If you have ever specified a reeling drum, pendant control station or electrical enclosure for an industrial environment, you will have encountered IP ratings.
Although IP ratings appear on product datasheets, in procurement specifications and in health and safety documentation, they are not always well understood.
At Metreel, various types of equipment we supply have IP ratings to ensure it is both safe and compliant for its intended use.
Our team can help you explore IP rated solutions for your operations when you get in touch.
Until then, here is an overview of the different IP ratings, including what the differences between common ratings such as IP65, IP66 and IP67 mean in practice when you are selecting electrical equipment for a demanding application.
What Is An IP Rating?
IP stands for Ingress Protection. An IP rating is a standardised classification defined by IEC 60529 that describes the degree to which an electrical enclosure or piece of equipment is protected against the entry of solid particles and liquids. The rating is expressed as the letters IP followed by two digits: the first indicates protection against solids, the second indicates protection against liquids.
A higher digit indicates a greater level of protection. The rating applies to the enclosure itself, including the housing, seals and connectors, rather than to the electrical components inside.
How To Read An IP Rating
Note: Image for general guidance. For specific IP rating advice relating to Metreel equipment, please get in touch with our team.
The first digit runs from 0 to 6 and describes protection against solid objects and dust:
- 0 – No protection
- 1 – Protected against solid objects larger than 50mm
- 2 – Protected against solid objects larger than 12.5mm
- 3 – Protected against solid objects larger than 2.5mm
- 4 – Protected against solid objects larger than 1mm
- 5 – Dust protected (ingress not fully prevented, but sufficient to avoid harmful deposits)
- 6 – Dust tight (no ingress of dust under vacuum test conditions)
The second digit runs from 0 to 9 and describes protection against water:
- 0 – No protection
- 1 – Protected against vertically falling water droplets
- 2 – Protected against dripping water at up to 15 degrees from vertical
- 3 – Protected against spraying water at up to 60 degrees from vertical
- 4 – Protected against splashing water from any direction
- 5 – Protected against water jets from any direction
- 6 – Protected against powerful water jets from any direction
- 7 – Protected against temporary immersion in water up to 1 metre
- 8 – Protected against continuous immersion in water beyond 1 metre
- 9 – Protected against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets
What Does IP65 Mean?
IP65 means the enclosure is fully dust tight (first digit: 6) and protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction (second digit: 5). In practical terms, an IP65-rated piece of equipment can be used in environments where dust is present and where it may be subject to cleaning with a hose or exposed to rain and spray, but it is not designed for immersion or high-pressure washdown.
IP65 is one of the most commonly specified ratings in industrial and commercial settings. It strikes a balance between genuine environmental protection and cost-effective construction, which is why it appears across a wide range of industrial electrical products including control enclosures, junction boxes and pendant control stations, as well as the electrical fittings found on reeling drums.
IP65 vs IP66: What Is The Difference?
Both IP65 and IP66 are fully dust tight. The difference lies in water jet resistance. IP65 is rated for low-pressure jets; IP66 is rated for powerful water jets from any direction. IP66 equipment can withstand more aggressive cleaning regimes and is appropriate where high-pressure hosing is used, such as in food production, chemical processing or certain washdown areas of industrial facilities.
If your application involves regular high-pressure cleaning, or the equipment will be positioned where it could be directly hit by a powerful jet, IP66 is the more appropriate specification. For most general industrial environments such as warehouses, engineering workshops and manufacturing plants, IP65 is typically sufficient.
IP65 vs IP67: What Is The Difference?
IP65 and IP67 both carry full dust protection but differ significantly in their liquid ingress ratings. IP65 covers water jets; IP67 covers temporary immersion in water to a depth of one metre for up to 30 minutes. IP67 is not intrinsically better than IP65 for all applications. It is a different type of protection designed for a different risk.
Equipment specified for outdoor use in wet conditions, or for areas subject to flooding or submersion risk, may require IP67 or above. However, for the vast majority of crane and lifting equipment applications where the concern is dust, condensation, rain exposure or splash, IP65 or IP66 is the correct specification and IP67 adds cost without adding relevant protection.
IP Ratings And Reeling Drums
Reeling drums used in industrial environments are frequently specified with IP65-rated electrical fittings, including the socket outlets, cable entry points and any integrated electrical controls. This matters because the electrical connections on a reeling drum are exposed: the drum travels, extends and retracts and in many applications it operates in environments that are far from controlled. Outdoor gantries, loading bays, manufacturing floors with dust and coolant mist and areas that are periodically cleaned down all place real demands on the ingress protection of any electrical fitting.
An IP65 rating on the electrical components of a reeling drum confirms that the fittings will resist dust ingress and tolerate water jet exposure during routine cleaning, without requiring the drum to be removed or protected beforehand. For applications in particularly harsh or wet environments, such as outdoor installations, food-adjacent facilities or areas with aggressive cleaning regimes, IP66-rated fittings may be specified instead.
When selecting a reeling drum for a specific application, it is worth confirming not just the IP rating of the drum body or housing but of every electrical connection point, including the plug and socket, cable entry gland and any internal slip ring assembly. These are often the points most vulnerable to ingress in service.
Do IP Ratings Affect ATEX Or Hazardous Area Compliance?
IP ratings and ATEX classifications are separate but related considerations.
In environments where flammable gases, vapours or dusts may be present, equipment must meet the relevant ATEX zone requirements under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR).
ATEX-rated equipment will typically carry a high IP rating as part of its construction, but an IP65 rating alone does not confer ATEX compliance.
Metreel’s explosion proof pendant control stations are designed for exactly these environments and are ATEX certified to EN 60079. If you are operating in a classified hazardous area, always confirm that any electrical equipment, including reeling drums and their associated fittings, carries the appropriate ATEX certification for the zone in question.
Specifying The Right IP Rating
The starting point for any IP rating specification is an honest assessment of the environment. Key questions to consider include:
- Is dust present and at what concentration? If dust is a significant factor, a first-digit 6 (dust tight) rating should be the minimum specification.
- What is the nature of water exposure? Dripping, splashing, jetting, immersion and high-pressure washdown each correspond to a different second digit.
- How frequent and aggressive is cleaning? Facilities that regularly use high-pressure hoses will need IP66 as a minimum.
- Are there outdoor or exposed installation points? Rain, condensation and temperature cycling all place demands on seals and housings that an indoor rating may not account for.
- Is the equipment subject to movement? Reeling drums, festoon systems and cranes involve repeated mechanical movement that places additional stress on seals and connection points over time. Specifying a rating with some margin is sensible where the equipment will flex or travel continuously in service.
For most industrial crane and powerfeed applications, IP65 is a well-established baseline. Where conditions are more demanding, IP66 provides meaningful additional protection without the cost and complexity of immersion-rated construction.
Discover Metreel IP65 Rated Powerfeed Equipment
Several Metreel products are classified as IP65, offering complete protection against dust ingress and low-pressure water jets from any direction. This rating ensures equipment is safe for demanding industrial environments.
If you are in search of powerfeed equipment and are unsure which specification is right for your application, get in touch with the Metreel team for advice.