What materials are used to achieve IPX1–IPX4 protection levels?

Your medical equipment fails after an accidental liquid spill. This sudden malfunction disrupts procedures, creates safety risks, and leads to costly downtime and repairs you did not budget for.

To achieve IPX1–IPX4 protection, manufacturers use a combination of materials. These include durable plastics like ABS and polycarbonate, compressible silicone gaskets for sealing joints, rigid metal housings, and water-repellent surface coatings.

The IP (Ingress Protection¹) rating of a device is a critical indicator of its durability in real-world environments, especially in a medical setting where liquids are a daily reality. Achieving these ratings is not the result of using a single "waterproof" material. Instead, it is a deliberate engineering process that involves selecting and integrating multiple materials, each serving a specific protective function. The outer shell provides the first barrier, the seals block the gaps, and special coatings actively repel moisture. Understanding how these components work together provides insight into what makes a medical device truly reliable. This article will break down the key materials used to build water-resistant enclosures².

What Types of Plastics Are Commonly Used for Water-Resistant Enclosures?

You assume all plastic enclosures offer similar protection. A case cracks after a minor impact, immediately compromising its water resistance and exposing sensitive internal electronics to damage during cleaning.

Plastics like ABS and Polycarbonate (PC) are commonly used. They provide an excellent combination of impact strength, resistance to cleaning chemicals, and the ability to be molded into complex shapes with tight, water-resistant seams.

The choice of plastic for a device’s housing is a foundational decision in designing for water resistance. Not all plastics are created equal. Medical-grade enclosures typically use high-performance thermoplastics like Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)³ or Polycarbonate (PC)⁴. ABS is valued for its toughness, rigidity, and cost-effectiveness, making it a reliable choice for many device bodies. Polycarbonate offers superior impact resistance and can withstand a wider range of temperatures, making it ideal for more demanding applications. Often, a PC+ABS blend is used to harness the strengths of both materials. The manufacturing process itself is just as important. We use precision injection molding to create housing parts with extremely tight tolerances. This allows us to design features like overlapping "tongue and groove" seams that create a difficult path for water to travel, enhancing protection even before a seal is added. Our MS192SA 19" HD Endoscopic Monitor uses a medical-grade polymer housing designed for exactly this purpose, ensuring both durability and liquid resistance.

Comparing Common Housing Plastics

How Do Silicone Gaskets Enhance Water Protection in Device Assembly?

Your device has a solid case, but water still seeps in. The weak points are the nearly invisible seams and openings around buttons and ports, creating a pathway for catastrophic damage.

Silicone gaskets are compressible seals placed in the gaps between two parts, like a case and its front panel. When compressed, they form a continuous waterproof barrier that blocks liquids from entering through seams, joints, and connector openings.

A rigid housing is only the first part of the equation. Every device has seams, buttons, and ports that create potential points of failure. This is where gaskets become essential. Silicone⁵ is the material of choice for these seals due to its remarkable properties. It is highly elastic, meaning it can be compressed to fill a gap and will maintain that seal without deforming over time. Silicone is also incredibly durable, with excellent resistance to a wide range of temperatures, cleaning chemicals, and UV light degradation. This ensures the seal remains effective throughout the device’s lifespan. We design custom-molded gaskets⁶ to perfectly fit every opening, from the main housing seam to the areas around I/O ports and power buttons. Proper engineering of the compression is critical; too little force leaves a gap, while too much can damage the gasket or the housing. The MS270P 27" FHD Surgical Display, for example, features a precision-fit silicone gasket that completely seals the front bezel to protect its internal electronics from splashes during surgical procedures.

Are Metal Housings Effective for Achieving IPX Ratings?

You might think a solid metal case is automatically waterproof. However, even the most robust metal device can fail from water ingress if its seams and joints are not perfectly sealed.

Yes, metal housings like machined aluminum are highly effective for water resistance. Their structural rigidity prevents the chassis from flexing, which helps maintain a consistent, tight seal with the gaskets. Their success depends entirely on precision engineering.

