IP rating explained

IP (or “Ingress Protection”) ratings are used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical devices against intrusion from foreign bodies (tools, dirt, etc) and moisture.

The IP ratings are defined in international standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529:1992, European IEC 60509:1989). The numbers that follow IP each have a specific meaning. The first indicates the degree of protection from moving parts, as well as the protection of enclosed equipment from foreign bodies.
The second defines the protection level that the device enjoys from various forms of moisture (drips, sprays, submersion, etc). The tables below should help make sense of it:

IP Ratings – what they mean:

First Digit (intrusion protection)

1. Protection from a large part of the body such as a hand (but no protection from deliberate access); from solid objects greater than 50mm in diameter.
2. Protection against fingers or other objects not greater than 80mm in length and 12mm in diameter (accidental finger contact).
3. Protection from entry by tools, wires, etc, with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more.
4. Protection against solid objects larger than 1mm (wires, nails, screws, larger insects, and other potentially invasive small objects such as tools/small, etc).
5. Partial protection against dust that may harm equipment.
6. Totally dust-tight. Full protection against dust and other particulates, including a vacuum seal, tested against continuous airflow.

   0 or x: No protection.

Second Digit (moisture protection)

1. Protection against vertically falling droplets, such as condensation. ensuring that no damage or interrupted functioning of components will be incurred when an item is upright.
2. Protection against water droplets deflected up to 15° from vertical.
3. Protected against spray up to 60° from vertical.
4. Protected against water splashes from all directions. Tested for a minimum of 10 minutes with an oscillating spray (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects).
5. Protection against low-pressure jets (6.3 mm) of directed water from any angle (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects).
6. Protection against direct high-pressure jets.
7. Protection against full immersion for up to 30 minutes at depths between 15 cm and 1 meter (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects).
8. Protection against extended immersion under higher pressure (i.e. greater depths). Precise parameters of this test will be set and advertised by the manufacturer and may include additional factors such as temperature fluctuations and flow rates, depending on equipment type.
9. (K): Protection against high-pressure, high-temperature jet sprays, wash-downs, or steam-cleaning procedures – this rating is most often seen in specific road vehicle applications (standard ISO 20653:2013 Road Vehicles – Degrees of protection).

     0 or x: No protection.

The most common IP ratings

IP65  – “dust tight” and protected against water projected from a nozzle.
IP66  – “dust tight” and protected against heavy seas or powerful jets of water.
IP67  – “dust tight” and protected against immersion. for 30 minutes at depths 150 mm – 1000 mm.
IP68  – “dust tight” and protected against complete, continuous submersion in water.

ROCA wiper motor system W12 is water spray proof according to IP65.