IK ratings

IK rating in CCTV enclosures is all about vandal resistance. The electric devices are always placed inside the enclosures that are generally IP rated in accordance with the application. IP rating is assurance to protect the device from fluid and dust in any described form but it does not assure about the protection against vandalism and pressure exerted by external sources like hitting by a hammer, falling of solid object from finite or infinite height. In such cases, we have to go with the European standard EN 62262 — the equivalent of international standard IEC 62262 (2002) or in general referred as IK ratings, which is the measure of impact resistance or simply IK is the degrees of protection provided by enclosures for equipment against external mechanical impacts in accordance with IEC 62262:2002 and IEC 60068-2-75:1997.

The EN 62262 specifies the specific methods to mount the  enclosures so that a particular standard is met with the existing the atmospheric conditions, the number of impacts and their (even) distribution, size, style, material, dimensions etc. of the various types of hammer designed to produce the energy levels required.

In CCTV & Video surveillance industry along with security systems, we use the IK ratings to describe the application of the particular device of desired application from low to medium to high risk application. In the general IK code classification defines the protection against an impact in joules with impact equivalence at particular height in Kilograms as mentioned below:

So IK rating for CCTV cameras denotes the resistance for a CCTV camera enclosures in regards to the protection it offers the camera’s mechanical and electronic components.

For further details regarding IK ratings, please do contact CCTV Institute at info@cctvinstitute.co.uk