Technical Articles & Industry Trends

IP69k – Highest protection class for waterproof touch computer

There is nothing sturdier. TEGUAR Industrial PCs have been given the highest protection class available for electronic devices: IP69k. This means that in addition to being dustproof and vibration resistant, they can be pressure washed from all sides using 176°F water and disinfectants without damaging the internal components. The result: increased operational availability. The IP69k protection class certificate combined with a hygienic design also makes this PCs ideally suited for use in food and medical facilities.

Uncompromising durability and a long lifecycle – those are the features that vast numbers of satisfied customers appreciate about TEGUAR hardware. They are also the reason why companies from various industries like the food industry, manufacturing etc. choose TEGUAR industrial PCs and peripherals to handle the extreme conditions of their business. In compliance with protection class IP65, the outstanding feature of TEGUAR industrial PCs from the very beginning was its completely sealed construction, without an external fan or ventilation slots. TEGUAR industrial computers have always been fully dustproof and resistant to streams of water from any angle. And because TEGUAR hardware also functions impeccably when intermittently submerged in water, the IP67 protection class certification was logically the next step.

Extreme conditions

Still, some clients use TEGUAR machines in new and challenging environments where even more protection is required, for example in high-pressure steam cleaning facilities.  The fact that TEGUAR industrial PCs are able to handle such extreme conditions was never a question for customers.  For good measure, however, TEGUAR contracted an independent institute to test its products in precisely those environments. The result: Even in the toughest of settings, TEGUAR stainless steel PCs passed the test and were awarded the IP69k protection class certification. This class guarantees that an electronic device is completely dust and waterproof.

The conditions for this IP code and the protection classes are defined by the DIN standards DIN EN 60529 and DIN 40050 Part 9. They provide information about the exposure that an electronic device can handle. The first digit refers to dust and contact resistance. Therefore, the first test for the TEGUAR industrial PC was in the dust chamber. The test involved putting the PC housing under 20mbar of negative pressure and then subjecting it to a dust storm. Nothing whatsoever was allowed to enter the housing. The TEGUAR industrial PC passed with flying colors.

There is nothing stronger

The second digit in the IP code relates to water resistance. To test the impermeability of the unit it was submerged in one meter of water. No negative effects of any kind were registered on the operational integrity of the TEGUAR industrial PC. Then it was placed on a rotating table and subjected to a high-pressure hose set at 100 bar blasting 176°F water at a rate of 14 to 16 liter per minute through a flat fan nozzle. After 30 second intervals the angle was changed in order to expose the PC to all angles from the hose. The distance from the nozzle to the computer was between 4-6 inches. The test simulates conditions that would exist in a high-pressure steam cleaning facility. The TEGUAR industrial PC mastered all of the tests without any difficulties. The extreme conditions of the IP67 and IP69k certifications are an impressive testimony to the operational reliability of TEGUAR NEMA touch screen computers. TEGUAR customers can therefore depend on the fact that their industrial PCs will function without interruption even in the harshest of environments.