Understanding IP Rating Standards and how they Relate to Your Drone

An Ingress Protection Rating, or IP rating, is a laboratory-certified industrial rating for a piece of electronic equipment or an enclosure for electrical equipment.

The IP Rating explains the degree of protection provided against debris and water intrusion. It also measures protection against accidental contact — including body parts like fingers or hands — to critical components.

Developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), this internationally recognized rating system is in wide use in Europe and Asia. North America is adopting this standard at a slower pace.

IP Rating Standards

The standard provides consumers more detailed information than terms like  “waterproof”. The IP rating consists of two digits, each of which measure different forms of environmental influence.

The first digit represents protection against intrusion of solid objects, such as dust and debris. The second digit represents protection against ingress of liquids.

The higher the value of each digit, the greater the protection. Hence, the digit 0 means no protection is provided. For example, a product rated IP45 provides better protection against environmental factors than a similar product rated IP31.

IP Ratings and Your Drone

For drones, checking the IP rating of its various parts is a good way to determine the weather tolerance of the UAV.  A sleek design and high IP rating ensure that your motors and fully enclosed components are protected against dust and rain.

An IP rating is especially important if you’re looking to fly your drone in rain, near construction sites, or in any situation where weather conditions might change quickly and bring upon adverse conditions.

For instance, KDE Direct’s KDE-UAS125UVC  is optimized for multi-rotor and single-rotor applications and has an ingress protection rating of IP66. This rating ensures an all-weather and dust-proof operation. It provides complete protection against contact with external debris and projected water (heavy rain) and snow conditions. The current KDEXF-UASHVC ESCs, in operation worldwide, have a certified IP56 rating. This ensures cool-running temperatures and all-weather operations for use in a wide range of harsh environments and commercial/industrial applications.

KDE Direct uses the highest-quality materials and manufacturing processes to provide you with multi-rotor and single-rotor motors, electronics, propellers blades, and upgrades to ensure your drone takes off and lands safely.