Clive Wilson / ip rating selector

IP rating and material.
Start with the environment.

Work through the site conditions to prepare an enclosure brief. The selector provides indicative guidance; the final IP rating and material need to be confirmed for the complete assembly and project.

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CWS switchboard manufacturing in Invercargill

Before using the result

Keep the project conditions in view.

This tool supports an early specification discussion. It does not establish the rating or compliance of a completed switchboard. Confirm the source data, installation conditions and required verification with the responsible project designer.

Step 1 of 6

Installation environment

Where will the switchboard be installed?

Indoor

Conditioned or unconditioned space, fully protected from weather

Outdoor sheltered

Under verandah, awning, external wall with overhang

Outdoor exposed

Direct weather, no shelter, full rain and UV exposure

Specialised environment

Wash-down, hazardous area, marine, geothermal, pharmaceutical

Dust and particulate exposure

What level of dust or particulate is typical in the installation area?

Clean environment

Office, data centre, hospital, clean room, controlled atmosphere

Normal industrial

General factory, workshop, warehouse, typical commercial

Dusty

Grain, flour, cement, timber processing, quarry adjacent

Severe dust

Mining, heavy aggregate, fine particulate, cement plant

Water and moisture exposure

What level of water exposure will the switchboard experience?

None

Dry indoor, no wet processes, no condensation risk

Occasional

Condensation, occasional dripping, humid indoor

Splashing

Outdoor sheltered, rain exposure, indoor near wet process

Direct water jets

Outdoor exposed, hose-down cleaning, heavy rain

Wash-down

Food processing, dairy, pharmaceutical cleaning cycles

Submersion possible

Flood risk, below-ground, pit-mounted installations

Environmental factors

Select any that apply to your installation

Multiple selections allowed. Skip if none apply.

Coastal / marine

Within 5km of the sea, salt-laden atmosphere

Chemical exposure

Acids, alkalis, solvents, corrosive atmosphere

Geothermal (H₂S)

Rotorua, Taupō, Wairakei, Kawerau, geothermal plant

Enclosure material

Do you have a preferred enclosure material?

Recommend based on environment

Let the tool suggest the right material for your inputs

Mild steel, powder coated

CWS indoor standard. Most cost-effective. Indoor and fully sheltered only

304 stainless steel

Coastal, mild chemical, food processing non-chlorinated

316 stainless steel

Marine, heavy chemical, chlorinated wash-down, geothermal

Project sector (optional)

What sector is this switchboard for?

Dairy and food processing

Processing plants, cold stores, beverage

Water and wastewater

Treatment plants, pump stations, reservoirs

Data centre / IT infrastructure

Data halls, telecom, UPS rooms

Heavy industry

Smelters, metals processing, timber mills

Commercial / retail

Office, retail, hospitality, mixed-use

Solar / BESS / EV

Generation, storage, EV charging infrastructure

Healthcare / pharma

Hospital, aged care, pharmaceutical

Other / prefer not to say

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Recommended enclosure specification

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First digit (solids)

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Dust ingress protection level

Second digit (liquids)

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Water ingress protection level

Your selections

Start again

IP rating breakdown per AS/NZS 60529

IP rating	Solids	Liquids	Typical NZ switchboard application
IP31	Solid objects ≥2.5 mm	Vertically dripping water	Legacy indoor switchroom (rarely specified on new LV switchboards)
IP42	Solid objects ≥1 mm	Dripping water with enclosure tilted up to 15°	General indoor electrical room. Clive Wilson minimum standard
IP54	Dust protected	Splashing water	Indoor industrial switchboards, light outdoor sheltered
IP55	Dust protected	Water jets	Clive Wilson house standard. Most industrial and commercial switchboards
IP56	Dust protected	Powerful water jets	Outdoor exposed switchboards, coastal adjacent
IP65	Dust-tight	Water jets	Dusty outdoor switchboards, food production perimeter
IP66	Dust-tight	Powerful water jets	Outdoor exposed, severe weather, coastal switchboards
IP66 / IP69K	Dust-tight	High-pressure hot water	Dairy wash-down, pharmaceutical, meat processing switchboards

Switchboard enclosure material guide

Material	Cost vs mild steel	Typical NZ switchboard applications
Mild steel, powder coated	Baseline	Indoor only. Offices, switchrooms, indoor industrial. Not suitable for exposed outdoor use in NZ conditions
304 stainless steel	+15 to 25%	Coastal switchboards 1 to 5km from sea, mild chemical, food processing non-chlorinated, architectural
316 stainless steel	+40 to 60%	Marine switchboards less than 1km from sea, chlorinated wash-down, chemical plant, geothermal (H₂S), dairy CIP

Engineering guidance note: This selector provides a starting-point IP rating and enclosure material recommendation for NZ low voltage switchboards, based on typical applications and AS/NZS 60529. Final switchboard IP rating and material selection must consider the full installation context, project-specific requirements, any applicable sector standards (dairy, pharmaceutical, hazardous area), and AS/NZS 3000 compliance, and be verified by a qualified electrical engineer. Clive Wilson Switchboards is happy to review specific applications.

All Clive Wilson LV switchboards are manufactured in Invercargill to AS/NZS 61439 with the IP rating verified during routine production testing.

Move from estimate to specification

Bring the inputs to CWS.

Send the single-line diagram, source information, load schedule and site conditions with your enquiry. Simotrol is our primary platform for main switchboards and MCCs, with the assembly configured around the project requirements.

Main switchboards Motor control centres

Contact CWS

Talk through your project.

Send your drawings, site requirements and project programme to our Invercargill team.

Printable quote checklist (PDF)Email your checklist, drawings and schedules to estimating@clivewilson.co.nz. Leave unknown items blank.

Contact our team

IP rating and material.Start with the environment.

Keep the project conditions in view.

Bring the inputs to CWS.

Continue your project

Talk through your project.

IP rating and material.
Start with the environment.