Outdoor & UV

Outdoor enclosures need to resist UV exposure, temperature extremes, moisture, and physical impact all at once. Impact resistance specifically is measured by IK ratings under the EN/IEC 62262 standards, ranging from IK00 (no protection) up to IK10 (highest protection).

A rugged outdoor range should be built to operate across a wide temperature band (for example, roughly -35°C to 40°C), resist sunlight, wind, rain, corrosion, and chemicals, carry a high IP rating against dust and water, and reach a strong IK rating (IK09 is a good benchmark) for impact protection — covering the combination of weather and physical knocks an outdoor installation is likely to face.

Unprotected exposure to UV radiation can degrade an enclosure’s materials over time, which can in turn affect the internal electronics and lead to failures.

Installation location matters: placing an enclosure on the sheltered side of a building, out of direct sunlight, helps preserve it over the long term. Beyond placement, the enclosure material itself needs to be built for the job — high-grade UV-resistant polycarbonate is a strong choice, and it’s worth checking that a product has passed recognised weathering tests, such as a 1000-hour test under DIN EN ISO 4892-2 (formerly DIN 53 387) and UL 746C weathering standards, before specifying it for a long-term outdoor installation.