IEC61032 IEC60529 figure2 IP2X 12mm Jointed Test Finger Probe B

Product Overview

The IEC 61032 Test Finger Probe B is the articulated finger that standards name when an enclosure has to be shown to be finger-safe. Its contact section is a 12 mm curved finger, and the finger itself is built in three jointed sections so it can bend and follow the shape of an opening instead of only proving that a straight line is blocked.

What the probe proves is straightforward: nothing a finger can reach should be live, and where the clause also covers mechanical parts, nothing hazardous should be reachable either. Its specimen range is the easily accessible live parts or mechanical parts of the enclosure — the apertures, louvres and moulded gaps a user can touch without a tool.

The jointed construction is what separates it from a rigid gauge. A rigid rod answers one question — does a straight tool get through — while the three sections let you re-position the finger before, during and after insertion, following the route a real finger would take. Behind the articulated sections sits a white plastic grip with a round guard flange, and the contact end carries a metal tip that makes the stopping point easy to read against a dark enclosure face.

This is the articulated finger of IEC61032 Figure 2 and of the IEC60529 / EN60529 family, which is why it is the tool most commonly cited for the finger-access requirement in the IP code. Laboratories working to appliance, IT, audio-visual, plug-and-socket or UL clauses often find the same finger already on the bench, and one tool cited across all of those programmes is easier to store, check and document than three or four near-neighbours.

If you already have the clause, the specification table below gives you the dimensions to check against it. If you are still working out which probe your clause names, send us the standard and figure you are testing to and we will confirm the designation before you order.

Specifications

Jointed Finger Construction

• Three jointed sections. Each section pivots independently, so the finger follows the contour of a louvre, a grille slot or a moulded gap instead of stopping at the first bend it meets.
• Set by hand, no tools needed. The sections are positioned before insertion and re-positioned during the sweep, which is how a jointed finger reproduces the path a real hand would take through an opening.
• A circular guard behind the finger. The disc sits between the articulated sections and the grip, giving the operator a flat, stable face to rest against the enclosure while the finger works inside the opening.
• A grip that stays clear. The cylindrical handle is long enough to hold the probe steady on a large panel without your hand covering the feature you are checking.
• Metal tip, readable contact. The pointed tip marks exactly where the finger stops, and the white body with its round guard flange stands out against a dark enclosure face.
• Built for repeat handling. The joints hold the position you set rather than drifting during a sweep, so a re-test by another technician reproduces the first result.
• Checked before packing. As an IP test finger supplier we check each probe against the figure and designation stated on the order, so what arrives matches what your test plan cites.

Standards & Reference Figures

The reference list for this probe runs wider than the figure itself. At its centre is IEC61032 Figure 2, the drawing that defines the articulated test finger and the reason the tool is quoted as Test Tool B; the same geometry is cited in the IEC60529 / EN60529 family, where the articulated finger is the probe used to demonstrate protection against access with a finger.

Appliance laboratories reach it through IEC 60335-1, the general safety standard for household and similar electrical appliances. Audio, video and similar electronic apparatus work brings in IEC60065, information technology equipment brings in IEC60950 and the earlier IEC950 Figure 2A, IEC60884-1 covers plugs and socket-outlets, and IEC69745-1 also appears on the list. North American programmes are covered as well: UL507 and UL1278 Figure 8.4 sit alongside the IEC references, so the same finger is ordered by laboratories working to UL clauses rather than, or as well as, IEC ones.

Why that breadth matters in practice. One finger can serve appliance, IT, audio-visual and socket work from the same tool store — one part number to keep and check instead of four, one reference list to put in front of an assessor who questions the tool itself, and fewer surprises when a product line changes and the clause cited for it changes with it.

The one thing worth doing before you order is matching the figure. If your clause cites Figure 2, Test Tool B or probe B, this is the item. If your test plan names a different figure, a different letter, or an applied force as well, tell us and we will point you to the version that matches rather than let a near-match reach your bench. In IP2X electrical enclosure safety testing, the probe is the measuring instrument, and the figure reference is what identifies it.

IP2X Test Procedure

1. Set the equipment up in its normal position of use, assembled as it would be in service, with the openings you are checking being the ones a user can reach without a tool.
2. Bring the jointed finger to the opening and insert it as far as the opening allows — insertion follows the geometry of the opening, not the force of your hand.
3. Rotate and angle the finger before, during and after insertion, through every position needed to try to reach an uninsulated live part or a mechanical part behind the opening.
4. Re-position the jointed sections by hand when the shape of the opening calls for it, then continue the sweep from the new configuration.
5. Keep the baffle disc against the enclosure face while you work. The disc is the stop that fixes insertion depth, so it should stay in contact with the surface rather than be pulled away as the finger turns.
6. Judge the result on contact. The finger must not touch live parts, and where the clause also covers mechanical parts it must not reach hazardous ones either. Note the opening, the configuration used and the result for each position tested.
7. Repeat at every opening and on every face of the enclosure, and approach the same opening from more than one direction — an opening that passes from one angle can still fail from another.
8. Check whether your clause specifies an applied thrust before you begin. If it does, say so when you order: the plain articulated finger is supplied for clauses that do not call for one, and force-controlled versions are quoted separately.

Applications & Equipment Covered

• Household and similar appliances. Vents, seams and control apertures on products built to IEC 60335-1 — the finger checks that nothing live sits within reach behind them.
• IT, audio and video equipment. Grilles, fan openings and cable exits on equipment in the IEC60950 / IEC950 and IEC60065 families are the usual trouble spots.
• Pre-compliance work in your own laboratory. A sweep with the finger before an external test house sees the sample catches a reachable part while the tooling is still open.
• Third-party test houses. Working with an IEC 61032 Test Finger Probe B whose dimensions are correct keeps the discussion on the product rather than on the tool.
• Design review and prototypes. Testing a new louvre, grille or snap-fit gap early shows whether the opening needs an internal rib before the mould is cut.
• Production sampling and incoming inspection. Checking enclosures from a new tool or a new batch against the same probe keeps results comparable from run to run.
• Clauses that call for the articulated finger. Where your standard names Test Tool B rather than a rigid rod or wire, this is the probe — and IP2X electrical enclosure safety testing is where it does most of its work.

Probes for Other IP Levels

Ordering & Delivery

1. Send the standard and figure you are working to — for example IEC61032 Figure 2 — together with the equipment under test and the protection level or letter you need to demonstrate.
2. Say whether your clause calls for the plain articulated finger or a version with a specified applied force, so the correct item is quoted.
3. Give the quantity, the delivery country and any date your test programme is working to.
4. If the probe is going into your own catalogue, send your branding requirements with the enquiry; OEM and ODM requests go through the same technical team.
5. As an IP test finger supplier we reply with a written quotation covering price, availability and lead time for your quantity and destination. Ask for the current lead time rather than assuming it, particularly when an audit or test date is fixed.
6. Payment method, shipping arrangement and any documentation your quality file needs are confirmed on the quotation before dispatch.
7. If you would like to handle the probe before committing, ask your sales contact whether a sample can be arranged for your order.

Technical Support & Model Matching

Choosing the right item starts with your requirement, not the catalogue. Our technical team works with buyers in Europe, North America and Asia to match a model to the clause or test condition you have to satisfy, and stays with you afterwards for commissioning, setup and troubleshooting. If an instrument already in service needs attention, we can supply replacement parts and advise on returning it to work. OEM and ODM requests go to the same team.

FAQ