What your Business Needs to do Before Installing an Access Control System

Today, in 2019, there’s a seemingly endless variety of access control solutions for your business, ranging from biometrics, to keycards, to key fobs, and even mobile access control solutions housed on your smartphones! However, there’s one critical step that all business owners should take before installing or updating any form of access control system – install electronic locks! Electronic locks are simply any locking device operated through electric current; in this blog post, the access control installation experts at UTS Group will detail the two major types of electronic locking devices, and why they are essential for the successful and secure operation of any access control system infrastructure.

Magnetic Locks:

Magnetic door locks utilize the power of electromagnets to prevent doors from opening by themselves. Magnetic locks consist of an electromagnet installed on the door’s frame nearby a metallic plate. When the magnet is charged with power, it is attracted to the magnetic plate with such immense strength that it can resist huge amounts of force without opening. Magnetic locks are automatically opened when power is disrupted or stops, which is exactly what an electronic access control technology would do in order to open the door. When the power is running, magnetic door locks are securely locked from both sides.

Electronic Door Strikes:

Electronic door strikes, unlike magnetic locks, do not secure the door all by themselves, rather they usually are used with a lockset. Electronic door strikes are made up of technology known as an actuator, that attaches a cylinder or bolt to a motor housed within the door’s frame. When this motor is hit with an electrical signal, it starts the actuator, which opens the door; this is the action that an electronic access control solution will take in order to operate the door, when properly triggered. Electronic door strikes give security for the outside side of the door, but a handle or knob needs to be installed on the inside to allow exit.

What to consider before deciding on a magnetic lock or electronic door strike:

• What type of door you have (where it’s located, if it’s a single door or double door, what material it is made of…)
• What level of security the door should provide
• The amount of power available
• What lockset you want to use, and if it’s compatible with the door
• Compliance with legal codes
• Your budgetary requirements

It’s important to decide on what electronic lock you need as part of your access control solution because:

• You want to be an educated purchaser in order to save as much money as possible on your total access control solution
• You want to ensure that your door doesn’t have special requirements that needs a uniquely crafted electronic lock infrastructure
• A true budgetary comparison between products is only possible when you can determine what sort of door strike and lock you actually need – hardware isn’t a self-contained solution, rather it needs to be perfectly matched with all the other hardware involved in your total access control infrastructure!