Alpro Access Control Systems
In todays security minded climate, safety is at the forefront of every responsible building owner to ensure the well being of people and building fabric alike. An access control system can therefore prove to be a very worthwhile and sensible investment to ensure this safety of property and people.
An access control system is usually an electronic based system made up of the various integral parts to form a complete system to protect the property in question. The system can embody, card readers, proximity readers, keypads, swipe cards and bio-metric readers, which in turn will send a signal to the apparatus locking the door. This could be a magnet, electric lock or an electric strike to name but a few.
High Quality & Secure Door Magnets
The term Magnets is a generic word that can be used to describe a variety of products containing some form of magnetic field. However in the world of Architectural Hardware & Access Control, the term magnet describes locking products specifically designed for use on doors.
There are numerous variations, but in the hardware arena the door magnets products tend to be broken down into 3 major types, Face to Face Door Magnets, Shearlock Door Magnets & a recent entry into the marketplace Vortex Door Magnets.
Face to Face Door Magnets
Face to face door magnets are most commonly used because of the ease of installation. With no moving parts these products provide a magnetic holding force so that when the door is closed, the magnetic field is switched on & this provides the resistance to the door being opened.
High Security Electric Door Bolts
Electric door bolts are designed to be used as part of an access control system to control the ingress and egress of traffic through certain doors and restricted areas. There are a number of electric bolts available on the market and these vary in size, operation and quality.
In general a good electric door bolt will offer the function of “deadlocking”, which means that once the bolt has been thrown electronically the bolt is unable to be retracted unless operated again electronically.
There are electric door bolts available with certain other features built in such as the facility of a key override, which allows for mechanical operation should the electronics fail.
Electric bolts come in a variety of sizes and include the smaller “mini bolt” versions for applications of a smaller, compact nature. The electric bolt is designed to be fitted into the door with the receiving keep fitted to the frame. There are however various mounting options available, such as surface mounted housings and glass door brackets.
When specifying electric bolts reference should be made to the supplier to ensure the features and benefits are suitable for the application required, particularly with regard to the holding force of the units.
High Security Electric Door Strikes
Electric door strikes were invented to allow both access & a reasonable level of security when controlling traffic in & out of doors.
The electric door strike unlike a conventional electric door lock is designed to be installed into the frame of the door, rather than the door itself. Further the electric door strike works in conjunction with a conventional deadlatch to provide the management of the door traffic.
The electric door strike is designed with a moveable stainless steel jaw, which when an electrical current is applied either opens or remains in the locked position. In this way the traffic using the door can be rigorously controlled.
Electric door strikes come in a variety of shapes & sizes, but the generally accepted footprint for a product of this type is the ANSI preparation for the door. The unit is made from a robust stainless steel construction & has various jaw depths to accommodate the myriad of locks available to work with this product.
The functionality of the electric door strike is achieved by having various options available, which include 12 & 24v AC & DC current facilities & most come with a facility for either a failsafe option (when no power is applied the door remains open) or a fail secure option (when no power is applied door remains closed) with a simple & easy changeover.
Various options are available to switch from DC to AC & this usually comes in the form of an additional small circuit board, which when installed achieves the changeover.
Modern day electric door strikes have over the years evolved with the above functions designed into one strike, thereby allowing the customer to purchase one generic type model, which incorporates all the features & benefits.
The modern day range of electric door strikes also come with a range of extension lips to accommodate the various thicknesses of door jambs & door configurations.
The holding force of an electric door strike varies from product to product, so it’s always best to check before purchase, explaining what is actually required of the door strike. They also come in a variety of mounting configurations, mortise being the most popular but surface mounted rim electric strikes are also available. The electric strikes can also be fitted with a facility to monitor the traffic going through the door.
Overall electric door strikes form an important part of any access control system, but caution should be exercised when deciding what the door strike is there to do. Because of the design of the electric door strike, it is always recommended that the strike be used as an access control product only.
If additional higher levels of security are required, it may be pertinent to fit additional devises to operate during the hours of darkness or when the building may be unoccupied.
Waterproof Keypads & Exit Switches
Alpro’s ranges of waterproof keypads, along with the exit switches, are components that can be used in access control systems.
The waterproof keypads are tested to the IP68 standard and so are suitable for both internal and external applications. The units are designed to operate other components of the access control system such as electric door strikes, electric bolts and various door magnets.
The keypad has either raised buttons with which to input a code, or in the case of the Alpro keypads the buttons are hard anodised into the surface of the unit to deter vandalism. Some keypads also have the facility of Braille to aid the visually impaired person. Keypads are also in general backlit to allow the user during the hours of darkness to see the keypad. Keypads also have the facility to be surface or mortise mounted, depending upon the application required.
Exit switches are also a valuable addition to any access control situation and can be both mortise and surface mounted depending on the application in question. As the name would suggest a simple operation of a button mounted on the unit, allows the current to be broken to the system, thereby allowing exit from a door.
If you are interested in discussing your Access Control System requirements call Halls Access Control today, one of our experienced team will be able to find the right system to meet your requirements.
Areas We Cover
As well as Cambridge our Master Locksmith Services cover an area of roughly 20 miles around Cambridge, some areas may not be covered by our out of hours Emergency Locksmith Service.
