Harsh environment solutions
START HERE
When your applications operate in harsh environments – from extreme temperatures and moisture to dust, vibration, and corrosive conditions – reliability is non-negotiable. At element14, we offer a comprehensive range of harsh environment solutions.
Browse top products by attributesUnderstanding Harsh Environment Ratings
IP (Ingress Protection) ratings consist of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter.
The first digit refers to the level of protection against hazardous parts and the ingress of solid foreign objects. The second digit refers to the level of protection against the ingress of water.
This standard provides engineers with more detailed information regarding the protection status of a product than vague terms like waterproof. Below is a brief table outlining some of the common IP ratings that you’ll see across our site. We do offer products with ratings not listed below.
| IP Rating | Water Protection | Dust Protection |
|---|---|---|
| IP65 | Water at 12.5 liters per minute through 6.3mm nozzle from any direction | Total dust ingress protection |
| IP66 | Water at 100 liters per minute through 12.5mm nozzle from any direction | Total dust ingress protection |
| IP67 | Submersion into water up to 1 meter deep for amount of time specified by manufacturer | Total dust ingress protection |
| IP68 | Permanent submersion beyond 1 meter into water of depth stated by manufacturer | Total dust ingress protection |
| IP69K | Water at 80-100MPa (megapascal) and 14-16 liters per minute from four angles while the device is rotated at 5RPM | Total dust ingress protection |
Learn About NEMA Ratings for Enclosures
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) provides a popular standard for protective enclosures. These conditions include ingress of water and foreign objects (e.g. dust or fibers), but go beyond IP code, accounting for corrosive agents and various gases and atmospheres. The table provides a brief description of each level of protection, which NEMA specifies with a NEMA Enclosure Type Number.
Indoor Nonhazardous Locations
This is a brief table outlining the NEMA ratings as related to the use of enclosures in an indoor nonhazardous location.
| Provides a Degree of Protection Against the Following Environmental Conditions | Enclosure NEMA Type | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 4X | 5 | 6 | 6P | 12 | 12K | 13 | ||
| Access to hazardous parts | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Ingress of solid foreign objects (Falling dirt) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
| Ingress of water (Dripping and light splashing) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
| Ingress of solid foreign objects (Circulating dust, lint, fibers, and flyings **) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||||
| Ingress of solid foreign objects (Settling airborne dust, lint, fibers, and flyings **) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
| Ingress of water (Hosedown and splashing water) | x | x | x | x | |||||||
| Oil or coolant seepage | x | x | x | ||||||||
| Oil or coolant spraying and splashing | x | ||||||||||
| Corrosive agents | x | x | |||||||||
| Ingress of water (Occasional temporary submersion) | x | x | |||||||||
| Ingress of water (Occasional prolonged submersion) | x | ||||||||||
Download the Ultimate Guide to Harsh Environment Ratings & Design now!
Download nowIndoor Harsh Environments
Food Processing, Hospitals, Industrial production environments- what do they have in common? They can all be considered Harsh Environments. Personal safety as well as continued operation without down time are all secured by the usage of components designed to operate where others may fail. element14 provides designers, technicians and maintenance personnel with the widest range of Harsh Environment components for usage in all types of production, manufacturing and service industries.
Characteristics:
element14 has a complete lineup of Harsh Environment components including those with the following characteristics:
Chemical Resistance
Vibration Resistance
Expanded Temperature Ranges
Arc/ Explosion Safety
Wire & Cable Protection
Featured Products
Outdoor Harsh Environments
It’s a rough world out there. Whether you work in Oil & Gas, Heavy Equipment, Solar Farms or the Marine space, your products and machinery have to be able to handle the elements. element14 is here to support everyone from the designer to the maintenance engineer with the components that assure your products stay operating in the harshest of conditions.
Characteristics:
Look no further than element14 to find the Harsh Environment products including those needing:
IP Rated Connectors & Sensors
Chemical Resistance
Vibration Resistance
NEMA Rated Enclosures
High Temperature Ranges
Tri-Rated Cable and Harsh Environment Wire Management Products
Featured Products

Heavy Duty Connectors (HDC)
These are designed to deliver reliable performance under the most demanding operating and environmental conditions. Mainly used for data, signal, or power connection between different devices or functional units, the modular and standard interface can maximize application efficiency.
Shop now
















