Door Industry Journal - Spring 2014

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk building hardware feature 57 THE door industry journal spring 2014 The speed at which technology is advancing means we’re surrounded by gadgets and gizmos which were unimaginable even a generation ago. Door entry systems are no exception and features such as biometric locks are becoming more and more common. Martin Smith, product manager at IronmongeryDirect, looks at the increasing sophistication of such technology and asks how much longer the old fashioned lock and key will be used. Lock and key devices have been around for a very long time, predating pretty much all the everyday items we use, and changing surprisingly little over the centuries. In fact, it’s only now that we’re starting to move away from these traditional devices in a shift that’s rapidly gaining momentum. Of course, door entry systems clearly aren’t the only things which are changing with the times and some of the features we see elsewhere, such as biometric fingerprint sensors to ‘unlock’ mobile phones, are lending themselves to locks that provide secure solutions for buildings, while also looking good. Traditional locks and keys have been replaced in some instances by entry cards in recent years, with users swiping them against a reader. But despite this apparent advance in technology there are flaws with this system and not only because a lost or stolen card can provide unauthorised access. These radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards are vulnerable to other factors, with a device having been developed which can clone them. Fran Brown, from security consultants Bishop Fox, invented the device and has stated that every single one of America’s 500 biggest corporations uses RFID readers to control access to their offices. It’s therefore unsurprising that secure door entry trends are now moving to the next level, with products such as code operated locks rising in popularity. Code operated locks provide high security performance for a range of sectors, from residential to leisure and commercial. Electronic code locks offer a higher level of security than mechanical locks, as they allow a greater number of codes to be entered. They also enable easier on-door changes, as the codes can be amended while the lock is in-situ – ideal for larger premises that require code changes on a regular basis without the additional time and disruption caused by removing the lock from the door. Historically a famous name in the world of traditional locks, Yale introduced the Digital Nightlatch – a product which is ideal for domestic properties and small offices as it offers a touch screen keypad that is backlit for night time entry. It’s simple to programme and change what can be a four to 12 digit PIN code, while it’s also possible to create (and delete) a temporary code to give access to visitors to business or domestic premises. Another product, the Union Code Handle, takes code operated locks and makes them suitable for areas where compact solutions are preferred, with buttons on door handles meaning no need for potentially bulky keypads. Yale Digital Nightlatch Union Codehandle Codelock 5000 series A Future under Lock and Key?