The connector's housing, sealing and locking mechanism protect the connection from external influences such as mechanical shocks, foreign bodies, humidity, dust, water or other fluids such as cleansing and cooling agents, oils, etc.
The degree of protection the housing offers is explained in the IEC 60529, EN 60 529, standards that categorize enclosures according to foreign body and water protection.
The following table shows the different degrees of protection.
|
Code letters |
First Index Figure |
Second Index Figure |
|
First index figure |
Degree of protection |
Second index figure |
Degree of protection |
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|
0
|
No protection against accidental contact, no protection against solid foreign bodies |
0 |
No protection against water |
| |
|
1 |
Protection against contact with any large
area by hand and against large solid foreign bodies with |
1 |
Protection against vertical water drips |
||
|
2 |
Protection against contact with the fingers,
protection against solid foreign bodies with |
2 |
Protection against water drips (up to a 15° angle) |
||
|
3 |
Protection against tools, wires or similar objects with Ø >2,5 mm, protection against small foreign solid bodies with Ø >2,5 mm |
3 |
Protection against diagonal water drips (up to a 60° angle) |
||
|
4 |
As 3 however Ø > 1 mm |
4 |
Protection against splashed water from all directions |
||
|
5 |
Full protection against contact. Protection against interior injurious dust deposits |
5 |
Protection against water (out of a nozzle) from all directions |
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|
6 |
Total protection against contact. Protection against penetration of dust |
6 |
Protected against temporary flooding |
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|
|
|
|
7 |
Protected against temporary immersion |
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
Protected against water pressure |
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Description according to DIN VDE 0470, DIN EN 60 529, IEC 60529