IP Ratings: What Are They? Why Do They Matter?

When you are investing in an LED, you need to know how well it is protected against different substances. When you are aware if your LED can bear water and solid intrusion, you can easily take better care of it. IP rating plays an important role in this. With this standardized rating system, you can classify the level of protection your LED has.

What are IP ratings?

An IP rating is a standard defined by the International Electronic Commission (IEC 60529) which measures the sealing effectiveness of an electronic enclosure.

“IP” stands for “ingress protection”, so the term “IP rating” means “protection from access rating”. It measures how protected electrical components are from access by potentially harmful external elements.

An IP rating is written as “IP” followed by 2 digits, with the first digit indicating the electronic’s protection from solids such as tools & dust, and the second digit indicating the electronic’s protection from liquids such as moisture or rain.

The first digit (protection from solids) is on a scale of 0 to 6, with 0 indicating no protection from solids and 6 indicating total protection from solids.

The second digit (protection from liquids) is on a scale of 0 to 8, with 0 indicating no protection from liquids and 8 indicating the highest level of protection from liquids.

The higher the digits in the IP rating, the better the protection. An IP65 rated product is more protected from solids than one rated at IP55. An IP67 product is more resistant to water than an IP65 product, and so-on.

Importance of IP ratings for outdoor LED screens

Now, let’s discuss the IP rating for outdoor LED screens and why it is important.

• First of all, an outdoor LED screen needs good protection against both solids and liquid. The screen will be placed outdoors where it will be exposed to all sorts of possible damages. It is exposed to hot sun, rain, and even to human contact.
• An ingress protection rating is important to determine the protection level of an outdoor LED screen. The outdoor LED screen will be tested to prove whether it is both durable and protected.  A high IP-rated outdoor LED screen is suitable for various outdoor applications since it is tested and is able to withstand the climatic conditions that can damage the display. In short, the outdoor LED screen is guaranteed to be both waterproof and weatherproof.
• Furthermore, It is also important for an outdoor LED screen to be validated by the IP rating as it could be exposed to various human contacts. Anything can happen outdoors especially in areas with heavy foot traffic. Some people might accidentally hit the screen, spill a drink onto the LED screen, or tiny rocks may hit the screen. Hence, an Ingress protection rating can help to make the outdoor LED screen to become a trusted product that could be put outdoors despite all the risks.
• IP rating gives confidence to users as well. Users do not have to constantly be worried about their outdoor LED screens or other outdoor electronic devices if the abilities to resist water and weather damage have been tested. Users will feel assured when the devices are IP-rated. Besides, IP-rated products can also help users to make better decision in purchasing the right devices for their applications.

Purchase LED display with high IP ratings from us

To determine the best ingress protection rating for any device, you have to determine the application and the venue of the device first. Will it be indoor or outdoor? If it is to be put outdoors, then you have to carefully choose an ideal IP-rated device to make sure it will be weatherproof and waterproof.  

We Premteco is a reliable LED display supplier that makes sure that our LED products are provided with high IP level protection. If you are in need of any LED displays with high IP levels, kindly contact us immediately.