IEC 62217-2012 PDF

Full title and description

IEC 62217:2012 — Polymeric HV insulators for indoor and outdoor use — General definitions, test methods and acceptance criteria. This international standard defines common terminology for polymeric high-voltage insulators and specifies design and type test methods and acceptance/failure criteria intended to ensure satisfactory in-service performance of polymeric (organic-material) insulators used on overhead lines and in indoor/outdoor equipment.

Abstract

IEC 62217:2012 (Edition 2) applies to polymeric insulators whose insulating body consists of one or more organic materials, including solid-core and hollow-core composite/resin insulators. The standard establishes common definitions, prescribes design and type test methods, and gives acceptance or failure criteria where applicable. It is intended to be used together with the relevant product-specific standard. The 2012 edition updated and revised the 2005 edition and removed certain alternative tracking/erosion tests from the normative body, referencing a technical report for those methods.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn (withdrawal date: 6 October 2025); superseded by IEC 62217:2025.
• Publication date: 27 September 2012 (Edition 2.0).
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), bilingual English/French publication.
• ICS / categories: 29.080.10 (Insulators).
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0 (2012).
• Number of pages: 52 pages.

Scope

The standard applies to polymeric high‑voltage insulators intended for indoor and outdoor use and for overhead-line applications where the insulating body is made of organic material(s). It covers both solid-core and hollow-core polymeric insulators and is limited to providing general definitions, common test methods for design/type testing, and acceptance/failure criteria. IEC 62217:2012 is intended to be applied alongside product-specific standards (for example standards addressing composite suspension/tension insulators, station post insulators or hollow composite types).

Key topics and requirements

• Common terminology and definitions for polymeric HV insulators (core, housing, sheds, hydrophobicity transfer material, etc.).
• Specification of design and type test methods addressing electrical, mechanical and environmental performance required for qualification of polymeric insulator designs.
• Acceptance and failure criteria for the tests where applicable, to judge whether a design meets required performance levels.
• Requirements to use IEC 62217 in conjunction with relevant product standards (product-specific test/installation/strength clauses remain in the product standard).
• Clarification and harmonization of test application (which tests are design tests and which are type tests) and guidance on environmental/testing conditions.
• Removal of certain alternative tracking and erosion tests from the normative body in 2012 edition; those alternative methods (5 000 h multi‑stress and tracking wheel tests) are described in IEC TR 62730 (technical report).
• Normative references and cross‑references to other HV testing and insulator standards (pollution tests, high‑voltage test techniques, hybrid/composite insulator product standards, etc.).

Typical use and users

IEC 62217:2012 was used by insulator manufacturers, specification and design engineers, utility and transmission planners, test laboratories, procurement teams and standards committees. Typical uses included design qualification of polymeric insulator types, development of internal test programmes, procurement specifications for overhead-line and substation insulators, and as a normative reference in related product standards and national adoptions.

Related standards

Standards and technical reports commonly used together with or related to IEC 62217 include: IEC TR 62730 (tracking and erosion tests — 5 000 h multi‑stress and tracking wheel methods), IEC 60507 (artificial pollution tests), IEC 61109 / IEC 61466 / IEC 62231 (product standards for composite and station post insulators), IEC 62896 (hybrid insulators), IEC 60060‑1 (high‑voltage test techniques), and other product or test standards addressing mechanical strength, field control, hydrophobicity and aging. Newer editions and related documents (including IEC 62217:2025 and recent revisions of TR 62730 and IEC 62896) update or expand test methods and scope.

Keywords

polymeric insulators, composite insulators, high‑voltage insulators, test methods, acceptance criteria, tracking, erosion, hydrophobicity, design tests, type tests, IEC 62217

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC 62217:2012 is an international standard that defines terms, test methods and acceptance criteria for polymeric high‑voltage insulators used indoors and outdoors (solid and hollow core polymeric insulators).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers general definitions, common design/type test methods (electrical, mechanical and environmental aspects) and acceptance/failure criteria for polymeric HV insulators. It is intended to be used together with product‑specific standards for particular insulator types.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Insulator manufacturers, transmission and distribution utilities, test laboratories, specification writers, procurement teams and standards committees use the standard for design qualification, testing, procurement specifications and normative referencing.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: IEC 62217:2012 has been withdrawn (withdrawal date 6 October 2025) and is superseded by a later edition (IEC 62217:2025). Users should refer to the 2025 edition or applicable national adoptions for the current requirements.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — IEC 62217 is a general/test-methods standard used alongside a number of product standards (for example standards for composite suspension/tension insulators, station post insulators and hollow composite insulators) and related technical reports. It is maintained by IEC TC 36 (Insulators) and is part of the broader family of high‑voltage insulator and HV test standards.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Polymeric insulators; composite insulators; test methods; acceptance criteria; tracking and erosion; hydrophobicity; IEC 62217; high‑voltage insulators.