Ingress Protection Laboratory

Ingress protection test lab is equipped with dust test chamber to perform IP 5X and 6X to accommodate the test panels/ samples of size up to 2.2 m x 1.8 m x 2.5 m (W x L x H) and water test facility to perform tests up to X8 test. The water immersion tank is available to conduct IP X7 and X8 for sample of size up to 1.2m x 1.2m x 1.6m (W x L x H).

The Lab under takes the test to protect against solid foreign object, hazardous objects and liquid (water) and having test facility ranging from IP 11 to IP 68.

The Ingress Protection tests are performed as per national and international standards viz. IEC 60529 Edition 2.2 2013, IS/IEC 60529 :2001 RA (2014) for panel and enclosures, IS 10322-1 :2004 and IEC 60598 Edition 2.1 2008 for luminaries, 60034-5 for rotating machine like motor, alternator, pump, generators etc., IEC 61439, IEC 62271, IEC 60947, IS 13947 etc. for various switchgears, IS 13779 -1999 RA (2014), IS 14697 :2010, IS 15884 : 2010, IS 6444 etc. for various type of energy meters. The laboratory is NABL Accredited as per IS/ISO/IEC 17025 and BIS for the test capability. The laboratory also under takes tests as per customer requirements.

AUGMENTED TEST FACILITY

Ingress protection laboratory is being augmented with state of art test facility where in a huge dust chamber being commissioned to accommodate the large panels / samples of size up to 5m x 4.5m x 4.5m (W x L x H) and of weight up to 15 Tons. The lab is equipped with 15 Tons EOT crane for hassle free material handling. The laboratory will accommodate large test sample like Heavy motor, Compact substations, electrical panels etc. The laboratory will also have water tank to conduct X7 and X8 immersion tests for the samples up to 3.5m x 3.5m x 4m (W x L x H).

To meet the customers demand and to fully comply IEC 60529 standard, IP X9 test facility is being established for first of its kind. IP X9 test is performed in water having high temperature and pressure.

Establishment of Additional Test facility (IPX9)

The CPRI established Degree of Protection IP Test equipment for second characteristics numeral IP X9 as per IEC 60529 -2013. IP X9 test is performed using water having high temperature and pressure. The Test set up for IPX9 is shown in Fig 1

The Technical specifications of the Test set up are furnished below.

• Dimensions of the Chamber : 1200mm(L) X 1200 MM(W)X1200MM(H)
• Temperature Range : 80 ± 5ºC
• Power Supply : 230V AC, Single Phase, 50 HZ
• There are four nozzles in the Test chamber with spray angles at 0º, 30°, 60º, 90°. The sequential high temp water spray will be injected for 30 sec by each nozzle while the test sample is kept over turn table of 5rpm±1 rpm. The flow rate of water is 15 litres ± 1litre /minute

Ingress protection testing tests the level of protection an enclosure provides against intrusions. One such set of ingress protection tests involves exposing the equipment under test , to high-pressure and high-temperature water jets. These tests are numbered IPX9. The first digit, represented by the “X”, ranges from 0 to 6 and specifies the protection from solid particles. The second digit, in the case of the high-pressure and high temperature water jets ingress protection test, would always be at X 9.

The CPRI in general carry out testing and certification for IP rating IP69 as shown in Table 1..

The CPRI carry out all the possible IP X9 ingress protection code combination.

The CPRI/EATD Engineers having experience in helping manufacturers to determine ingress points in their products and also identifying required solutions.

We also have significant expertise in interpreting the standards, which often provides manufacturers with flexibility in determining acceptable amounts of ingress. Just because some liquid may enter an enclosure, does not automatically mean that the unit has not met the requirements

Table 1: IP69 Possible codes in IP Test

The Ingress Protection tests are performed as per national and International standards for switch gear panels, enclosure luminaries, rotating machines like motor, alternator, pump, generator and energy meters etc. and so on. The laboratory is NABL Accredited as per IS/ISO/IEC 17025 and ASTA Accreditation for the test capability .The laboratory also undertakes tests as per customer requirements.

Ingress protection test lab is equipped with 2 Nos. dust test chamber to perform IP 5X and 6X tests. Besides following are the facilities available for Ingres Protection test;

• Dust chamber to accommodate large test sample of sizes up to 4.5m X4m X4m (width, depth, height) for 5X and 6X (category 1 and category 2) tests. The chamber size is 5m X4.5m X4.5m (width, depth, height).
• Drip tank of size 2m*2m to perform IP X1 and X2 tests.
• A turn table with 1rpm, of capacity to withstand weight of test sample up to 15Ton. The test table also has hydraulic tilt facility for 15° to perform IP X2 test.
• Hassle free electrically operated auto movement test setups to perform IP X3 to IP X6 tests
• Water tank to test the samples of size 4m X4m X 3.5m (width, depth, deep (height) for X7 and X8 water immersion tests
• To meet the customers demand and to fully comply IEC 60529 standard, IP X9 test facility is being established for first of its kind. IP X9 test is performed with water having high temperature and pressure.
• The lab is equipped with 15Ton EOT crane and material handling equipment to handle the customers test sample carefully and precisely for loading, unloading during testing and for inter lab movement of customer’s test sample for other tests and to load on to the customer’s/ logistics trucks.
• To sum-up, CPRI has state of art IP test facility to perform tests ranging from IP 11 to IP 69.

The new Dust chamber is shown in Fig 2.