NEMA vs IP Ratings Explained

Once upon a time, computers only sat perched on desktops, but that is no longer the case. Deployed in harsh industrial, medical, automotive, and consumer household environments, electronics must now withstand exposure to water and liquids ranging from “condensing” moisture to total submersion that requires waterproof design. They must reliably operate despite threats posed by humidity, corrosives, and other outdoor contaminants.

Learn more about protection capabilities such as water vapor transmission rate, dissipation factor, or volume resistivity.

To assure your customers that your electronic products can dependably withstand these challenges, you must meet reliability standards, such as Ingress Protection (IP) Standards or National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Protection Ratings. These systems classify an enclosure’s protection level from harmful elements by defining protection posed by solids and liquid ingress. It is crucial to select the correct standard to assure your clientele that the product you offer will be reliable in specific environments. This choice can be complicated because comparing NEMA vs IP rating systems is impossible, but alternative solutions may eliminate the need to select one or the other.

View our webinar to see if it’s time to rethink enclosures.

Watch On Demand

IP vs. NEMA-Rated Enclosures

Any comparison of Ingress Protection ratings and NEMA standards will only be approximate. An IP Rating only considers enclosure protection against water ingress and solid foreign objects. Meanwhile, the NEMA rating system, often used as an industrial enclosure rating system, considers these factors, as well as other hazards such as corrosion. So, while you can say a NEMA type is equivalent to an IP rating, it is impossible to say that an IP rating equals a NEMA rating. Additionally, the two systems use different test parameters to define the level of protection, so there is no easy conversion.

NEMA Ratings

NEMA electrical enclosure ratings have numeric values, sometimes followed by a letter. Each rating corresponds to the hazards an enclosure must protect its interior and may indicate indoor or outdoor use.

You can explore a quick guide to specific NEMA ratings.

When choosing a NEMA enclosure type, it’s essential to consider both the environmental hazards the interior needs protection from and the enclosure location to use NEMA ratings appropriately. For example, a NEMA 4 rating is popular because it accommodates outdoor environments and multiple weather types. NEMA rating 4X features watertight seals, corrosion resistance, and protection from dust for more extensive protection.

IP Ratings

IP ratings may be designated by two or three numbers corresponding to protection from solids, liquids, and impacts. X replaces the number if a device does not have a specific rating. The first number signifies the object size that the enclosure prevents from entering. The higher the value, the more protection from solid ingress, such as windblown dust.

The next value indicates liquid ingress protection, with digits ranging from zero to eight, with increasing amounts of protection as the numbers increase. Finally, the third value corresponds to the mechanical impact an enclosure can withstand. This value may not be present in some electronic products because most codes do not require its presence.

Read a short guide to IP ratings.

Read our IP Checklist

Download Checklist

Rethinking Enclosure Standards

IP or NEMA standards may not be the best indicator for the degree of protection you need. For example, while IP liquid ingress testing works in the lab, it may not perform the same in real life. Chances are that you will still need to demonstrate that your product can meet these standards to meet customer specifications.

Thin-film coatings can be an easy and efficient way to meet both NEMA and IP liquid ingress standards. These polymeric barriers protect from the inside by directly applying components and PCBAs. They are lightweight and thin, helping you eliminate seals and, therefore, excess bulk and weight. The protective coatings also blend into the product so you can offer aesthetically pleasing, ergonomic, and functional products easily. Thin-film coatings can be used in a two-phase approach to protection that is failsafe and can help you save money and time customizing enclosures.

HZO Coatings and Relevant Standard Equivalents

HZO offers thin-film coatings to protect your electronic products. We focus on tailored solutions to your protection requirements and can help you exceed liquid standards easily with proven solutions, with no enclosure testing required. Download our datasheets , or send us a message for a consultation.