Technical brochures often refer to IK rating.But what does this rating stand for? The anti-vandal pushbuttons switches AV 250 comply with the IK standard. Initially related to the IP sealing test, the Ik rating became a specific rating to measure the impact resistance of product in 1995. It is now related to the EN 62-262 European standard.
PRINCIPLES
This rating can be decisive in a product selection. It doesn’t rate the mechanical life but the capacity of a product to face environmental aggressions. Therefore it is a key feature for any product intended for consumer goods.The IK impact resistance is rated through a specific test carried out with a “Charpy pendulum” impact tester.This device measures the resistance of a product submitted to 3 repeated identical impacts.The impact energy (in joules) depends on 2 elements:
- The distance between the hammer and the tested sample
- The hammer weight. According to the resistance level rated during the test, an IK code is assigned to the product. This code ranging from IK0 to IK10, determines the energy level the product can absorb.
