Ingress Protection (IP) Testing in Nagpur

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Ingress Protection Testing includes Many products undergo a variety of tests before they reach the market. These tests include product safety testing, electromagnetic compatibility, vibration testing and many others. Ingress Protection testing, or IP testing, tests a products ability to protect against ingress, that is, the infiltration of water, dust and foreign objects. Some of the standards related to IP testing are MIL STD 810 Military, RTCA DO 160 Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, and IEC 60529 International Electrotechnical Commission. There are several reasons for ingress testing, including safety, functionality and product marketing. Many products require insulation from outside elements in order to function properly. Those outside elements include mist, steam, sprayed water, sand, oil and even fingers, just to name a few. Ingress protection testing helps determine whether a particular product is going to function appropriately when placed in the field. What Products Need to Be Protected Against Ingress, Different products require different levels of testing and different types of testing. Generally, ingress protection is divided into testing for ingress from foreign objects or liquids. With many products, the point where it would be most likely to fail comes at a seam between two parts. Testing at the Seams, Dust and water can find their way inside a product at a seam that joins two parts. Therefore, seams between components are often sealed by a gasket either a rigid or a flexible gasket. Rigid gaskets provide structural stability and greater protection against ingress than flexible gaskets, and flexible gaskets may provide greater overall functionality for the product. However, flexible gaskets often present a challenge when trying to keep out the elements. Their flexibility can sometimes leave small gaps in a seal where the outside environment can find its way inside the product. In addition, gaskets are sometimes fitted improperly or are screwed or bolted with too little or too much pressure. Either way, a gap in the seam between two components can develop, and it can provide a source for outside elements to work their way into the product. More Generalized Ingress Testing, Some ingress testing is conducted under a variety of temperature and pressure settings. This is important because in certain cases, contact with water can change the internal pressure of a component. If that is important, specific materials such as Gore Tex can be used to vent pressure differentials. In other cases, a device might need to allow air to flow through it, but it still must block water. For example ,consider a microphone that will record a singer singing a tune. It functions by operating on the pressure waves caused by the singers voice, but any water that might flow into the microphone could render it useless. Fortunately, water has surface tension, and it can be impeded by a mesh made of either plastic or wire. The mesh traps the water and mostly prevents it from entering the microphone, while the mesh still lets air flow freely. What Products Need Ingress Protection, In India, many products that are governed by engineering standards must indicate an ingress protection (or IP) rating. These products include computers, laboratory equipment, certain medical devices, light fixtures as well as products that must remain dust free or moisture resistant. Items that are sealed and will likely be placed in hazardous places also need IP ratings. In certain cases, IP testing is voluntary, but sellers often ask manufacturers for an IP rating before placing a product in inventory. For example, a hardware store might demand that all outdoor lights it sells come with an IP rating against ingress from moisture. The hardware store does not want to get a lot of returned merchandise or be liable in case of some accident that occurs because of a failure of the product. In a case like this, its incumbent on the manufacturer to meet the sellers standards. Some other typical products that need ingress protection include components in automotive and military applications. In these cases, water pressure testing is crucial because water can foul the system. Water is often used for cleaning, however, so the product must be resistant to water potentially entering sensitive components. Water spray testing can help ensure gaskets that cover seals in these systems are well fitted. Its also important to consider spray testing can involve water dispensed at high velocity, which presents its own challenges. Sometimes water can work its way past even a well sealed gasket. Ensuring the gasket includes a shield that blocks water spray can be important in maintaining the serviceability of a gasket in these conditions. Other common items that require ingress protection testing include electrical sockets, cell phones, refrigerators (particularly their electric motors) and wrist watches.

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