Basics of IP protection

The IP code is an international protection label and classifies the degree of protection against the ingress of dust, accidental contact and water from electrical equipment. The degree of protection therefore indicates the suitability of electrical devices for various environmental conditions. In addition, it gives an indication of how well humans are protected from potential dangers when using these devices. The abbreviation IP stands for "International Protection", in English IP is also partially translated with "Ingress Protection", which describes the key message of the IP code on products very well.

Decryption of the digits of the IP code

The first digit of the IP code indicates protection against foreign bodies, dust and contact, while the second digit represents protection against water. The following tables show the meaning of the respective codes:

Fig.1: Tabular breakdown of the first number of the IP code

Fig.2: Tabular breakdown of the second number of the IP code

In which areas the degree of IP protection plays a role

Waterproof keyboards are used particularly in areas where there is an increased risk of contamination from external influences. For example, waterproof keyboards are very often used in medical areas because, depending on the design, they can be cleaned easily and hygienically. Another main area of ​​application is in industrial sector. In almost every production area it happens that electrical devices come into contact with dust or water. Therefore, waterproof keyboards are an easy way to operate machines and systems in the long term without major wear and tear.

Waterproof keyboards also often integrate other peripheral devices, such as finger mice, trackballs or touchpads. With regard to dust and water protection, this has the advantage that no further device has to be connected, which may show a lower degree of protection. In addition, waterproof keyboards generally also have greater resistance to extreme ambient temperatures, and the key symbols have increased abrasion resistance due to different application methods.

Therefore, waterproof keyboards are very often used in the following areas:

• Operation of machines with outdoor locations, such as Cranes, agricultural machinery and construction machinery
• Operation of industrial plants, e.g. in milling and machining centers
• Control rooms and many other industrial locations
• In boat and ship building
• In the maritime and military area
• In medicine, for simple disinfection and cleaning
• Food industry, whether in retail or production, for easy wet cleaning
• In many other areas, since dust and water protection is often accompanied by better durability

Water and dust protection in our devices

In order to adapt a keyboard or keypad to such harsh environments and to ensure a high degree of IP protection, all of the materials we use are carefully checked for their properties. The housing or the front panel of each of our keyboards is carefully and precisely machined and completely sealed on the inside or on the back. If necessary, we adapt the sealants used for this to special customer requirements, since different materials that can be used for sealing react differently to certain environmental factors.

This flexibility enables us to produce a suitable, waterproof keyboard for every application. We achieve a degree of protection of IP65 for all our models and are also able to drive customer-specific developments for other necessary types of protection. Our keyboards are tested in our in-house test facilities according to the standards of the IP code, which means that we can rule out quality problems of our products after delivery. Our models with integrated trackball, touchpad or finger mouse also have the same degree of protection and are therefore even more flexible and can be used without a peripheral device.

Related Links

IP code (Wikipedia explanation)

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