You are looking for a patch rack. During your search, you keep seeing the IP rating of a patch rack mentioned. Or maybe you need to buy a patch rack for business that must have a certain IP rating. But what does IP mean, and what IP class should a patch or server rack have? Read further to get answers to these questions.
What does the IP rating mean?
The abbreviation IP stands for Ingress Protection and indicates the extent to which an object is protected against the ingress of dust and water and mechanical forces. The IP code is internationally established in the standard 60529 of the International Electrotechnical Commission, abbreviated IEC.
What do the numbers of the IP code mean?
An IP code is always indicated with 2 digits. The first digit indicates the dust resistance, and the second digit indicates the degree of protection against moisture and water. The higher the number, the higher the degree of protection. In the tables below, we provide the IP coding for dust resistance and water resistance.
IP Value Table for Dust Resistance
| IP | Protection | Meaning |
| 0 | none | No protection |
| 1 | Large objects | Protection against accidental, surface contact with the hand. Protected against the ingress of solid objects larger than 50 mm. |
| 2 | Medium objects | Protection against contact with the finger. Touch-safe only for measuring devices. Protected against the ingress of solid objects larger than 12.5 mm. |
| 3 | Small objects | Protection against contact with a tool. Touch-safe only for measuring devices. Protected against the ingress of solid objects larger than 2.5 mm. |
| 4 | Sharp objects | Protection against contact with a tool. Protected against contact with a wire. Protected against the ingress of solid objects larger than 1 mm. |
| 5 | Dust protection | Touch-safe because the housing is completely sealed. No complete protection against dust, but sufficient to not hinder proper operation. |
| 6 | Dust protection | Touch-safe because the housing is completely sealed. Complete protection against dust. |
IP value table water resistance
| IP | Klasse | Meaning |
| 0 | None | No protection. |
| 1 | Driptight Type I | No damage if subjected to falling drops. |
| 2 | Driptight Type II | No damage if subjected to falling drops on a 15° tilted device. . |
| 3 | Splashresistant | No damage if sprayed (10 l/min) at an angle of -60° to 60°. . |
| 4 | Splashing-proof | No damage if sprayed (10 l/min) at any angle. |
| 5 | Spray-proof | No damage if sprayed (12.5 l/min) at any angle. |
| 6 | Water-resistant | No water ingress if sprayed (100 l/min) at any angle. |
| 7 | Immersionproof | No water ingress if submerged (30 min at 1 m). |
Examples of IP Codes
IP21 Drip-proof
IP22 Touch-safe
IP23 Rainproof
IP44 Splashproof
IP54 Dustproof/Splashproof
IP55 Dustproof/Waterproof
IP67 Dustproof/Waterproof
What IP class does a server cabinet have?
An outdoor server rack has a reasonably high IP class, for example, IP55. This closed rack offers good dust protection and is splash-proof.
The IP rating of our server racks is IP20.
This means that the rack provides protection against contact with the finger. The rack is touch-safe only for measuring devices. It is protected against the ingress of solid objects larger than 12.5 mm. The cabinet does not provide protection against water.
For indoor use, an IP20 patch rack is sufficient. Our racks provide protection and ensure passive ventilation.
