So, what does IP Rated actually mean?
The Ingress Protection Rating: Why And Where It Matters
What is an Ingress Protection Rating and why is Rugged Testing crucial? Get to know why these features are imperative for your business devices – no matter what industry you are in.
In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, electronic devices have become an essential part of every business operation. However, not all devices are created equal, and not all can withstand the harsh environments of various industries. This is where ingress protection and rugged testing come into play. Ingress protection rating refers to the level of protection that a device offers against solids and liquids, while rugged testing ensures that a device can withstand extreme conditions such as drops, vibrations, and temperature changes.
In this article, we will explore the importance of IP rating and rugged testing for your business devices, regardless of the industry. We will examine how a device’s ability to withstand harsh conditions can significantly impact a business’s productivity, efficiency, and bottom line. So, let’s dive in and discover why these features are crucial for any device in today’s fast-paced and demanding business world.
How Ingress Protection Rating Plays An Important Role
What sets rugged devices apart from standard consumer products is their ability to take a beating while on the job. These devices are made to meet the demands of the harshest work environments. As a result, you will expect that rugged devices pass specific ruggedness tests.
Electronics devices typically cannot tolerate wet and dirty contaminants, especially when it comes close to their crucial parts and system. Any dust or water entering an electronic enclosure will eventually cause damage. The harm can vary; for example, dust build up may cause some layers to be insulated and overheat. If dirt inserts between surfaces, it may cause poor conductance and create problems for connectors and switches.
Dust is not the only problem, though. Water and moisture buildup can cause numerous issues with delicate microcircuits. A business where devices are exposed to the mercy of the weather or wet environments risk device failure sooner than later.
Ingress protection rating is critical because it allows users to gauge how safe it is to use certain devices in specific environments and applications.
Why Does Ingress Protection Play An Important Role?
What sets rugged devices apart from standard consumer products is their ability to withstand the harshest work environments. These devices are designed to take a beating while on the job and to pass specific ruggedness tests to ensure their durability. However, in addition to physical stress, electronic devices can also be partially or fully resistant to dust and water contaminants that can cause significant damage to their internal components.
Dust and other solid objects can be particularly harmful to electronic devices. When particles build up, they can create insulation layers that cause the device to overheat. Additionally, dust can cause poor conductance, leading to problems with connectors and switches. That is why the ingress protection rating is critical. It allows users to gauge how well a device is protected from total dust and water.
Water and moisture can also wreak havoc on electronic devices. Devices with a good IP rating have liquid ingress protection. Continuous immersion, high-pressure water jets, or high-temperature spray-downs are not a problem. This is particularly important for businesses that operate in wet or humid environments where devices are exposed to moisture regularly.
Ingress protection plays a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and durability of electronic devices in harsh work environments. It provides a standard way to measure a device’s ability to resist damage from solid objects and water, offering complete protection to sensitive internal components. By selecting a device with a high IP rating, businesses can ensure that their electronic devices are better equipped to handle the challenges of a job, ultimately leading to increased productivity and efficiency.
What Does IP Rated Actually Mean
Without such technology, we would see a frightfully high (and wasteful) turnover of commercial tablets, handhelds, PDAs, and smartphones that are used in work environments.
IP also includes shock and vibration tolerance, and can therefore survive being dropped (at Conker we drop test our Ingress Protection Rated devices from 1.2m-1.5m onto wooden flooring and concrete). Additional factors include handling extreme high and low temperatures and corrosive environments. Let’s dig deeper into understanding IP Ratings.
Explaining Ingress Protection Rating
An Ingress Protection rating indicates how resistant a device is to intrusion from water, dust, or any other harmful ingress. This rating system is developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC’s) Technical Committee 70 to define an electronic device’s levels of sealing effectiveness against foreign bodies.
Ingress Protection Ratings are considered an international standard. Unlike vague terminology including “waterproof”, an IP rating is made to be more specific. This combination of letters and numbers indicates the protection level of a device.
Measuring Ingress Protection Rating
IP Ratings are straightforward. The letters’ IP’ are always followed by two numbers which indicate the degree of protection a device offers. The first number shows the level of protection against solids, and the second number shows the level of protection against liquids. A third letter that describes other information can also be included but is most often not.
Why IP Ratings Matter
For a device to have an ingress protection rating, it must pass testing by an independent and certified company. The testing company will then assign a numerical IP Rating to the device. This shows users how well the item is protected against foreign objects.
With an IP rating, users will be able to use a product in certain environments confidently. It offers an assurance that the product can withstand winds, heavy use, extreme environments, changing weather, and more.
Using IP Rated products such as rugged devices means that the users are fully aware of its protective measures – or lack thereof. This improves the total cost of ownership and increases the overall safety of the users and devices.
Additionally, a user of IP Rated equipment is fully aware of its protective measures (or lack thereof), so they can work more safely, with less risk of injury to themselves or damage to the equipment. One thing that users need to understand is that ignoring IP ratings can mean instant damage to their devices.
Measuring Ingress Protection Rating
Conker’s rugged devices are designed to provide complete protection against the elements, making them ideal for businesses in a variety of industries. All of Conker’s rugged tablets are fully rugged tablets with an IP65 rating or above. These devices are dust-proof and can handle low-pressure water jets from any direction. Similarly, Conker’s handheld pdas offer varied levels of IP protection, from IP65to IP68, to suit your individual requirements and industrial specifications. With Conker’s devices, businesses can rest assured that their technology investments will last longer and operate more reliably than standard consumer products.
A perfect example is a dusty packaging area for food products. Fine dust and particulates can create problems with your device’s components. Rugged devices are ideal for these environments versus regular commercial devices because every part of the device is dustproof.
The same goes for companies operating where water or moisture may cause problems to the devices. For example, the utility industry requires workers to be out in the open where sudden weather changes may cause rains or drizzle. This is where an IP rating of 65 and higher comes into play as it offers water resistance.
Durable Devices offering Fit For Purpose Solutions
Conker understands the value of durability, device longevity, and uptime. That is why Conker works endlessly to ensure that devices are fit-for-purpose, not just rugged. Solutions require more than just technology. That is why we build devices that are adapted to your specific business needs. To start empowering your mobile workforce today, contact Conker and see what rugged solutions are best for your operations.
Understanding Ingress Protection Rating and Rugged Testing will help you decide which device is perfect for your operations. Dust and liquids will always be bad for electronic devices, keeping them out is crucial to extending your device’s lifespan, so always check these numbers before making a purchase.
