An interesting feature of a Level A high-security cylinder is it must resist manual picking for 15 minutes by Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA)-registered locksmiths with at least five years of experience, using manual manipulation or picking tools that are commercially available. Details for this test are outlined in the standard.
One addition to the newly revised standard for high-security cylinders is the definition for picking has been added:
Manipulating tumblers in a keyed lock mechanism through the keyway, without obvious damage, by means other than the specifically designed key.(See 2.17 in the standard.)
The revised A156.11 standard applies to cabinet locks for doors, drawers, and furniture. Applications include file cabinets, desk drawers, sliding doors, lockers, chests, glass showcases, and countless others. This standard provides illustrations for each of the major types of cabinet locks as well as clear definitions of related terms. Further, cycle tests, operational tests, strength tests, and finish tests are included in the standard. This standard is indispensable to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who make such products as well as the end-users. The new edition of this standard includes the addition of the cam lever lock handle as a type of cabinet lock. The scope section has been revised to be more consistent with later standards.
Rules for connecting hardware to steel doors
Perhaps one of the most significant revisions is the ANSI/BHMA A156.115, Hardware Preparation in Steel Doors or Steel Frames. It is unique because it is a joint standard with several other associations, and because it applies to both hardware and doors.
A156.115 deals less with testing protocols and more with the standardization of dimensions allowing hardware to be readily installed in or on steel doors. The door manufacturer does not always include hardware with its doors, so specifiers can mix-and-match hardware and doors as best suits the application. However, especially for steel doors, properly sized and spaced holes need to be machined into the doors at the factory. This preparation applies to both the doors and the hardware to ensure interchangeability of parts.
The development of this standard, commonly referred to as the ‘A115’ series of standards, required the active participation of multiple industry associations, including BHMA, Hollow Metal Manufacturers Association (HMMA), Door and Hardware Institute (DHI), Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA), and Steel Door Institute (SDI). The latest revisions include:
- adding three new frame hinge drawings;
- improving the electric hinge frame prep drawings;
- revising the unit lock drawings;
- clarifying the lock case reinforcement requirement; and
- adding preparation for flush bolts.
Residential standards
Also new for 2014, BHMA drafted the first-ever residential standards for North America. Published in early 2015, the two new standards establish performance requirements for locksets, latches, and deadbolts used in single and multifamily dwellings and include tests for durability, strength, and finish.
Many residential product standards were contained within BHMA standards, but users had to know where to look for them. BHMA standards could previously be applied both to commercial buildings and residential builders hardware with residential products typically being lower-grade, but now BHMA has created dedicated standards for residential applications.
ANSI/BHMA 156.39-2015, Residential Locksets and Latches, requires locksets to test through at least 400,000 cycles of opening and closing with a 2-kg (5-lb) load, in addition to passing 11 aggressive examinations to ensure the locks provide a high level of security. ANSI/BHMA 156.40-2015, Residential Deadbolts, requires deadbolts to test through the same number of cycles, and requires products to pass 17 security assessments, one of which requires 6005 N (1350 lbf) to be loaded against the deadbolt.
A full residential standards program is set to launch later this year. The program includes a campaign to raise consumer awareness about the benefits of purchasing certified hardware and advise them to look for the new BHMA residential label.
Conclusion
Founded in 1925, the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association currently authors 40 ANSI/BHMA standards. To comply with ANSI requirements and ensure continued product safety, each standard is reviewed approximately once every five years from its inception and is revised accordingly. (For more details about any of the various ANSI/BHMA standards, as well as the certified products directory, visit www.buildershardware.com.)
As BHMA celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, the association continues to proactively lead the industry, working jointly with leaders involved in hardware, security, door and safety to keep North America safe and secure.
| MEASURING GREEN |
| Last year, the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) announced the publication of the complete North American product category rules (PCR) for builders’ hardware. These rules were developed to assist manufacturers in the technical assessments necessary to produce environmental product declarations (EPDs). BHMA’s PCR program will facilitate the generation of analyses of a products’ environmental impact—a step that must be completed in preparation of EPDs—while also streamlining comparisons of the completed EPDs across these product categories. EPDs are becoming increasingly in demand by environmentally conscious specifiers and owners, while the latest version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating program will begin to make them mandatory. |
Michael Tierney has served as the product standards co-ordinator for the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) for more than 16 years, where he co-ordinates the development and revision BHMA’s performance standards for building hardware products. Tierney came to BHMA following a 20-year career in manufacturing management at United Technologies, Honeywell, Black and Decker, and Yale Security. He is a principle member on technical committees for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the A117 Committee for Accessible Buildings, ASTM, and the American National Standards Institute ANSI.
