Supply-chain disruptions didn’t stop progress in the security industry. But those challenges, particularly involving securing raw materials and electronic components, such as semiconductors, sidelined a good number of new products that have been in the pipeline for a majority of the year.
Many companies don’t want to release anything new until they have sufficient inventory to deliver in quantity. A few companies even told us during the year that they have no time to develop new products, because they’re too busy trying to source components for products already in their catalog.
The result is that several noteworthy products that were expected out by the summer or fall now aren’t expected to arrive on the market until sometime in 2023.
Nevertheless, the products that hit distributor shelves and then locksmith shops and vans continue to move the progress needle in the right direction. Here are the ones that most impressed us in 2022:
Adams Rite DL100
When it comes to electrifying aluminum storefront doors as part of a retrofit, locksmiths basically have had a choice: the Adams Rite Steel Hawk 4300 deadlatch and everything else.
Because of the 4300’s features and the sheer number of narrow-stile aluminum doors that have the Adams Rite MS prep (said to be in the millions), the choice largely has been a no-brainer.
In 2022, locksmiths got another choice: the Adams Rite DL100 wireless deadlatch. The DL100 combines a deadlatch that’s based off the 4300 and a Securitron R100 reader. The reader is powered by two AA lithium batteries and connects with the deadlatch via a couple of wires. It can connect wirelessly to an electronic access control (EAC) system through an Aperio hub.
“Wiring a storefront door is a pain,” says Larry Schwalb, security engineer with Houdini Lock & Safe of Philadelphia. He mentions the necessity to run wires through the door into the ceiling or basement, if possible, and deal with a big pane of glass in the door. “Locksmiths have generally wanted to just work in the lock area. They really don’t want to go further, so that’s why all this wireless technology is enticing.”
The DL100 borrows from the 4300 design, particularly with respect to the 4300’s dual two-way winged latchbolts (main and auxiliary), which are known for their capability to repel loiding attacks. However, ASSA ABLOY says the DL100 is meant to complement the 4300, not replace it.
Another big difference between the two: The 4300 has a solenoid to drive the latching and unlatching process; the DL100 has a low-power motor, which is necessary so it can run on batteries.
A big problem with battery-powered locks outdoors is extreme temperatures, particularly cold. Adams Rite’s solution is an optional hard-wired cold-weather kit that includes a heating element that would be installed inside the reader. The cold-weather kit would be specified with the DL100 for areas where cold weather would be an issue.
More info: www.adamsrite.com
Camden Door Controls CX-DE Series Exit Watch
Delayed egress is a code-compliant compromise between security and life safety.
Delayed egress is used to discourage stealing or to prevent people from leaving a protected area, such as an adult-care or child-care center. It allows for a delayed time before an egress door opens. Many interesting delayed-egress systems are on the market, and many of those are integrated into maglocks.
“In all cases, installers are advised to contact their local AHJ, because code requirements vary greatly, and the AHJ has the final say on what is and what isn’t acceptable,” cautions David Price, vice president of communications and corporate development for Camden.
The maglocks have 1,200 pounds of holding power and come in single-door (DE1200) and double-door (DE2200) options. The 20-second countdown timer includes a verbal warning that could be in English, French or Spanish. In addition, part of the Exit Watch line includes remote speakers that can be set up to relay the verbal countdown warning, down a hallway, for example.
Price says the maglock was four years in the making. That it took that long was “a good indication that we didn’t stop until we had it right,” he adds.
More info: www.camdencontrols.com
Camden Door Controls CX-EPD1289L
Camden Door Controls released several new electric strikes in 2022, but as of this writing, none more notable than the CX-EPD1289L.
This model is the industry’s first surface-mounted rim strike that includes preload mitigation built into it. This is particularly important for high-traffic egress doors where a rim strike most likely would be used, because one of the causes of preload pressure buildup is someone who tries to open a door while the strike remains engaged.
Camden says the No. 1 reason why rim strikes fail to operate is preload. By design, the CX-ED1289L still will operate with up to 15 pounds of preload pressure on it. Without the preload mitigation, a high-traffic door would be more inclined to binding, which could lead to a decline in performance over time in addition to the door not opening, Price says.
“This will revolutionize the rim strike market,” he says.
In addition to the preload mitigation, the ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 CX-EP1289L is a universal model in that it has security and fire ratings, field-configured latch monitoring, selectable fail-safe or fail-secure operation and dual voltage, so it can be used on a range of applications without different model variations. An installation template helps to make installation easy.
More info: www.camdencontrols.com
Lockly Pro Guard line
The “full” line of Guard products and EAC solutions include: a deadbolt, an interconnected lock, narrow-stile latch or thumbturn sets, a lever lock, swinging- and sliding-door locks, a credential reader and a video doorbell — all ANSI/BHMA rated Grade 2. Video doorbell options also are available for certain lock models.
“We would be able to just about cover every door in every residential, multifamily and mixed-use application,” says Jim Conti, head of sales for Lockly Pro.
Lockly locks, pro or otherwise, are known for their high-tech features, and the most notable is the PIN Genie touchscreen keypad.
Unlike a typical keypad, the 10 basic digits — zero through nine — and two repeated numbers are arranged on a Lockly lock keypad in four groups of three numbers each, or 12 total numbers on the keypad. In PIN Genie mode, the numbers are scrambled. After a successful PIN code is entered, the numbers reorient, with only the 10 basic digits appearing in some arrangement each time. (The keypad also can be set so the numbers appear in logical order, with the first group listing 1, 2 and 3 and so forth.)
All of Lockly’s locks use a standard 161 door prep, with field-adjustable handing, and an experienced locksmith should be able to install one on a typical door in 15–20 minutes.
More info: locklypro.com
Securitron DR100
In its ongoing quest to bring EAC to more doors in a building, ASSA ABLOY, through its Securitron brand, released the DR100. The DR100 is a combination EAC reader and door relay that’s another new edition to ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio lineup of wireless products. As such, the DR100 also aims to cut down on the wiring necessary for that expansion.
The lack of wiring opens the possibilities of where EAC can be, says Patrick Hill, product manager of digital products for the ASSA ABLOY electromechanical solutions group.
“We’re looking to make those — I’m afraid to say niche — but the more challenging openings that would take a hard-wired solution, a standard access control panel, and now allow us to make that opening wireless,” he says.
However, the DR100 has several key differences from other Aperio products:
- It isn’t a stand-alone locking product.
- It isn’t battery-powered.
That’s because the DR100 isn’t a lock, per se, but a relay that operates a new or existing electronic lock, whether hard-wired or battery-powered. It acts as a go-between between the lock on the door, whether it’s a strike, maglock or deadlock, and the head-end of an EAC system.
In effect, it acts as a door panel. However, the DR100 also receives inputs for request to exit, a door position switch and a privacy function. The latter will deactivate the reader and, thus, the connected lock if the relay controls a lock on a bathroom door, for example.
The reader is IP65-rated and UL 294 saltwater-tested, Hill says, so it can handle direct rain and even extreme cold with the addition of a hard-wired heating kit accessory. For outdoor applications, however, the relay would have to be installed indoors or at least where it was protected.
More info: www.securitron.com
