Mechanical Impact

Equipments resistance to mechanical damage can be measured by test methods producing an impact energy measured in joules or newton/meters. 10 newton/meters is in effect one kilogramme dropped from a hight of one meter.

The standards contain two levels of impact resistance appropriate to high and low risk of impact. If the equipment is only suitable for low impact the certificate is suffixed X or the information is included in the installation information. The below table details the impact resistance required by different equipment groups in order to meet both high and low levels.

For example, an enclosure at high risk of mechanical impact should be able to withstand the force of a 1kg mass dropped from a hight of 2m.

In general the symbol ‘X’ is used to provide a means of identifying the essential information for the installation, use and maintenance of the equipment is contained in the certificate.