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What are IP protective types and protection classes?
IP (Ingress Protection) ratings specify the external impacts that plugs and receptacles are protected against.
Protective classes describe the safety measures in place to protect against hazardous voltages, electrocution, and other electrical accidents.
IP-Protection types
CEE plugs and sockets always need to operate reliably. Therefore they are subject to certain protective types. IP (ingress protection) types specify the degree of protection. Every IP protective type consists of two numbers. They indicate how well the inside of the device is protected aginst penetration through the device enclosure. The first number indicates the protections against touching, debris and dust. The second number indicates the protection against water. Every combination of numbers is defined by the European standard IEC 60529.
Receptacles and connectors have to conform to the protective type when connected and disconnected. Plugs and inlets have to be protected according to the protective type when they are connected to their counterpart (connector or receptacle).
All CEE plugs and sockets have to conform to IP44 or IP67, CEE plugs and sockets with a rated current of 100/125 A always need IP67 protection. Where receptacles with a rated current of 100/125 A are integrated into an enclosure, the entire structure needs to have IP 44 protection.
In addition to product solutions in IP44 or IP67, we also offer particularly robust and switchable CEE receptacles, as well as plugs and connectors in protection class IP67 / IP69. These connectors remain waterproof when submerged and during high-pressure cleaning.
Ordinary SCHUKO® receptacles in accordance with DIN VDE 0620 and DIN 49440 ff. can only conform to IP44 protection when the hinged lid is fully closed, because their structural shape makes it impossible to avoid ingress of water at the protective conductor.
In addition to SCHOKO® receptacles with the specified protection class IP44, you can also obtain sockets according to the SCHUKO® standard in protection class IP68 from us for use in wet environments, such as ports, swimming pools, or outdoor areas.
Our plugs and sockets are labeled with their respective protection class. You can find a detailed overview of the different protection classes and the meaning of the individual codes in our handy IP protection classes table.
Table IP-protection types
| 1st number of the code | ||
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60529 | Protection against ingress of | Protection against contact with |
| 0 | No protection | No protection |
| 1 | Solid body larger than 50 mm | Back of hand |
| 2 | Solid body larger than 12.5 mm | Finger |
| 3 | Solid body larger than 2.5 mm | Tool |
| 4 | Solid body larger than 1 mm | Wire |
| 5 | Dust in harmful quantities | Complete protection against contact |
| 6 | Dust overall | Complete protection against contact |
| 2nd number of the code | |
|---|---|
| IEC 60529 | Protection against water |
| 0 | No protection |
| 1 | Drop of water falling vertically |
| 2 | Drop of water falling vertically on enclosure inclined by up to 15° |
| 3 | Protection against water spray falling at an angle up to 60° from the vertical |
| 4 | Protection against water sprayed from all directions |
| 5 | Protection against water jets (nozzle) from any angle |
| 6 | Protection against strong water jets |
| 7 | Protection against temporary submersion |
| 8 | Protection against continuous immersion |
| 9 | Protection against water during high-pressure/steam jet cleaning, specifically for agriculture |
IP-Protection classes
IP protection classes according to DIN EN 61140 / VDE0140-1
Protection classes describe the safety measures that protect against dangerous voltages/electrical shock and thus against an electrical accident. There are four protection classes: 0, 1, 2 and 3.
0: No additional protection besides basic insulation
1: Protective grounding
2: Protective insulation
3: Protective extra-low voltage
The protection classes for all electrical equipment are defined in the standards IEC 61140 or VDE 0140-1. The symbols to be used for marking the equipment are defined in the standard IEC 60417.
