Planning a locking system

Knowledge is power

As already discussed in the chapter on design, the functions of locking cylinders and the locks themselves are to be clearly separated. To achieve this, it is necessary to take any necessary modifications to doors and door fittings into consideration during the planning phase. The actual planning process for the a locking system and the associated key plan depends to a great extent on the intended complexity of the entire use of locks, and how economical the solution should be for the intended period of use. To come straight to the point: Personal solutions, that is solutions that focus on the access habits of individual people, are often the most convenient, but not the most cost-effective solutions. With smaller locking systems, such as those used for apartment buildings, the functions are usually clearly organised and key convenience (i.e. one key for everything) can be given full priority. If you need to plan a large locking system for an industrial or office building, however, it will often be the case that you need to focus on the cost of the system rather than the convenience. For this reason, the structure of the locking system will no longer be organised by person, but rather by function, organigram or building situations. For larger projects and locking systems intended to be able to be upgraded in the long-term, structural planning is hugely advantageous. Important: Good planning helps to prevent later arguments about access rights. Careful preparation and involvement of experts (a local fittings specialist) can only be of benefit. But because locking cylinders cannot solve all problems alone, the lock itself and fittings and other means (electric/electronic) must also be involved in the process of developing the right solution for you.

The limits of mechanical locking systems

Mechanical locking systems build on the structure defined in the key plan or the key organigram. That means that changing the basic structure of your plan requires a new locking system, as all cylinders and keys already delivered have clearly defined functions. They cannot be "reprogrammed". Lost keys also usually result in the owner having to replace the entire locking system, or at least parts of it. This age-old limitation can be worked around by using a mechatronic system that builds on the existing mechanical system, making it more flexible.

Important planning tips

Plan your locking system according to the principle that each key should only provide access to the rooms that the user in question really needs to use. If possible, separate organisational groups - for example, have those requiring interior locking and exterior locking in different key groups or even different locking systems. If there are parties who require access to both key groups, key depots can be instigated, for example. This form of organisation limits the risk when keys go missing.