Environmental Testing – Enclosure Protection

Austest performs accredited Enclosure Protection testing in Adelaide,  Melbourne and Sydney

Enclosure Protection testing involves assessing ability of the product or its enclosure to provide protection against:

IPx4 testing – Electrial Enclosure
  • ingress of water (drip, spray, jet, immersion)
  • ingress of dust
  • solid foreign objects
  • access to hazardous parts
  • mechanical impact

Levels of protection against water, dust, solid foreign objects and access to hazardous parts are defined by IEC 60529 and its derivatives such as AS 60529. This standard is commonly referred to as “IP Code” and is referenced by many commercial, industrial and consumer product standards.

Protection against impact is standardised in similar manner by IEC62262 (also known as “IK code”) and IEC60068-2-75 specifications.

RTCA DO-160 Waterproofness testing – Helicopter Searchlight

Additionally, defence equipment is usually tested to relevant sections of MIL-STD-810 or DEF STAN 00-35 standards, while RTCA DO-160 is prevalent for aerospace applications and ISO20653 for automotive use.

Austest Laboratories operates enclosure protection testing facilities at its NSW, VIC and SA sites featuring:

  • Ingress protection testing up to IP69K rating
  • 4 dust chambers, up to 25 m3
  • Immersion testing up to 6000 m depth
  • Testing to defence, aerospace and automotive specifications:
    • MIL-STD-810G
    • DEF STAN 00-35
    • RTCA DO-160G
    • ISO20653
  • On-site testing

    Impact testing, pendulum hammer
  • Spring, Pendulum and Drop hammer impact testing, up to IK10 rating
  • Specialized impact tests (e.g. AS3439-5)
  • High speed impact up to 500 J
  • Post-test electrical evaluations

Here are the various numerals explained in basic terms covering Ingress Protection (please refer to the standard AS/NZS 60529 for specifics):

IP First Numeral – Protection from solid objects/dust, IP

IP0X No protection
IP1X Protection against solid objects > 50 mm
IP2X Protection against solid objects > 12 mm
IP3X Protection against solid objects > 2.5 mm
IP4X Protection against solid objects > 1 mm
IP5X Protection against dust (limited ingress allowed, no harmful deposit).
IP6X Fully protected from dust (dust tight).

IP Second numeral – Protection from moisture/liquids

IPX0 No protection.
IPX1 Protection from vertically dripping water
IPX2 Protection from sprays/dripping of water up to 15ofrom vertical.
IPX3 Protection from spraying water up to 60o from vertical.
IPX4 Protection from spraying water (all directions) – limited ingress OK provided no hazard.
IPX5 Protection from low pressure jets of water (all directions) – limited ingress OK provided no hazard.
IPX6 Protection against powerful jets of water, limited ingress OK provided no hazard
IPX7 Protection from temporary immersion
IPX8 Protection from continuous immersion

Austest is accredited for testing to the impact standard for IK ratings, IEC 62262. The IK ratings vary depending on intended use. Street lights have a minimum IK04, moderate resistance IK06, high – IK08 according to AS 1158.6 (Resistance to vandalism).

IK code IK00 IK01 IK02 IK03 IK04 IK05 IK06 IK07 IK08 IK09 IK010
Impact energy, J . 0,14 0,2 0,35 0,5 0,7 1 2 5 10 20
*Not protected according to the standard
NOTE 1 When higher impact energy is required, the value of 50J is recommended.
NOTE 2 A characteristic group numeral of two figures has been chosen to avoid confusion with some national standards which used a single numeral for a specific impact energy.
Specialized Impact testing – AS 3439-5
On-site IPx6 testing – Passenger Train
Austest Dust Chamber – Large
Dust testing – Hearing Aid

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