What does IP66 protection rating mean, how much water does it withstand?
IP66 means complete dust tightness and resistance to powerful water jets from every direction. In the IEC 60529 test, water is applied for at least 3 minutes with a 12.5 mm nozzle from 3 m distance at roughly 100 kPa pressure and 100 L/min flow. Continuous immersion is out of scope. The AXI LFT20 is rated IP66.
The two digits of the IP code describe different things:
- First digit 6: Completely dust tight. No dust gets in at all; this is what matters in the field and in threshing conditions.
- Second digit 6: Resistant to powerful water jets from every direction. The test condition is a 12.5 mm nozzle, 3 m distance, roughly 100 kPa pressure, 100 L/min flow and at least 3 minutes.
The limits must be clearly understood: IP66 is protection against rain and washing, not against immersion. A unit left under water, buried in a puddle, or targeted directly from very close range with a high pressure washer falls outside the scope of this rating. Immersion protection is stated separately with the IPX7/IPX8 codes.
The AXI LFT20 has a galvanised metal housing and is rated IP66. No IP code is given in the product data for the LFT54; on that model protection is described as a "fully watertight control board embedded inside the motor" and a galvanised sheet metal housing.
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