Rain Test Chambers are closed water ingress test equipment consisting of a series of waterproof test apparatuses for testing from IPX1 to IPX6K and IPX9/9K. They allow the specimens to be exposed to various levels of rainy environments, from vertically falling water drops to powerful water jets, to determine the waterproof performance of electrical equipment. Specifically, the waterproof performance here is indicated by the extent of protection provided by an enclosure against the ingress of water, causing no harmful effects on the equipment.

The rain test chambers play a very important role in the IPX waterproof test on electrical equipment. They are in accordance with IEC 60529, ISO 20653, DIN 40050-9 and other standards. The following content will show you the classification and more knowledge about rain test chambers.

IPX1 & IPX2 Rain Test Chamber

  • Suitable for performing IPX1 and IPX2 waterproof testing(2-in-1).
  • The internal chamber is made of 304 stainless steel.
  • Water flow rate provided: (1 + 0.5) mm/min for IPX1 and (3 + 0.5) mm/min for IPX2 (adjustable).
  • Turntable rotation speed: Approximately 1 r/min (adjustable).
  • The turntable is allowed to be tilted up to 15° for IPX2 testing.
  • The height of the turntable can be adjusted to achieve the intended distance.
  • A detachable protective cover is provided under the needle holes to avoid hurting the operator during operation.
  • Configured with a set of the water circulation system to achieve automatic water replenishment and circulation.
  • Fitted with a PLC and 7” touch screen for parameter settings and real-time data presentation.
  • The specimen is allowed to be energized during the test if required.
  • The machine stops automatically when the test is terminated.
  • The equipment dimension is allowed to be tailored to practical testing requirements.

IPX3 & IPX4/4K Rain Test Chamber

  • Used for conducting IPX3 water spray testing and IPX4/4K splash water testing.
  • The internal chamber is made of 304 stainless steel.
  • Oscillating tubes of different radii with various numbers of open holes are provided to accommodate samples with different dimensions.
  • The tubes can oscillate through an angle of 120° (for IPX3) or almost 360°(for IPX4), 60°(for IPX3), or nearly 180°(for IPX4) on either side of the vertical.
  • Water flow rate: (0.1±0.5) mm/min per hole or (0.07±0.5) mm/min per hole (adjustable).
  • Water pressure provided: Approx. 80 kPa (for IPX3/4) / 4000 kPa(for IPX4K) (adjustable).
  • Turntable rotation speed: Approx. 1 ~ 3 r/min (adjustable).
  • Configured with a set of the water circulation system to achieve automatic water replenishment and recycle use.
  • Fitted with a PLC and 7” touch screen for control and monitoring.
  • The specimen is allowed to be energized during the test if required.
  • The device size is allowed to be tailored to sample specifications.

IPX5 & IPX6/6K Rain Test Chamber

  • Used for carrying out IPX5/6/6K water jetting ingress protection testing.
  • The internal chamber is made of 304 stainless steel.
  • Configured with 2 nozzles with different diameters (diameter 6.3 mm for IPX5/6K, diameter 12.5 mm for IPX6 )to fit different test items.
  • The nozzle can automatically swing up and down as per test needs.
  • The water pressure from 30 kPa to 1000 kPa is adjustable to achieve a required flow rate.
  • Turntable rotation speed: approximately 1 ~ 3 r/min (adjustable).
  • Configured with a set of the water circulation system to achieve automatic water replenishment and recycle use.
  • Fitted with a PLC and 7” touch screen for parameter settings and real-time data presentation.
  • The specimen is allowed to be energized during the test if required.
  • The machine stops automatically when the test is complete.
  • The chamber dimension can be customized based on the specimen dimensions.

IPX9/9K Test Chamber

  • Used for conducting IPX9/9K high pressure and high temperature water spray testing.
  • The internal chamber is made of 304 stainless steel.
  • The rotation speed of the turntable is (5±1) r/min.
  • Able to spray small samples mounted on the turntable at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° in turn.
  • The water flow rate provided is 14 ~ 16 L/min under the pressure of 8000 ~ 10000 kPa.
  • Fitted with heating tubes to heat water to the desired temperature and maintain it.
  • Configured with a set of the water circulation system to achieve water recycling.
  • Fitted with a PLC module and 7” touch screen for parameter settings, automatic control, and real-time data presentation.
  • The specimen is allowed to be energized during the test if required.
  • The chamber specification is customizable as per different specimens.

AMADE TECH is available to provide tailor-made rain test chambers. For example, different test functions from IPX1 to IPX6 can be fully or partially integrated into a single device.

In addition, we can supply a full set of ingress protection test equipment. If you are interested in them, please go HERE to learn more.

What is Rain Test Chamber?

The rain test chamber adopts a box-type structure, which provides a realistic simulation of various rainy environments such as dripping, spraying, splashing, and jetting that electrical products and their components may be subjected to during transportation and use to determine the degree of protection provided by enclosures against water.

The rain test chamber features a closed test space to accommodate specimens and corresponding assemblies and an automatic water circulation system. It allows testing to continue in a confined space without the need to keep adding new water from the outside once the water for circulation is provided, thus not wetting the surrounding objects and saving water resources throughout the test. Unlike the open-type water ingress test equipment requiring a picky test site, the rain test chamber can assist you in performing waterproof tests anywhere in the laboratory.

According to the different requirements of the test standards, the rain test chamber is divided into many different types. They are mainly used in waterproof testing of outdoor lighting, signal devices, consumer electronics and automotive lighting housing.

What Are the Waterproof Testing Standards?

Among the many standards for waterproof testing of electrical equipment, the most commonly used and internationally recognized standards are IEC 60529, ISO 20653, and DIN 40050-9. IEC 60529 is formulated by the International Electrotechnical Commission. ISO 20653 is formulated by the International Organization for Standardization. DIN40050-9 is formulated by the German institute for standardization. All three standards have detailed instructions and descriptions for the classification of IPX waterproof test levels, testing equipment, test requirements, and test methods.

The biggest difference between the three standards on the waterproof test is the classification of the degrees of protection against ingress of water. ISO 20653 and DIN 40050-9 have IPX4K and IPX6K test items with high pressurization, while IEC 60529 does not have these two test items. The last item of ISO20653 and DIN40050-9 about waterproofing is IPX9K, while IEC60529 is indicated by IPX9 instead of IPX9K, but the contents of the two are almost the same.

Waterproof test items IEC 60529 ISO 20653 DIN 40050-9
IPX1 A A A
IPX2 A A A
IPX3 A A A
IPX4 A A A
IPX4K A A
IPX5 A A A
IPX6 A A A
IPX6K A A
IPX7 A A A
IPX8 A A A
IPX9 A
IPX9K A A

“A’ means that is is available in the test item.
“-” means that it doesn’t exist.