What An IP Rating Does Not Tell You
An IP code is the result of one test protocol on one assembly under laboratory conditions. It tells you that a specific sample passed a specific procedure. It does not tell you how the case behaves after a year of field handling, whether the seal survives grit, or whether the same result will be obtained on a different production batch.
Key points
- The rating belongs to a tested assembly, not to a product family.
- First-article testing and production testing are not the same claim.
- A rating obtained on an empty case says nothing about a case with a cable passing through it.
- KeXin quotes accredited testing against a named configuration rather than printing a catalogue rating.
Where a rating stops describing reality
What to ask a supplier instead
Applications
This matters most where the case is part of a movement chain rather than shelf packaging. In field & deployment and outdoor & recreation the same shell is specified differently because the handling, the environment and the verification requirement differ.
- Field & Deployment — Field deployment removes every assumption a depot specification makes: no forklift, no dry stora…
- Outdoor & Recreation — Consumer and professional outdoor brands buy cases as a component of their product. That means c…
Customisation
Everything described above is configurable on a standard shell: interior layout (pick-and-pluck, die-cut or CNC-cut), foam grade and thickness, colour, logo method, latch and lock count, pressure-equalisation valve, cable ports, document holder and identification plate. A bespoke exterior geometry requires a new mould — 125 days, from 3,000 units per moulded component.
Procurement considerations
| Question | What to send us |
|---|---|
| Which shell fits? | Equipment L × W × H as packed, plus required clearance per axis |
| What does it cost? | Order quantity and estimated annual quantity — the two drive different answers |
| Is tooling needed? | Whether an existing shell clears the envelope with usable foam depth |
| Lead time? | Your required delivery date, not just the order date |
| Certification? | The exact standard your tender names — we will say whether we can test to it |
| Freight? | Destination and preferred terms; carton and pallet data supplied with the quotation |
Comparison and selection guide
The tables on this page exist because a protective case is chosen by comparing three things: the envelope, the environment and the handling chain. Where no table applies, the rule below is.
| Situation | What To Do |
|---|---|
| Occasional splash | A close-fitting rim without a gasket is cheaper and easier to maintain. |
| Rain and washdown | Sealed configuration, four or more latches, stainless hardware. |
| Immersion or pressure change | Sealed configuration plus a pressure-equalisation valve, and a documented test. |
- Size on internal dimensions plus clearance, never on a product name.
- Choose the carrying method before the shell: it changes the series, not just the price.
- Specify the interior last, and decide up front whether the end user will reconfigure it.
What An IP Rating Does Not Tell You relates to Waterproof & Dustproof Guide. Related families: Waterproof Cases. Related sectors: Field & Deployment / Outdoor & Recreation. Continue in the Waterproof & Dustproof Guide cluster.
This page is written from our own production data. If your requirement differs, send the dimensions and we will tell you which of the 155 models fits, or whether a custom route is needed.
