PML connector change from IP44 to IP67

In 2021 Luminal Park chose to upgrade the PML product line with an increased level of protection from IP44, the standard in use until 2020, to the new IP67.

What changes in substance?

The change will only affect the shape of the integrated connectors, which will therefore no longer be compatible with the previous standard. This change will create inconvenience for those wishing to connect the old IP44 PML items with the new IP67 ones, and a special adapter will be required.

Let's be clear, IP44 has achieved a level of reliability in outdoor use that could easily remain for the future. Many customers, happy users of PML items, will see this improvement as superfluous.

In the PML professional line, the assignment of the IP44 protection level is solely due to the waterproofing level of the connection connectors. The rest of the light string, especially for the LEDs, already had a higher level of protection.

Increasing the level of protection of the entire light string therefore meant increasing the level of protection of the connectors alone by changing their shape.

Why have we decided to change?

The reason we decided to go ahead with the connector change anyway is so as not to diminish the very high level of reliability of this professional product line. In fact, some of our customers have had to argue that using IP44 outdoors poses no danger and is a perfectly compliant installation.

There are products on the market marked IP44 that in practice are not, and many users experience lights that in outdoor use have water ingress that should not be there.

Similarly, we have found many items marketed, especially in marketplaces, falsely marked IP65 or IP67.

The items in the PML line will be progressively upgraded to this new IP67 standard. To facilitate the transition process, adapter cables have been created that will make the connection between PML IP44 and PML IP67 compatible and vice versa.

For further questions and information, don't forget that the Luminal Park Technical Team is always at your disposal!