Electronic access - it’s not just about opening doors

Most popular was a simple mechanical lock and physical keys. A more technologically advanced system, with some level of built-in intelligence, would have probably required either settling for less or cobbling together an expensive, proprietary or one-off solution.

Until recently, the term ‘electronic access’ referred primarily to things like simple automotive key fobs, optional numeric panels on the driver’s side car door, or the ubiquitous swipe cards hung around the necks of millions of people.

Today, electronic access technology has moved inside and is fast becoming the preferred method of access management for a vast array of product enclosures. Well-designed electronic access solutions offer heightened security, improved functionality, better traceability and more convenience to a range of exponentially growing applications.

Moving beyond front doors and car alarms

From its early uses to increase security and convenience for end users, electronic access has progressed dramatically from the remote door locker to multi-dimensional devices to control security systems, lights, seat positioning, and a range of other features. It has been successfully adapted for enclosures with very specific technical or design requirements, including data network cabinetry, vending machines, remote telecom equipment, utility vehicle storage compartments, and pharmaceutical supply carts.

A transition from mechanical to electronic access for enclosures of all kinds has fulfilled the need for increased levels of security - including access privilege control and real-time monitoring - and the desire for ever-higher levels of convenience and functionality. Also, the introduction of increasingly stringent privacy laws and policies across industries - concerning comprehensive protection of data - has led to a need for electronic monitoring and reporting of access to sensitive data.

Recent applications including data centers, self-service kiosks, and electronically networked vending equipment, will also fire the growth of the electronic access industry.

Adoption or adaptation?

Though the early use of electronic access laid some of the groundwork for current applications, its use for newer, equipment-based applications with very specific requirements is increasing. Widely varying door to frame geometries, power requirements, and the need for different levels of access management make each application unique.

The benefits of electronic access

The major benefits of electronic access technology over traditional mechanical systems can be broken down into the following three categories.

For controlling and monitoring access, systems must provide flexible control of access privileges, create audit trails, and integrate with existing security systems or technologies.

Using an existing network, an electronic access system can monitor access from within the building or from the other side of the world through signals which leave an electronic ‘signature’ each time a lock is actuated. This creates an audit trail that records a comprehensive range of information about the access event.

An additional security benefit is the capability for enclosures to have no visible access point, making them less vulnerable to vandalism or direct attack.

Electronic access allows the integration of electronic and mechanical functions in a wide range of equipment and enclosures, including soft-touch-switch door access, wireless remote access, and the integration of lighting with access points. Also, it can enhance ergonomics by eliminating the manual effort needed to access a door, drawer or panel.

Considerations when choosing the correct access system should include monitoring and maintaining access control, balancing convenience with security, and the distribution of access capabilities. Whether the application requires biometric, keyless remote, RF proximity, swipe card access or a combination of these and other approaches, there is virtually no limit to what can be accomplished working with an experienced electronic access partner.

A level of intelligence, on-board computers and advanced electronics are often standard features of modern equipment. For such products, electronic access is a natural fit and can deliver system-wide benefits.

For example, a vending equipment company might have units spread across multiple locations that are serviced by a number of different companies but need to be secure from vandalism and product or cash theft.

Under a traditional lock and key system, labour and material costs would be associated with the distribution, tracking, and replacement of mechanical keys. Also, distributing varying levels of access privilege could be difficult or impossible. With electronic access, electronic credentials can be easily added or subtracted from the authorized access list and updates can be made quickly from a single remote location.

In custom applications, such as multi-point access applications requiring multi-point latching systems, electronic access lock systems can be actuated with a low-voltage electronic signal from a single electronic source, avoiding the limitations and space requirements of mechanically connected rods or cables.

The nuts and bolts of electronic access

The heart of the most robust electronic access systems is a reliable, electromechanical lock or latch (EML), which can be designed into the product and ultimately influence system electrical requirements, physical security, and installation options.

Many types of existing latch/lock products that worked well for simple lock/unlock functions are not designed for more complex electronic access applications, many of which favour gear motor drives. These use less power and provide higher load capabilities than solenoid driven systems which are best suited to less demanding applications. A microprocessor and gear motor-based EML operates only during the moment of actuation, thereby saving energy.

Secure, heavy-duty, lock/latch mechanisms, which can withstand unintentional abuse or outright attack, are key to long-term reliability, particularly in demanding outdoor or remote, vandal-prone areas.

Mechanical override, which allows latch operation and access in the event of a power failure or other system-compromising event, is mandatory in many applications and the override mechanism has to be considered in the EML itself and during the design-in phase of the project.

Finally, comprehensive, easy-to-use, monitoring of latch status - via sensors and output signals - must be designed into an electronic access system. This can range from a simple light indicator to a remote computer with a full graphical user interface (GUI).

Standalone or networked access control

For simple or smaller applications, plug-and-play access control with no need for software or network administration can be achieved with a wide range of lock/latch mechanisms controlled by a single, standalone point of contact. Conversely, access to a fully networked system can be monitored, managed, configured or reconfigured from a remote location over a network.

An integral part of any complete simple-to-operate, durable and reliable –even after many thousands of uses - electronic access system, is a high quality human interface.

Teaching older enclosures new tricks

In addition to new products, there’s a vast installed base of cabinetry and enclosures across a wide range of applications - such as data centers - where far more can be done to monitor, control, and record what happens inside the cabinets.

Many existing installations incorporate latch/lock systems that - because of customer demand or legislation - need to be updated, improved, or made more secure. When a complete redesign or the purchase of new electronic access-enabled enclosures is not financially viable, a whole raft of aftermarket options exist.

Most enclosures can have some level of electronic access added, from standalone, software-free latch/lock mechanisms that can be installed for a fraction of the cost of cabinet replacement, to more sophisticated, fully monitored and networked systems.

Cost efficient solutions, using a non-proprietary standard set of products with low-power electronic interfaces can be used. Or, for applications with more specific or unique requirements, custom or modified systems can be created, installed, or retrofitted.

For both manufacturers and customers, the trick is to develop an electronic access system with a partner who can integrate all mechanical and electronic aspects, including keyed or keyless hardware, software, monitoring, and post-installation service.

What will it do to my bottom line?

It depends on the application. A simple mechanical handle, latch, and lock mechanism might be inexpensive but costs could accrue when factoring in issues such as the management of physical keys or failed security audits. Consideration must be given to the ‘lifetime’ costs of mechanical locks, including management and replacement.

Primarily, electronic access technology is being generated by end-users. The challenge for OEMs and systems’ integrators is to design real-world products that deliver convenience, security and value This should include a substantial return on investment through improved control, increased functionality, lower maintenance costs, and reduced loss.

What’s next in electronic access?

Electronic access will become even more evident in enclosure design and manufacture over the next five years or so.

Having progressed rapidly from key fobs, hole-punched access cards and magnetic strip cards to microchip-based RF devices, smartcards and biometric fingerprint and retinal-scan readers, the industry will experience continuous, exciting innovation. Other factors, such as the growing use of wireless and improving communication and networking technologies, will also have a significant impact.

As demands for tighter security, real-time monitoring, accurate audit trails, and centralised control grows, companies which can provide simpler and more flexible, long-term cost saving electronic access solutions will have a significant edge.