SPECIAL REPORT – Take a Peek Inside Electromechanical Locks
For all the talk of smart cards and biometrics, such as iris scans, hand readers and facial recognition, the basics of access control always begin with the lock. All of the high-tech access gadgets are worthless without an electromechanical or magnetic lock to keep the door closed.
The market for electromechanical locks is building. Statistics show electromechanical locking is the fastest-growing segment in the lock business. With that, more manufacturers are clamoring for the attention of contractors and installers.
What holds back some from turning to electromechanical lock installations is it takes a little bit more to install them than electromagnetic locks.
“Electric strikes in general are typically more labor intensive to install than mag locks so they’re not as popular,” says Brian McLane, a systems designer with low-voltage distributor The Systems Depot. “A lot of the low-voltage security installers are leery of labor-intensive products.”
At the same time, mechanical locks may prove more attractive to end users. They may not feel as secure being protected by a magnet as they would by a hard, metal mechanism locking a door shut. Electromechanical doors bring the familiarity of turning a doorknob, as opposed to pushing on a push bar.
“You don’t need an egress button or egress motion,” McLane says. “If they know how to turn a doorknob, they know how to get out of these doors.”
For contractors who choose to go the extra mile for the end user, some of the leading manufacturers have submitted their top products, which are featured below. A comparison chart is also provided in the January issue of Security Sales & Integration to help make the right choice for your customer’s security needs.
| Selected Electromatic Lock Products | |
| Pull Handle Switches Between Free and Controlled Access There are times where a prospective customer is looking for an access control solution that can keep their building easily accessible to visitors during the day and locked down like Fort Knox at night. Banks, apartments and other buildings need access like this. With this in mind, Adams Rite of Pomona, Calif., offers the 4593E Latch Pull™ lockable pull handle with one-handed operation. It has the flexibility to switch between a mode where the door is locked upon closure, or just latches the door to ease access. Designed for narrow, medium and wide stile aluminum doors, a simple pull of the spring-loaded handle opens the door. All mounting hardware is included to retrofit with the Latch Pull and it has been certified as compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is adaptable for use with 5- to 7-pin lock cylinders.
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Versatile Electric Strike Supplies Solution for Most Doors It’s one thing to look for a mythical skeleton key that could open any door. What about a “skeleton” electric strike that is adaptable to any door and just about every lock. That’s what Bristol, Conn.’s DynaLock looks to have in its 1600 Electric Strike Series. When one can’t decide which lock would work best with a door type, they can turn to DynaLock’s 1600 Series. The 1600 Series can adapt for fail-safe or fail-secure operation (see box on page 58 of January issue). There are several features that allow for the installer and end user to select the voltage and adjust the horizontal position. Voltage can be 12 or 24 VDC, or even switch intermittently between 12 and 24 VDC. DynaLock’s devise can also adapt to most locking devices as long as it’s not more than a 3/4-inch latch projection. There are strike profiles for cyndrical, mortise and narrowline locks, among others. Listed as burglary-resistant by UL, the 1600 Series has been tested for 70 pounds of dynamic force more than 1 million cycles.
Reader Service Card Number 356
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Strike Stands Strong Before Nature’s Blowing Breezes . With a dual, interlocking plunger design and all stainless-steel construction, HES’ lock has durability written all over it. It took on 3,000 pounds of static strength in factory tests and went for 2 million cycles.
Reader Service Card Number 351
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Lock Seamlessly Integrates With Access Control System
When Charlotte Douglas Airport and California State University Sacramento looked for a way to seamlessly link electromechanical locks with their existing access control system, they turned to the Value Integrated Platform (VIP) locks manufactured by Ingersoll-Rand Security and Safety’s Electronic Access Control Division. Sold under the Schlage, Von Duprin and Locknetics brand names, the VIP platform connects with little effort to any access control panel. It does this by connecting the specially designed lock to a panel interface board (PIB) that then connects to the control panel. Whereas most installations integrating locks with systems take as many as 13 steps and several wires, the VIP can be integrated to the system in just four steps and needs only four wire connections – two for power and two for communication. On top of that, while most readers and keypad need replacing when a new access control system is installed, replacement is not necessary with the VIP. With a UL fire door listing and also ANSI Grade 1 approval, the VIP comes in cylindrical- and mortise-lock versions and exit trims using either magnetic card readers or HID proximity readers.
Reader Service Card Number 352
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Heavy-Duty Device Requires No Wire Pulls Through Door
A big risk in the process of installing an electromechanical lock is pinching wires. The E-Plex 5000 by Kaba-Ilco of Winston Salem, N.C., gets past that difficulty by being one of the only such locks with no wires to pull through the door during installation. Current comes from a battery pack inside the lock and carried to the exterior electronics through Kaba’s patented LectroBolt. The E-Plex combines Kaba’s Simplex locks with the security and features of access control. It is designed to function as a fully audited access control without the costs and hassles involved with the issuing of keys or m If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
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