Most engineers know IP. Many know IK. Few cite IFB. Yet KSA Civil Defense and modern Saudi fire codes increasingly demand all three. Combine IP + IK + IFB in one spec line and you've covered ingress, impact, and fire behaviour, every claim a fixture can survive.
Four ideas to carry into the next specification conversation you have.
Two digits: solids + water. IP65 = dust-tight + water jets. Already covered in EP05.
One number: joules of impact survived. IK08 = 5 J pendulum strike. Already covered in EP06.
Glow-wire test (IEC 60695-2-11) + needle flame test + non-flammability. New SBC 801 references increasingly require IFB grade declaration.
Example: 'Outdoor luminaire, IP66 + IK08 + IFB 850 °C glow-wire'. Supplier knows exactly what to deliver. Less ambiguity, fewer site arguments.
Saudi project minimums when all three apply.
| Space | IP / IK / IFB combination | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Office (indoor) | IP20 / IK02 / IFB 750 °C | SBC 401 + 801 |
| Warehouse / industrial | IP54 / IK08 / IFB 850 °C | SBC 401 + 801 |
| Street lighting | IP66 / IK08 / IFB 850 °C | SBC 401 / SEC |
| Stadium / transit | IP66 / IK10 / IFB 960 °C | Civil Defense |
| Tunnel | IP67 / IK10 / IFB 960 °C | SBC + CIE 88 |
| Hospital corridor | IP44 / IK02 / IFB 850 °C glow-wire | SBC 801 |
| Petrochemical (Ex zone) | IP66 / IK08 / IFB 960 °C + ATEX/IECEx | Aramco |
| Hospitality public area | IP44 / IK04 / IFB 850 °C | SBC 801 |
Five things to know about the third rating most engineers miss.
IEC 60695-2-11. A red-hot wire applied to the plastic for 30 sec at a defined temperature. 850 °C is standard for accessible parts. 960 °C is required for parts that must self-extinguish quickly. The number is on the IFB declaration.
UL 94 flammability ratings. V-0 = stops burning within 10 sec. V-1 = stops within 30 sec. V-2 = stops but drips flaming particles. Premium fixtures spec V-0.
Burning PVC or halogenated plastics releases toxic gases. Saudi Civil Defense codes now reference HFFR (Halogen-Free Flame Retardant) for cables and fixture bodies in evacuation routes. Spec halogen-free where life-safety applies.
If a fixture burns, the smoke must remain transparent enough to navigate. IEC 61034 sets density limits. Tunnel lighting specs in NEOM and Riyadh Metro now require Ds < 20 at 3 min.
'Fixture: IP66, IK10, IFB glow-wire 850 °C, UL94 V-0, halogen-free, smoke density Ds < 20'. Yes, it's a mouthful, but the supplier now has zero ambiguity.
Our outdoor and industrial ranges ship with full IP + IK + IFB declarations, UL 94 V-0 housings, halogen-free cabling, and smoke-density test reports for tunnel and assembly applications.
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