What an IP Test Report Must Contain

An IP test report is used for certification, for procurement and sometimes for liability. It has to be specific enough that another laboratory could repeat the test and obtain a comparable result.

Mandatory content

The standard and edition, the clause numbers tested, the sample identification and configuration, the preconditioning applied, the test equipment with calibration status, the measured flow, pressure, distance, duration and orientation, and the observations after the test. Photographs of the sample before and after are not required but resolve most disputes.

The most common omission

The configuration. A report that says IPX6 passed, without saying whether cable entries were fitted and whether the unit was powered, is not reproducible. State what was installed, what was open, and how the sample was mounted.

Reading someone else report

Check the edition of the standard, since requirements have changed, and check that the test house is accredited for that clause. A report from an unaccredited laboratory is still evidence, but it carries less weight in a dispute and is usually rejected in certification submissions.

Related technical notes

• IPX7 and IP68: What the Marking Legally Means
• Maintaining IP Test Equipment: A Simple Regime
• Calculating IPX5 and IPX6 Test Duration from Surface Area