Ingress Protection Fastening Overview
Ingress Protection and Fasteners
A key factor in selecting the right electrical enclosure or junction box is its Ingress Protection (IP) rating, which indicates how well it can resist dust, moisture, and other environmental hazards. However, the enclosure’s overall protection is only as strong as its weakest point—including its fasteners. Using the correct fasteners, especially IP-rated ones, is essential to maintain the integrity of the enclosure’s seal. No matter where the enclosure is installed, both the housing and its fastening components must be able to withstand the environmental conditions they’re exposed to.
IP-rated enclosures and fasteners are especially critical in demanding applications like electric vehicles (EVs), where battery compartments must remain completely sealed from moisture while staying securely mounted to the chassis to ensure safety and performance. The same applies to other sensitive automotive electronics, which must endure exposure to dust, water, vibration, and extreme temperatures. Beyond the automotive world, IP-rated components are also essential in datacom and telecom environments—particularly outdoor installations—where equipment must operate reliably despite rain, wind, dirt, or corrosive elements.
Standard bolted connections can allow liquid ingress to flow under their torqued head and down along their threads to the opposite side of the joint. This can potentially cause damage. Currently industry uses sealant or O-rings to eliminate this leak path. These additional sealing processes add cost during assembly and can degrade over time from environmental factors.
Conventional torqued up Bolted Connection does not create a sufficient seal against panel material, nor does a standard clinch fastener. The PEM® IFH™ is an ingress protection-capable flush-head fastener that forms a sealed joint upon installation—without the need for sealants or O-rings. Unlike standard FH™ fasteners, the IFH™ uses a high-interaction clinch design to create a durable, instantly sealed connection that won’t degrade over time and allows for disassembly when needed.
Find out more about our mechanical IP-rated (IPX9K) fastening solutions the IFH™ Stud, that creates a watertight seal and meets ISO: 20653-2014 and IPX7 and IPX9K standards for ingress protection. PEM® clinch technology removes the need for rubber gaskets or sealants which can have their seal ability compromised over time. To accommodate the range of industries our customers work in, testing has been completed in CR4, 6082-T6 and 304 stainless.
Ingress protection is a fundamental consideration in product design, ensuring that devices and machinery operate reliably despite exposure to dust, water, and environmental hazards. From everyday gadgets to high-tech industrial equipment, IP ratings provide a clear way to assess durability.
Understanding Ingress Protection: What It Is and Why It Matters
Have you ever dropped your phone in water and wondered how it survived? Or noticed how outdoor security cameras keep working despite rain and dust? The secret behind their durability is Ingress Protection (IP)—a crucial factor in product design that prevents dust, water, and other elements from damaging internal components.
Decoding IP Ratings: What do the numbers mean?
The Ingress Protection (IP) rating system is a global standard that classifies how well an enclosure protects against dust and water. In this post, we’ll break down the IP rating structure, explain each digit’s significance, and explore real-world examples of different protection levels.
How Ingress Protection is Tested: Ensuring Reliability in Harsh Environments
Testing methods simulate real-life environments, ensuring that devices perform as expected, whether exposed to fine dust, rain, water jets, or even full submersion. In this post, we’ll explore the key testing procedures that determine an IP rating, including solid particle testing and water ingress testing.
Why Devices Fail Ingress Protection Tests: Understanding the Weak Points
Manufacturers invest heavily in ingress protection (IP) testing to ensure their products can resist dust, water, and other environmental factors. Yet, not all devices pass these tests—even ones designed to meet strict IP ratings. Failures can result from tiny design flaws, manufacturing inconsistencies, or environmental factors that weaken protection over time.
Designing for Ingress Protection: How to Build Reliable and Durable Enclosures
Creating a device with strong ingress protection requires more than just adding seals—it involves careful material selection, precise manufacturing, and smart enclosure design. Whether designing a waterproof smartwatch, an industrial control panel, or an outdoor security camera, engineers must address factors like pressure changes, mechanical stress, and material compatibility.
The Role of Fastening Solutions in Achieving Reliable Ingress Protection
When discussing ingress protection (IP) ratings, much of the focus tends to be on seal integrity, material selection, and enclosure design. However, one often overlooked but critical factor in ensuring a successful IP-rated enclosure is the choice of fastening solutions.
Fasteners—whether screws, bolts, clips, or latches—play a key role in maintaining enclosure integrity, influencing how well a device resists dust, water, and mechanical stress. A well-designed enclosure with poor fastening solutions is at risk of failure due to loosening over time, improper compression of seals, or even material stress caused by fastener tension.