Locks and cylinders
Some of the key components of door hardware are locks and lock cylinders. A cylinder is defined in ANSI/BHMA A156.5 as:
The subassembly of a lock containing a plug with a keyway and a body with movable detainers.
This is an important area for standardization as it relates to building security. Greater security comes at a high price; it is crucial to know the grade or level of security provided by a given lock set.
Locks may have different functions. The lock to a broom closet need not be as secure as the lock to a jewelry store. How these locks are rated involves both the inherent strength of the device and the ease of defeating the locking mechanism of the cylinder.
Several BHMA standards covering locks and cylinders were recently revised and upgraded, including the basic standard covering cylinders and input devices for locks (A156.5), as well as those for cabinet locks (A156.11), and high-security cylinders (A156.30).
In the case of, ANSI/BHMA A156.5, significant changes were made to the sections on mechatronics. Input devices is defined in ANSI/BHMA A156.5 as:
Electrified input devices and push button mechanism.
An electrified input device is defined as:
The electrified locks equivalent to a cylinder for reading a credential and transmitting the ‘key code’ to the controlling device. Examples include card readers, keypads, contact memory key readers, radio frequency (proximity) readers, optical readers, and biometric readers.
The tests in this BHMA standard were compared to a related standard from the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) EN 15684, Standard for Mechatronic Cylinders. Test methods in the BHMA standard were added to or improved to bring it into alignment with the mechatronics testing described in the European standard. Another change included more cycle tests for keypads added to the trials of contactless readers. These changes make the BHMA standard current—ensuring it is easier to provide standardized locks that can be controlled electronically.
Similar changes were made to the standard covering high-security cylinders, which are defined as:
Cylinders meeting the requirements of A156.30, and provide increased resistance to entry through destructive or surreptitious means.
An important difference between high-security and other types of cylinders is the former is classified in terms of Levels A, B, or C, rather than Grades 1, 2, or 3. Manufacturers indicate the high-security level of their cylinders. In order to obtain a level listing, cylinders are required to meet and pass all the tests. Levels indicate special security features and are separate from Grades. As with A156.5, adjustments have made to A156.30 by checking the tests in the EN 15684, Standard for Mechatronic Cylinders, against the applicable BHMA Standards.
