When operating a linear actuator in a challenging environment, such as a mining operation, there are a number of considerations you’ll need to keep in mind. It doesn’t get much harsher than operating in the mining industry where temperature, dust and water conditions aren’t always ideal. To ensure your products are protected against foreign debris, your linear actuators must have an Ingress Protection (IP) rating that shows it is built to function in these types of environments.

Breaking down the IP

This rating, also known as International Protection rating, is a recognized international standard for the degree of protection provided against the entry of foreign objects, namely dust and water, to linear motion products.

The IP rating consists of the the letters ‘IP’, followed by two numbers and, in rare instances, a letter. The first number indicates the protection against solids while the second number refers to protection against liquids. The higher each number is, the higher level of protection provided.

Solids protection

The level of protection against ingress of solid foreign particles is rated from zero to six, with the following distinctions:

Liquids protection

The level of protection against ingress of liquids is rated from zero to eight, with the following distinctions:

Finding the right IP rating

At Duff-Norton, our linear actuators have varying IP ratings depending on their intended use. Our products that are used in challenging environments, particularly our CMLA series, have a rating of IP66s. This means that they are dust tight and protected against powerful water jets, which is sufficient for most industrial environments.

If you would like advice on finding a linear actuator with the right level of foreign particles protection, get in touch with one of our application engineers who will be able to provide a free application analysis based on your requirements.