Metal housings, particularly those made from aluminum alloys⁷, offer distinct advantages in creating a water-resistant device. The primary benefit is rigidity. Unlike some plastics, a metal frame will not warp, flex, or change shape due to temperature shifts or physical stress. This stability is crucial for maintaining the integrity of a seal. If a housing flexes, it can create microscopic gaps in the gasket seal, allowing water to penetrate. However, metal itself does not guarantee protection. The effectiveness comes down to precision manufacturing⁸. The mating surfaces where gaskets will sit must be machined to be perfectly flat and smooth. Any imperfection can compromise the seal. Furthermore, these metal parts are often treated with processes like anodization or powder coating, which not only protect the metal from corrosion but also create an ideal surface for a gasket to seal against. Our MS321PB 32" 4K Surgical Monitor is built with an aluminum frame that provides this essential structural integrity, ensuring a reliable seal that meets the demands of the operating room.

What Role Do Surface Coatings Play in Water Resistance?

Water splashes onto your device and just sits there in a puddle. This lingering moisture increases the chance that it will eventually find its way through a microscopic crevice or a worn seal.

Surface coatings serve as a first line of defense. Hydrophobic coatings create a high-surface-tension effect, causing water to bead up and roll off immediately instead of spreading out and trying to seep into the device.

While enclosures and gaskets are designed to block water, specialized surface coatings aim to get rid of it altogether. This is achieved through hydrophobic and oleophobic treatments. These are ultra-thin, transparent coatings that alter the surface energy of the material they are applied to. A hydrophobic coating⁹ creates a high contact angle with water droplets, forcing them into near-perfect spheres that have minimal contact with the surface. This makes them roll off easily with gravity or a slight tilt. This "lotus effect¹⁰" is an excellent first line of defense, as it minimizes the amount of liquid that ever has a chance to test the physical seals of the device. These coatings are particularly useful for protecting areas that cannot be completely sealed, such as speaker grilles or cooling vents. They also make cleaning easier, as liquids and fingerprints wipe away cleanly without smearing. The MS430PC 43" 4K Surgical Monitor features a front screen with a protective hydrophobic coating, ensuring liquids can be wiped away instantly, maintaining a clear view and protecting the bezel seal.

Summary of Water Protection Methods

How Does Reshin Integrate Materials to Meet IPX1–IPX4 Standards?

You need a display you can trust in a busy clinical environment. A standard office monitor is simply not built to withstand the routine splashes and rigorous cleaning protocols of a medical setting.

We integrate materials using a systems-based approach. We combine durable, medical-grade polymer housings with custom-molded silicone gaskets and protective surface coatings. This layered strategy ensures our monitors meet IPX1–IPX4 standards for reliability.

We believe that reliable water resistance comes from a holistic design philosophy, not from a single feature. It starts with the selection of a robust PC/ABS polymer blend¹¹ for the main housing, chosen for its resistance to both physical impacts and harsh chemical disinfectants. The housing is then molded with overlapping seams to create a naturally tortuous path for any liquid. Next, we address every potential point of ingress. We design and manufacture custom silicone gaskets¹² for the main housing seam, all I/O ports, and the front bezel where it meets the screen. Each gasket is engineered for the precise amount of compression needed to form a perfect, lasting seal. This multi-layered approach creates redundancy and ensures robust protection. This is how the MS220S 22" FHD Endoscopic Monitor is built; its durable housing, fully sealed front panel, and protected connectors all work together to achieve its IP rating, providing the peace of mind required for daily use in demanding medical environments.

Conclusion

Achieving IPX protection is not about one material. It is the result of a thoughtful system that integrates robust plastics, precision-fit gaskets, and functional coatings to create a truly resilient device. To learn more about Reshin’s IPX-rated medical display solutions, contact us at martin@reshinmonitors.com.