Commercial Security & Access Control
Commercial Door Hardware
The reliability of an access control system starts with the door itself.
Security Tekton provides commercial door hardware solutions designed
around the opening, traffic level, security requirements, life-safety
requirements and expected service life of the facility.
From mechanical locks and closers to electrified panic hardware,
strikes, magnetic locks and complete access-controlled openings,
we help design the entire door as a system.
The Door Is Part of the Security System
Access control is much more than installing a card reader.
A properly designed opening may involve the reader, locking hardware,
door position monitoring, request-to-exit devices, hinges, power transfer,
door closer, exit hardware, power supply and the access control system
itself.
Each component needs to work together.
A sophisticated access control system cannot compensate for
improperly selected or poorly installed door hardware.
Hardware Selected for the Application
Not every opening has the same requirements.
An interior office door may operate a few dozen times each day,
while the main entrance of a school, hospital, warehouse or commercial
facility may experience hundreds or thousands of cycles.
Rather than simply specifying hardware based on price, Security Tekton
evaluates the expected use of the opening and selects hardware appropriate
for its application and lifecycle.
Considerations can include:
- Expected daily opening cycles
- Building occupancy
- Interior versus exterior application
- Door and frame construction
- Security level
- Life-safety and egress requirements
- Fire-rated opening requirements
- ADA accessibility considerations
- Environmental exposure
- Access control integration
- Expected service life
- Maintenance requirements
- Total cost of ownership
Commercial Door Hardware Solutions
Mechanical Locksets
Commercial cylindrical, mortise and other locking solutions
selected according to the use and security requirements of the opening.
Electrified Locks
Electrified locking hardware allows the mechanical lock itself
to become part of the access control system while maintaining
appropriate mechanical operation.
Electric Strikes
Electric strikes provide controlled release of compatible
mechanical locking hardware and are commonly used for commercial
access-controlled openings.
Magnetic Locks
Electromagnetic locking solutions can provide reliable access
control when properly engineered with required release,
egress and life-safety components.
Panic & Exit Hardware
Commercial exit devices and electrified panic hardware support
secure access while maintaining required emergency egress.
Door Closers
Properly selected and adjusted closers help ensure that doors
reliably return to the closed and secured position after use.
Continuous & Commercial Hinges
Hinges and pivots are critical to alignment, smooth operation
and the long-term reliability of high-cycle commercial openings.
Power Transfer Hardware
Electrified hinges, door loops and power transfer devices provide
a protected pathway for power and communications between the frame
and electrified door hardware.
Request-to-Exit Devices
Motion sensors, push buttons and hardware-integrated request-to-exit
devices help coordinate access control with safe and reliable egress.
Door Position Monitoring
Door contacts allow the access control system to determine whether
an opening is secured, forced open or held open beyond an approved time.
Power Supplies
Properly engineered power supplies support locks, strikes,
exit devices and related access-control hardware with the
required voltage, current and backup capability.
Automatic Operators
Where applicable, automatic door operators can be coordinated
with access control and accessibility requirements to create
a complete controlled opening.
High-Cycle Openings Require the Right Hardware
One of the most common problems with commercial doors is selecting
hardware that is technically capable of doing the job but is not
appropriate for the amount of use the opening receives.
Every time a door opens and closes, the hinges, closer, latch,
strike, exit device and electrified components experience another
operating cycle.
Over thousands or hundreds of thousands of cycles, small differences
in construction and hardware selection can have a major impact on
reliability.
The lowest initial equipment cost does not always produce the
lowest long-term cost.
For frequently used commercial openings, higher-cycle hardware can
reduce service calls, alignment problems, premature component failure
and operational interruptions throughout the life of the system.
Standard Commercial and High-Cycle Solutions
Security Tekton can provide different hardware configurations based
on the needs of the customer and the opening.
A lower-traffic interior opening may not require the same hardware
package as a primary employee entrance operating continuously throughout
the day.
We therefore design around the application rather than forcing every
opening into the same specification.
This allows us to balance:
- Initial project cost
- Expected operating cycles
- Security requirements
- Lifecycle expectations
- Maintenance requirements
- Replacement cost
- Downtime and service considerations
The result is a door hardware package appropriate for the actual
application rather than simply the least expensive or most expensive
option available.
Electrified Door Hardware & Access Control
Electrifying an opening requires more than adding power to a lock.
The lock, reader, request-to-exit device, door contact, access
controller, fire alarm interface where applicable, power supply
and mechanical hardware must operate as one coordinated system.
Depending on the opening, Security Tekton may integrate:
- Card and mobile credential readers
- Electric strikes
- Electrified mortise or cylindrical locks
- Electrified panic hardware
- Magnetic locks
- Door position switches
- Request-to-exit devices
- Power transfer hinges and devices
- Access-control power supplies
- Emergency release components
- Automatic door operators
- Cloud-managed access control platforms
Repairing the Opening, Not Just Replacing the Lock
Many access-control problems that appear to be electronic failures
are actually mechanical door problems.
A sagging door, worn hinge, improperly adjusted closer,
damaged frame or misaligned latch can prevent perfectly functional
access-control equipment from operating reliably.
A proper service evaluation considers the complete opening.
That may include checking:
- Door alignment
- Frame condition
- Hinge wear
- Latch alignment
- Strike position
- Closer adjustment
- Door preload
- Power-transfer condition
- Locking-hardware operation
- Access-control programming
Lifecycle Matters
Door hardware is a mechanical investment.
The correct question is not simply:
"What does this hardware cost today?"
A better question is:
"What hardware makes sense for this opening over the life of the facility?"
Security Tekton evaluates the expected use of the opening so customers
can make informed decisions about initial cost, durability,
maintenance and long-term reliability.
Commercial Openings Should Be Designed as a System
The best results come when the mechanical door hardware and electronic
access-control system are designed together.
That approach improves reliability, simplifies service and helps
eliminate situations where one contractor installs the access control,
another installs the lock, another adjusts the door and no one takes
responsibility for the complete opening.
One opening. One complete solution.
From the hinge to the reader and from the closer to the access-control
software, we look at how the complete opening functions.
Security Tekton
Need Door Hardware or Access Control?
Whether you are building a new access-controlled opening,
upgrading an existing facility or trying to solve a recurring door
problem, Security Tekton can help evaluate the complete opening
and recommend an appropriate solution.
Request a Door Hardware Consultation
