This includes hardware for the production of switch and control cabinets, HVACR systems, mechanical engineering, and transport (railway and CV, caravans, etc.) where both conventional and electronic locking solutions are increasingly required.
Typically modern enclosure hardware ranges from standard quarter-turn locks and latches through swinghandles etc. for enclosures and doors to meet environmental protection ratings of IP65 and higher plus more recently established electronic handles such as the Agent E program. Additional products offer solutions to more specific security requirements – for example there is an ePush Lock which provides secure closure without external visibility and an electronic single point latch system which integrates into multi-door access systems for remote operation and monitoring e.g. using coded inputs.
Good examples of the current trends are EMKA’s new Rack Management Systems which are installed worldwide in data centres and server parks of banks and co-location centres where a combination of electromechanical handles, software and radio technology is considered the best choice – such as the "Agent E" type handle, which offers personalised access to the cabinet as well as permanent monitoring and control of the opening and closing processes. Moreover, the system monitors all physical parameters in the rack and thus increases the operational reliability of the entire installation. It consists of database-driven control software, high-capacity modules and electro-mechanical handles.
Otherwise, stand-alone systems are often suitable for access control of individual racks and cabinets or for enclosures that do not require central monitoring. Depending on the chosen lock opening this may be achieved by use of RFID cards or by entering a PIN code on a keypad. Systems with RFID cards are especially easy to install as no further wiring in is required.
Outdoor installations may be addressed by the recently introduced swinghandle for the iLOQ S50 profile half cylinders – a unit which expands operational possibilities by using an energy-autonomous, digital locking solution. This system can be unlocked using a smartphone or digital key and, at the same time, is powered wirelessly by the same transmission.
Elsewhere smart access with a mobile phone app is the latest development in this arena, a move which promises to enable the benefits of new technology across all industrial enclosure/cabinet applications. This newly introduced app transforms the mobile phone into a digital key for the sophisticated locking solution so that it is possible to trace, manage, and access allocated handles with various levels of permission determined by specified user profiles.
For traditional general purposes ex-stock quarter-turns are quick to fit and quick to operate in the form of latch/locks which suit factories, offices, computer rooms and laboratories, where quarter-turns provide a simple and low-cost access control system – some with spring clip fixing, others with back nut and an increasing focus on push/clip fit or other ultra-quick fit designs. So useful is the quarter-turn concept that new sizes, styles and specialist designs are constantly being brought forward in materials such as hi-tech plastic, zinc die or stainless steel to suit new applications and more varied environments.
Quarter-turns are the ubiquitous door-closing workhorse of the enclosure world frequently offering IP65 degree of sealing – a favourite is the insert lock with a triangular, square or double bit format or one of many others, which offers a variable degree or security dependent on the key design, with good leverage where the key doubles as a handle. Modular quarter-turns have long been a major benefit to panel builders as they are available with matching cams of varying offset and usually with different body lengths, so enabling a considerable range of door/frame depth to be accommodated.
Often loosely categorised under quarter-turns are many compression latch/locks which are based on the same body pattern. Strictly they latch with a quarter-turn and then compress the gasket with an additional 90-degree turn. A feature that offers a greatly enhanced level of sealing and vibration resistance e.g. in stainless steel for pressure-washed hygiene areas.
Externally invisible locking is offered by the new ePush-Locks, meeting the need for a comfortable non-handle locking system. This flat design style of internal locking handle is the trend for mobile homes and many other applications where it is advantageous to disguise opening panels. The user simply opens and closes the door or flap by pressing from the outside. The flap then opens automatically without further intervention. The design allows doors and latches to fit perfectly into the exterior design of any caravan, specialist vehicle or office cabinet – without visible cut outs or corresponding dirt traps. The lock is screwed and mounted behind the panel, so there is no need to breach the outer seal and the electronic controls enable integration into the central locking system with an emergency opening also incorporated.
The eCam program further facilitates electronic locking for quarter-turns and other latching without the need to change doors or panels on machine controls, machine guards, control and data housings, so ensuring major time and cost savings over the alternative of re-installing new cabinets. eCam is UL and DIN certified. Applications for eCam include trailers, mobile homes and RVs where it enables multiple locking/unlocking from a remote central point.
The same innovative thinking is applied to the problems of vandal resistance for locking outdoor cabinets which has (sadly) become a significant issue, and responded to with a range of swinghandles capable of resisting vandal attack to level RC2 (DIN EN 1630) .Other solutions include electronic lock and release mechanisms which allow the door lock to be completely concealed within the cabinet.
For less exposed areas this RC2 capability is complimented with a wide range of swinghandles which meet the need for slightly lower resistance levels, a situation where the swinghandle design is intrinsically appropriate to the task, by virtue of the way the pop out lever is recessed into the escutcheon body with naturally small clearances. This level includes product solutions with double profile half cylinders or with padlock facility – also in tough reinforced polyamide, high quality zinc die or stainless steel.
By Andrew Clutterbuck MD EMKA (UK)
