IEC 60068-2-18:2017

Overview

IEC 60068-2-18:2017 is an International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) environmental testing standard that defines Test R - Water and guidance for evaluating equipment exposed to falling drops, impacting water and immersion. The standard specifies laboratory methods to verify that enclosures, covers and seals preserve the functioning of components and equipment during transportation, storage and in-service exposure to water. This third edition (2017) is a technical revision of the 2000 edition and introduces a new method (Rb 3 - fan jet).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and objective: Confirm water ingress protection for enclosures and seals under standardized water exposures; explicitly not a corrosion test.
• Structured test families:
  • Ra - Falling drops:
    • Ra1: Artificial rain (based on natural conditions but limited wind effects)
    • Ra2: Drip box
  • Rb - Impacting water:
    • Rb1: Oscillating tube and spray nozzle (two variants)
    • Rb2: Water jet (hose/nozzle)
    • Rb3: Fan jet (new in 2017)
  • Rc - Immersion:
    • Rc1: Water tank immersion
    • Rc2: Pressurized water chamber immersion
• Test sequence elements: preconditioning, initial measurements, controlled exposure (severity selection), recovery, and final measurements - with guidance on what information must be specified for reproducible testing.
• Severities and applicability: Guidance is provided for selecting appropriate severities for product use-cases; many test severities are higher than natural rainfall and are intended to stress enclosures, not to simulate weather exactly.
• Test apparatus and verification: Annexes include recommended apparatus (oscillating tubes, spray/fan nozzles, pressurized chambers), measurement and verification guidance for intensity, drop size, water quality, and impact force.
• Relationship to IP codes: The standard maps test methods to enclosure protection levels and provides equivalence guidance with the IP Code (IEC 60529).

Practical applications - who uses this standard

• Product designers and enclosure manufacturers - to validate sealing designs and select gasket or enclosure classes.
• Test laboratories and QA teams - to perform repeatable water ingress tests for shipping/storage and field-exposure claims.
• Specification writers and procurement - to define contractual test requirements and severities for outdoor or transportable equipment.
• Regulatory and certification bodies - to harmonize test protocols and evidence for water resistance claims.

Related standards

• IEC 60529 (IP Code) - for degrees of protection against ingress of water/solids.
• Other IEC environmental test parts (60068 series) - complementary tests for mechanical, thermal and climatic stresses.

Keywords: IEC 60068-2-18, environmental testing, water tests, artificial rain, drip box, impacting water, immersion, water jet, fan jet, enclosure sealing, ingress protection, IEC 60529.