Have you ever wondered how your everyday kettle manages to stay watertight? How can a high-tech smartphone have excellent waterproof performance? All of these are inseparable from the strict control of product sealing.
Airtightness testing is a key means of ensuring a product's sealing performance, while IP protection and ATM waterproofing ratings are important measures of sealing performance. In this article, we will analyze the difference and connection between these three concepts and introduce the professional leakage testing solutions provided by Precision Engineering.
1. Airtightness: an intrinsic indicator of sealing performance
1.1 What is airtightness?
Gas tightness is the ability of a product to stop gas leakage. Unlike standards such as IP ratings, theAirtightness itself is not clearly graded, but is a continuous quantityThe leakage rate is usually quantified by measuring the leakage rate (e.g., mL/min) or the pressure drop (e.g., Pa).The smaller the leakage rate or pressure drop value, the better the product's airtightness. Airtightness is the basis for products to achieve waterproof and dustproof performance.
1.2 Relationship between airtightness and waterproof and dustproof performance
While there is no rating for airtightness per se, it is closely related to the water and dust resistance of the product.Good airtightness is a prerequisite for effective waterproofing and dustproofing. The waterproof and dustproof performance of a product is usually expressed in terms of its IP protection rating.
2. IP rating: protection against solids and liquids
The IP code consists of two numbers that indicate the level of protection against solid foreign objects and liquids, respectively.The first number indicates the dustproof rating and the second number indicates the waterproof rating. The higher the number, the better the protection.
2.1 First digit: Dust protection class
- IP0X:unprotected
- IP1X:Prevents intrusion of solid foreign objects larger than 50mm
- IP2X:Prevents intrusion of solid foreign objects larger than 12.5mm
- IP3X:Prevents intrusion of solid foreign objects larger than 2.5mm
- IP4X:Prevents intrusion of solid foreign objects larger than 1mm
- IP5X:Dustproof, but not completely prevent the entry of dust, the amount of dust entering will not affect the normal operation of the equipment
- IP6X:Fully dustproof
2.2 Second digit: waterproof rating
- IPX0:unprotected
- IPX1:Prevents vertical dripping
- IPX2:Prevents dripping at a 15-degree angle
- IPX3:Spray prevention
- IPX4:Protection from splashing water
- IPX5:Preventing sprayed water
- IPX6:Protection against powerful jets of water
- IPX7: Protected against short-term immersion (1 meter water depth, 30 minutes)
- IPX8:Protected against continuous immersion (specific parameters defined by the manufacturer, usually more stringent than IPX7)
- IPX9K:Prevents high pressure and high temperature water spray
2.3 Examples of common IP protection classes
- IP65:Completely dust-proof against low-pressure water spray from any direction. Commonly used in outdoor lighting equipment, industrial control cabinets, etc.
- IP66:Completely dustproof against powerful jets of water from any direction. Commonly used for equipment that requires high pressure rinsing, such as food processing equipment.
- IP67:Completely dustproof and can be immersed in water up to 1 meter deep for up to 30 minutes for short periods of time. Commonly used for smartphones, wearable devices, etc.
- IP68:Fully dustproof and can be immersed in a certain depth of water for extended periods of time. The exact depth and duration is defined by the manufacturer and is usually more stringent than IP67. Commonly used in diving equipment, underwater cameras, etc.
- IP69K:Completely dustproof and can withstand high temperature and high pressure water jet rinsing. Commonly used in equipment that requires high intensity cleaning, such as high pressure washers and food processing equipment. It is now also starting to appear on some high-end cell phones.
3. ATM waterproof rating: protection against underwater pressure
ATM (Atmosphere) is a unit of atmospheric pressure used to describe the ability of a device such as a watch to withstand pressure underwater. 1 ATM equals the pressure generated at a depth of 10 meters.
- 3 ATM:Withstands up to 30 meters of water for daily washing, rain showers and more.
- 5 ATM:Withstands up to 50 meters of water for swimming, surfing and more.
- 10 ATM:Withstands pressures up to 100 meters deep and is suitable for diving, among other things.
4. Differences between IPXX and ATM waterproofing
- The test methods are different: The IPXX rating assesses waterproofness primarily through a water spray or immersion test, following the IEC 60529 standard, while the ATM rating assesses the ability to withstand pressure underwater through a pressure test, usually following the ISO 22810 standard.
- The application scenarios are different: The IPXX rating is more widely used in various electronic devices, industrial equipment, etc., while the ATM rating is mainly used for devices that need to withstand underwater pressure, such as watches.
- The focus of attention is different: IPXX ratings are more concerned with preventing water from entering the device; ATM ratings are more concerned with the ability of the device to withstand pressure underwater.
5. Sincere Engineering: Professional Leakage Testing Solution Provider
Airtightness is the basis for good water and dust resistance.Precision Engineering provides a variety of professional leakage testing solutions that can help companies effectively evaluate the airtightness of their products.This ensures that the product meets the appropriate IP protection or ATM waterproofing requirements.
As an industry leader in the field of airtightness testing for more than 10 years, Precision Engineering provides you with a full range of testing solutions. Our product line coversAirtightness Tester,Waterproof Tester,Burst Tester,Leak test equipment,Respiratory Cycle TesterHigh-end testing equipmentThe company offers superior quality comparable to imported products at a domestically produced price.
After years of development and accumulationPrecision Engineering has become a well-known domestic and internationalLeak Detector Brandsand supplier of fully automated airtightness testing solutionsWith more than 3,600 customers in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, our products are CE certified to better serve the international market.
Choose Precision Engineering to protect your product quality from potential risks. To learn more about airtight waterproof testing, please visit our website or feel free to contact us.
