What You Should Know About IP Rating
Can you fly a drone in the rain? To find out more about the resistance of your flying machine to moisture, you have to double-check the IP rating before you buy it. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what IP rating is and what you must know about this.
What Is an IP Rating?
IP rating or Ingress Protection (sometimes called as International Protection ratings) is a laboratory-certified industrial rating to the electronic equipment. Its main goal is to demonstrate the degree of protection that is usually provided against dust or water to critical components. This system was created and launched by the International Electronic Commision. Now, it is internationally acclaimed and is widely used in Europe, the USA, and Asia.
The main goal of this standard is to provide users with more specific information about drone features. IP codes demonstrate the level of protection of the mechanical parts against dirt, dust and moisture.
The Importance of an IP Rating System
The main reason for the development of this system was the necessity to create one rating system that allows buyers to know more information about drones before they buy them. Simply put, it enables users to make sure how safe it is to use a flying machine in different environments.
It consists of two digits, and each of them demonstrates definite forms of environmental influence:
- The first digit shows the level of protection against solid objects;
- The second digit shows the level of protection against liquids.
Simply put, the higher the value is, the better the protection. If you see 0, this means that no protection provided. It is usually given in the format “IP 43”, or “IP 67”. Just have a look at this table:
Sometimes, the additional letter “M” is added. Manufacturers usually add it to demonstrate the resistance of the device to specific materials (oil, high voltage, etc.)
The Impact of IP Rating on Your Drone
If you want to check the weather tolerance of your drone, you should always check its IP rating. When you see that a flying machine has a high IP rating, this means that your motors have high-quality components and are protected against moisture and dust. This indicator is crucially important for those pilots who plan using their drones in rainy or windy weather. Let’s have a look at the example: DJI M200 Series have an IP43 Rating. What does it mean for you?
First, you can feel certain that your drone is protected against access to hazardous parts. Secondly, you can also be sure that light rain won’t influence your flying machine.
Overview of the Main Types of IP Rated Products
Let’s review the main types of IP rated products that are available today:
- Waterproof IP ratings. People always look for this information when buying a wide array of products, ranging from simple bathroom fixtures to drones. Waterproof ratings for the majority of purposes are IP65, 66, and 67.
- IP rated enclosures. There’s a wide array of various IP-rated enclosure types that are available in multiple industries. They are usually assigned to absolutely everything ranging from simple mobile lightning setups to junction boxes. The most popular enclosure types are enclosure accessories, floor-standing enclosures, general-purpose enclosures, handheld enclosures, power supply cases, etc.
Very high IP rating demonstrates that the aircraft wil reach the destination when expected without any tech issues. Moreover such flying machines guarantee excellent survey grade performance and can stand up to 1000 flights without any issues. This information enables buyers to plan their budgets efficiently when buying a drone for a certain period of time.
Therefore, when buying a drone, you should always check its IP rating for you to make sure it is resistant to moisture! Let’s read the Best drones that have a good IP Rating.
