Schutzart

Schutzart is a German term that refers to the degree of protection provided by an enclosure against intrusion by solid objects and moisture. In technical use, it is aligned with the international Ingress Protection codes (IP codes) defined primarily in IEC 60529, and widely adopted in Europe as EN 60529. Schutzarten describe how well a housing protects electrical equipment, machinery, and consumer devices from dust, accidental contact, and water.

The IP code consists of two digits. The first digit denotes protection against solid objects ranging from 0 to 6, where 6 means completely dust-tight. The second digit denotes protection against liquids ranging from 0 to 8, where 8 indicates immersion beyond 1 meter. If the standard does not specify protection for solids or liquids, an X is used in that position (for example, IPX4 or IP4X).

Common examples illustrate typical usage: IP20 indicates protection against objects larger than 12 mm with no special water protection; IP44 indicates protection against splashing water from any direction; IP54 provides dust limitation and water splashes; IP65 indicates dust-tight protection and protection against water jets; IP68 denotes dust-tight and continuous immersion in water. IP69K, used especially in automotive and harsh-wash environments, denotes high protection against dust and high-pressure, high-temperature water, though 9K is a suffix rather than part of the base IEC 60529 scheme.

Schutzart is a key consideration in product design, labeling, and compliance, guiding manufacturers in selecting appropriate enclosures and enabling users to assess suitability for specific environments.