP 4X
Test wire diameter 1 mm (does not penetrate)No1 N
IP 5XIngress of dust in harmful quantitiesWith or without 20 mbar8 hours
IP 6XIngress of dust (complete)With 20 mbar8 hours
Protection classProtection againstWater pressureWater flow rate or depthTest durationDistance
IP X0
No protection
0 kPa
0 l/min
0 minutes0 m
IP X1
Dripping water
1 kPa
1 mm/min
10 minutes0.2 m
IP X2
Dripping water at a 15-degree angle
2 kPa
3 mm/min
2.5 minutes for each angle
0.2 m
IP X3
Spray water
50 kpa – 100 kpa
10 l/min
At least 5 minutes (1 minute per m²)
0.2 m
IP X4Spray water100 kPa
10 l/min5 minutes0.3 – 0.5 m
IP X5Spray water30 KPa
12 l/min3 minutes2.5 – 3.0 m
IP X6Jet water100 kPa
95 – 105 l/min3 minutes2.5 – 3.0 m
IP X7Temporary immersion0.1 bar1 m30 minutes
IP X8Temporary immersion0.05 bar or as per customer request0.5 m30 minutes or as per customer request
IP X9hot jet water80 bar15 l/min30 seconds1.5 – 2.0 m

IK Protection Rating

The IK classification assesses the impact resistance of an enclosure according to the standard DIN EN IEC 62262. The IK code (Impact Protection) is divided into eleven categories. Protection class IK00 indicates no protection against mechanical impacts, whereas IK11 certifies the enclosure’s resistance to impacts of up to 50 joules.

The protection levels are determined by a standardized drop test, where a pendulum weight is dropped onto the enclosure from defined heights.

In our testing laboratory, we assess enclosures up to 840 mm in height for their durability. Our control enclosures, such as the SL5000 model, also undergo extensive impact testing.

Special attention is given to enclosures with integrated viewing windows, as these are the most vulnerable areas. Through targeted testing, we ensure that even the weakest points meet the required standards.

Whether aluminium, stainless steel, polyester or polycarbonate, all types of enclosures undergo comprehensive impact testing with us.

Protection classImpact energy (joules)
Protection againstDistance in mm
Weight in kg
00
No protection0
0
10.15
Impact
56
0.25
20.2
Impact
80
0.5
30.35
Impact
140
0.5
40.5
Impact
200
0.25
50.7
Impact400
0.25
61
Impact
400
0.5
72
Impact
600
0.5
85
Impact
300
1.7
910
Impact
200
5
1020
Impact
400
5
1150
Impact
500
10

NEMA Protection Rating

The NEMA certification originates from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association in Washington D.C. and defines technical safety standards for electronic products. This certification is relevant for all products intended to be manufactured or used in the US market.

For industrial enclosures and control cabinets, protection ratings from NEMA 1 to NEMA 13 are significant. They provide information on how well an enclosure is protected against external influences. The objective of the NEMA classification can be compared to the European IP certification.

However, the two systems differ in their assessment. While the IP protection ratings primarily focus on protection against the ingress of dust and water, the NEMA classification also takes mechanical and chemical influences into account.

Protection classProtection against
1Protection against the ingress of dust and limited protection against dripping water
2Protection against the ingress of dust and limited protection against splashing water
3Protection against the ingress of dust and rain
3RProtection against the ingress of dust and rain, suitable for outdoor use
3SProtection against the ingress of dust, rain and snow, suitable for outdoor use
3XProtection against the ingress of dust, rain, snow and corrosive substances, suitable for outdoor use
4Protection against the ingress of dust and splashing water
4XProtection against the ingress of dust and splashing water, corrosion-resistant
5Protection against the ingress of dust and splashing water, limited to indoor use
6Protection against the ingress of dust and powerful water jets
6PProtection against the ingress of dust and powerful water jets, suitable for outdoor use
7Explosion protection for gas and vapour atmospheres
8Explosion protection for gas and vapour environments
9Explosion protection for dust environments
11Protection against the ingress of dust and limited protection against dripping water
12Protection against the ingress of dust, dirt and splashing water, suitable for indoor use, for enclosures without knockouts
12KProtection against the ingress of dust, dirt and splashing water, suitable for indoor use, for enclosures with knockouts
13Protection against the ingress of dust, dirt, splashing water, as well as oil and coolants, suitable for indoor use

Environmental Testing: Climate, Corrosion and ESD

Testing External Influences

Using standardized procedures, ROSE tests how external factors affect the ageing of enclosures.
We subject our products to the following tests:

  • Heat storage
  • Temperature measurements (in order, for example, to eliminate spontaneous ignition of dust/gas)
  • Exposure to cold
  • Exposure to climatic effects
  • Exposure to salt spray (DIN EN ISO 9227)
  • Outdoor exposure tests
  • ESD electrostatic dissipation test

Mechanical loading test

Not only moisture, dust, extreme temperatures and corrosion can reduce the service-life of technological enclosures: mechanical loads are also a factor which should not be underestimated. We can simulate these stresses on a test system specially designed for this purpose. Our range:

  • Impact testing (1-21 Nm)
  • Rupture test
  • Vibration testing (50 Hz)
  • Overload testing
  • Mechanical fatigue test

ROSE worldwide

Please choose your preferred language: