When selecting an IP-rated display, it is easy to assume that a higher number always means better protection. In practice, IP65, IP66, IP67, IP68, and IP69K address different types of water exposure, so one rating does not automatically replace another.
IP65 and IP66 focus on protection against water jets, while IP67 and IP68 address immersion under different conditions. IP69K is intended for demanding high-pressure, high-temperature washdown applications.
For an industrial display, the right choice depends less on choosing the highest number and more on understanding how the display will actually be exposed to water, dust, cleaning, and the surrounding environment.
What Does an IP Rating Mean?
IP stands for Ingress Protection. An IP code specifies the degree of protection provided by an enclosure against the ingress of solid foreign objects and water, as well as access to hazardous parts under the applicable standard.
A typical rating looks like:
IP65
The two digits describe different types of protection:
First digit: protection against solid foreign objects and access to hazardous parts
Second digit: protection against water
For IP65 through IP69K, the first digit is 6, indicating a dust-tight enclosure under the applicable test conditions.
The second digit is what changes.
That second digit should not be interpreted simply as a scale from "less waterproof" to "more waterproof." Each rating corresponds to a specific type of water exposure and test condition.
For example, protection against powerful water jets is a different requirement from protection against immersion. An enclosure that passes one type of test should not automatically be assumed to pass another.
This is the key to understanding the differences between IP65, IP66, IP67, IP68, and IP69K.
*The exact marking and applicable test basis should be verified against the relevant standard and product documentation. IP69K is commonly used for demanding washdown applications, particularly in transportation and industrial equipment.
The most important point is that these ratings are not a simple linear progression.
For example, IP67 is not simply "IP66 with more protection." IP66 evaluates powerful water-jet exposure, while IP67 evaluates temporary immersion.
Likewise, IP69K is not simply a higher version of IP68. IP68 addresses immersion under specified conditions, whereas IP69K addresses high-pressure, high-temperature water-jet exposure.
What Does IP65 Mean?
IP65 indicates a dust-tight enclosure with protection against water jets under the applicable test conditions.
For an industrial display, IP65 may be appropriate where the equipment needs protection from dust and routine exposure to sprayed or splashed water, but is not expected to be immersed.
Possible environments include industrial control equipment, machinery, outdoor installations with appropriate enclosure design, and other applications where water exposure is mainly from spray or rain.
IP65 should not, however, be interpreted as protection against immersion or intensive washdown.
What Does IP66 Mean?
IP66 provides the same dust protection as IP65 but addresses more powerful water jets.
This makes the distinction relevant in applications where equipment may be directly exposed to stronger spray or hose cleaning.
For example, an industrial display mounted on machinery may be exposed to water during routine cleaning. If the cleaning process involves strong water jets rather than occasional splashing, IP66 may be more relevant than IP65.
The important engineering question is therefore not simply whether the display is "outdoor rated."
It is:
What type and intensity of water exposure will the display actually experience?
What Does IP67 Mean?
IP67 indicates protection against temporary immersion under the applicable test conditions.
This can be relevant when equipment may accidentally fall into water, encounter temporary flooding, or otherwise become submerged for a limited period.
However, there is an important distinction:
IP67 does not automatically mean the product has passed the IP66 water-jet test.
The reason is simple: the two ratings test different conditions.
IP66 is concerned with powerful water jets.
IP67 is concerned with immersion.
If a display needs to withstand both conditions, the applicable product specifications should be checked rather than assuming that the higher numeral covers the lower one.
What Does IP68 Mean?
IP68 is associated with protection againstcontinuous immersion under specified conditions.
The phrase "under specified conditions" matters.
There is no single universal immersion depth and duration that should be assumed for every IP68 product. The actual conditions associated with an IP68 claim need to be defined in the product documentation or applicable test specification.
This means that simply seeing "IP68" on a datasheet may not provide enough information for an engineering decision.
For an application involving extended immersion, the relevant questions include:
How deep is the equipment expected to be submerged?
For how long?
Under what test conditions was the product evaluated?
Does the rating apply to the complete enclosure or only a particular configuration?
The actual conditions should be verified before treating an IP68 rating as suitable for a specific submerged application.
What Is IP69K?
IP69K is associated with protection against high-pressure, high-temperature water-jet exposure.
It is therefore particularly relevant to applications where equipment is subjected to intensive cleaning or washdown rather than simply occasional rain or splashing.
The important point is that IP69K and IP68 address different environmental conditions.
IP68 is about immersion.
IP69K is about demanding water-jet exposure.
Therefore, an IP69K rating should not automatically be interpreted as meaning that the product is qualified for continuous immersion. Likewise, an IP68 rating does not automatically establish resistance to the high-pressure, high-temperature washdown conditions associated with IP69K.
The Most Important Difference: Water Exposure, Not Just the Number
The easiest way to understand these ratings is to stop thinking of them as a ladder.
Instead, think about the actual environmental condition:
IP65 → water jets
IP66 → powerful water jets
IP67 → temporary immersion
IP68 → continuous immersion under specified conditions
IP69K → high-pressure, high-temperature washdown
This distinction becomes particularly important when specifying industrial displays.
A display used outdoors may mainly need protection against rain and spray.
A machine-mounted display may need to withstand hose cleaning.
A display used around standing water may need temporary immersion protection.
A display in a washdown environment may face an entirely different combination of pressure, temperature, and cleaning frequency.
The correct IP rating therefore starts with the environmental exposure, not with the question:
"What is the highest IP rating available?"
And there is another important limitation: an IP rating is not a complete measure of display durability. It describes ingress protection under specified test conditions, but does not by itself establish resistance to impact, chemicals, corrosion, UV exposure, vibration, or extreme temperatures.
Those requirements need to be evaluated separately.
IP Rating for Industrial Displays: What Should You Actually Specify?
Understanding the difference between IP65, IP66, IP67, IP68, and IP69K is only the first step. For an industrial display, the more practical question is what part of the product is actually protected, and under what conditions?
An IP rating is assigned to an enclosure or configuration under defined test conditions. It should not automatically be interpreted as a guarantee for the complete machine or installation. IEC 60529 defines the IP Code as a classification of degrees of protection provided by enclosures, including protection against ingress of foreign objects and water.
Front-Panel IP Rating vs. Complete Enclosure IP Rating
This distinction is easy to miss when comparing industrial displays.
A display may be specified as having an IP65 front panel, for example. That does not necessarily mean the entire display assembly is IP65.
The front of the display may be designed to resist dust and water ingress after installation into a customer's enclosure, while the rear electronics and connectors remain outside the scope of that particular protection claim.
This can be perfectly reasonable for a panel-mounted display.
The important question is:
What exactly does the IP rating apply to?
It could refer to:
The front panel
The complete display enclosure
A specific assembled configuration
A particular installation condition
For a custom display project, this should be clarified before the IP requirement is written into the specification.
Where Can IP Protection Fail?
The LCD panel itself is rarely the only consideration.
The practical ingress paths are often around the interfaces between components:
Connectors
Cable exits
Mechanical seams
Mounting holes
Buttons or switches
Ventilation openings
Gaskets and seals
The interface between the display and the customer's enclosure
A display can have a well-sealed front surface but still require appropriate mechanical sealing around its installation interface.
This is why display-level IP protection and system-level IP protection are not necessarily the same thing.
If the final product needs a particular IP rating, the complete assembly and its installation method need to be considered.
IP Rating Is Not the Same as Overall Ruggedness
An IP rating answers a specific question: how well an enclosure protects against defined ingress conditions.
It does not, by itself, establish resistance to every environmental stress an industrial display may encounter.
For example, an IP69K-rated display should not automatically be described as chemical-resistant simply because it is designed for demanding washdown conditions.
If cleaning chemicals are used, compatibility with the actual chemical, concentration, temperature, and exposure time should be evaluated separately.
Likewise, an IP rating does not replace an IK impact-resistance requirement when the display is exposed to mechanical impact.
How to Choose the Right IP Rating for an Industrial Display
A practical selection process starts with the environment rather than the product catalogue.
1. Identify the actual water exposure
Ask what the display will experience during normal operation and cleaning:
Rain or occasional splashing
Water spray
Strong water jets
Hose cleaning
Temporary immersion
Extended immersion
High-pressure, high-temperature washdown
This immediately narrows down which IP tests are relevant.
2. Consider the worst realistic condition
Do not evaluate only normal operation.
A display may be exposed to much more water during equipment cleaning than during its normal operating cycle.
Similarly, an outdoor machine may rarely experience flooding, but if temporary immersion is a realistic possibility, that condition may need to be considered during specification.
3. Define what needs the rating
Is the requirement for:
the front of the display,
the complete display assembly,
or
the customer's final equipment?
These are different engineering requirements.
4. Check the other environmental requirements
If the application also involves impact, chemicals, vibration, corrosion, UV exposure, or extreme temperatures, those requirements should be specified separately.
5. Verify the actual test conditions
Finally, don't stop at the IP number.
For a production project, confirm:
Applicable test standard
Product configuration
Test scope
Relevant exposure conditions
Any manufacturer-defined conditions
This is particularly important for IP68, where the actual immersion conditions associated with a product's claim need to be established rather than assumed.
For road-vehicle electrical equipment, for example, ISO 20653:2023 provides a specific IP-code framework covering enclosures, requirements, and tests.
A Practical IP Rating Selection Guide
A simple starting point is:
Actual Environment
IP Rating to Evaluate
Dust + general water spray
IP65
Strong water jets/hose cleaning
IP66
Temporary immersion
IP67
Extended immersion under specified conditions
IP68
High-pressure, high-temperature washdown
IP69K
But this table should be treated as a selection starting point, not a substitute for the actual test specification.
If an application involves more than one type of exposure, don't assume that choosing the numerically highest rating automatically covers all of them.
For example, if equipment is both periodically submerged and subjected to intensive water-jet cleaning, the relevant immersion and water-jet requirements should be evaluated separately.
Common Mistakes When Selecting an IP-Rated Display
Assuming a higher number is always better. IP ratings describe different test conditions, not a universal durability ranking.
Assuming IP67 includes IP66. Temporary immersion and powerful water-jet exposure are different requirements.
Treating IP68 as a universal underwater specification. The actual immersion conditions need to be verified for the product.
Assuming IP69K means the display can remain underwater. IP69K and IP68 address different environmental conditions.
Assuming an IP rating covers chemical resistance. Chemical compatibility requires separate evaluation.
Assuming a front-panel IP rating applies to the complete machine. The final enclosure, connectors, cable exits, and mounting interfaces can change the system-level protection.
Conclusion
IP65, IP66, IP67, IP68, and IP69K should not be treated as a simple ladder of increasingly better waterproofing.
Each rating addresses specific environmental conditions.
For industrial displays, the better approach is to start with the actual exposure: spray, water jets, immersion, or high-pressure washdown. Then determine which tests are relevant and whether additional requirements such as impact resistance, chemical compatibility, corrosion protection, or temperature performance also apply.
The most useful IP specification is therefore not necessarily the highest one. It is the one that accurately matches the environment the display is expected to survive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does IP67 include IP66 protection?
No. IP67 addresses temporary immersion, while IP66 addresses powerful water-jet exposure. A product should not be assumed to have passed both tests unless its specifications confirm this.
Is IP69K better than IP68?
Not necessarily. IP69K and IP68 address different environmental conditions. IP69K is associated with high-pressure, high-temperature water-jet exposure, while IP68 addresses continuous immersion under specified conditions.
Does IP68 mean a display can stay underwater indefinitely?
No. The actual immersion depth, duration, and other applicable conditions need to be established for the specific product and test basis.
Does an IP rating indicate chemical resistance?
No. IP testing addresses ingress protection. Resistance to detergents, disinfectants, solvents, or other chemicals requires separate material and product evaluation.
What is the difference between IP and IK ratings?
IP ratings address ingress protection, while IK ratings address mechanical impact resistance. An industrial display may need both depending on its operating environment.
Does an IP-rated display mean the whole machine is IP-rated?
No. The IP rating may apply to a particular enclosure, display surface, or configuration. The final system's connectors, cables, mounting interfaces, and enclosure design also affect its environmental protection.
