The lock cylinder is the most popular type in the hardware market. It is a very important component when considering safety. The quality of the lock cylinders on the market is uneven, and it can even be distinguished from the appearance. So how to choose a good lock cylinder? We must consider the following factors.
What is euro profile lock cylinder?
Euro profile lock cylinder, also known as barrel locks, profile cylinder locks or pin tumblers, are a popular lock profile in Europe, with varieties to suit both internal and external use. And compatible with euro door mortise lock. The cylinder cam rotated by operating key or thumb-turn, the cylinder cam drive the mortise lock deadbolt to open/close the lock.
There are many types of lock cylinders on the market, such as American lock cylinders, oval lock cylinders, Chin GB lock cylinders and European standard lock cylinders. For different markets, the models, sizes and standards of lock cylinders are different.
What is the common types of euro profile lock cylinder?
Cylinder with key and knob
Cylinder with knob, used for interior doors and fire-rated doors. On the outside, the cylinder is locked with a key, while on the inside, you just turn the knob to lock it. It is a method of emergency escape from the inside, i.e. apartment doors where the fire code requires that the door needs to be easily opened from the inside without a key.Double side key cylinder
Two sides with key opening, used for entrance doors, classroom doors and office buildings.
Bathroom cylinder
Bathroom cylinder used for bathroom doors at home and hotel. The Bathroom cylinder comprises a knob on the internal side, and an emergency coin release on the exterior.
Half cylinder
Half cylinders are often used on garage doors or storage room doors and only allow key operation on one side of the door. These locks include the following security features: Anti-Snap – sacrificial cuts protecting the cam. Anti-Pick – making it difficult to pick
Double side key cylinder
Two sides with key opening, with computer key and master key system, used for entrance doors.
High security cylinder
According to the length of the lock cylinder, there are 5, 6 or 7 pins (one row) in the cylinder. The combination of pins determines the mutual opening ratio of the cylinder, for example, the mutual opening ratio of a 6-pin cylinder is about 1/1800. The high-security lock cylinder has two rows of pins, with millions of differences, all of which have a lower mutual opening rate. Two sides with key opening, high security, used for entrance doors, bank doors.
How to choose the right euro profile lock cylinder?
Choosing cylinder type according to the using conditions
(1) High-security double side key cylinder
For the entrance door, high-security double side key cylinder is safe and has the functions of anti-pick, anti-drill, and anti-snap.
Allowing locking and unlocking on both sides of the door, double cylinder locks are preferred by many for the security they provide. Since there is no knob to turn, a key is required to lock and unlock the door.
However, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code 101 prohibits the use of double cylinder locks on exit doors. With these locks installed, it will be difficult for homeowners to leave the house immediately in the event of a fire.
(2) Fire-rated door-Knob cylinder
Knob cylinder for fire-rated door. The door can be locked and unlocked from the inside without the use of a key.
Complies with fire codes for apartments with locked front doors in multi-family dwellings. In an emergency, the user can always escape and unlock the lock without the use of a key. Key operation from the outside and thumb turn operation from the inside of the door via a Euro key/turn cylinder.
(3) Equipment Maintain door- half cylinder
Half cylinder- Key operation can only be done from the outside of the door, turn the key from the outside to lock and unlock. For half cylinder, there is no facility to lock the door from the inside, suitable for inner or outer doors that require high security.
(4) Bathroom- bathroom cylinder
Bathroom cylinder with internal thumb turn and external coin release.
Ideal for use in bathrooms and toilets. The door can be locked and unlocked by turning the knob from either side of the door, and using a coin or flathead screwdriver on the outside.
How to choose the length of the lock cylinder?
Calculate the length of the cylinder: cylinder length= Cylinder length= door thickness + 2 * cylinder cover thickness (generally, there are 2 pcs escutcheon, inside and outside of door). If the mortise lock is not in the middle of the door leaf, the size should be measured and the unequal lock cylinder should be selected. Otherwise, for kickback doors, we generally use knob cylinders with unequal sides, and we must determine the cylinder sizes on the key side and the knob side separately.
Generally, it is normal for the lock cylinder to protrude 3-5mm.
The material of the lock cylinder
We can choose different materials to make the lock cylinder, such as: aluminum, zinc alloy, brass, stainless steel.
If you choose a cheap lock cylinder, you can choose an aluminum-zinc lock cylinder, but it is easy to break, and its strength and toughness are not good.
If you choose a lock cylinder for a fire door with a long fire protection time, a stainless steel lock cylinder is the best choice, but the price is high, and the production is not easy to process.
For brass cylinders, it is the most common choice that can meet all the conditions of daily use. Brass has good hardness and toughness, not easy to break; not easy to rust, has self-lubricating properties; wear-resistant.
DIN 18252 Size
Cylinder size complies with DIN-18252, section size 17X33X10mm, cam size R15X6.5mm. If the lock cylinder is too small, it is easy to slide; if it is too large, it is easy to get stuck.
Finish
Different finishes can be made for the lock cylinder, the finish of the lock cylinder is the same as the handle/lock cylinder back cover. Such as Satin Nickel, Matt Black, Gold PVD, AB, AC, Satin Gold, White, etc. Regardless of lock cylinder type or size, SDH can make custom finishes from your color samples to meet your various design needs!
Close/ open performance
During the production process of the lock cylinder, there will be problems affecting the quality and function of the lock cylinder. For example, if the key is tightened, the rotation is tight and inflexible when inserted; the key can be turned, but the dial does not move, the mortise lock body cannot be opened; the cylinder core does not turn, etc., these problems will affect the use of the lock cylinder.
Therefore, when choosing a lock cylinder, choose a lock cylinder that switches smoothly and does not freeze.
Frequency of using
BS EN 1303:2015 classifies cylinders for locks using an 8-digit coding system.Lock cylinder complies with BS EN 1903, at least 50000 cycles durability test.
Fire-rated or not
The lock cylinder is used for fire doors, so the fire prevention of the lock cylinder is particularly important. The selected lock cylinder must meet the fire resistance test of BS EN 1303 B Grade: suitable for use on fire resistant and smoke control door assemblies.
The temperature of the flame is about 1200°C, while the melting point of stainless steel is 1524°C, and the melting point of brass is 930°C. Stainless steel and brass lock cylinders are the first choice for fire doors.
How to choose the cylinder fixing screws length?
Please select screws according to cylinder fixing screws length=lock backset+5mm. When fixing the lock cylinder, the length of the screw is the same as that of the backset, but when installing, some screws will be sharpened, so it needs to be increased by at least 5mm. You can use your existing screws as this is the correct length. However, in case the previous screw is damaged, make sure the new screw is the same size as the previous screw.
Choosing a suitable lock cylinder can prolong the service life of the door and lock, reduce the consumption and replacement frequency of door locks, and ensure the safety of users’ lives and property. As the leader in the manufacture of profiled brass lock cylinders in Europe, SDH’s lock cylinders comply with BS EN 1303, with extensive know-how and know-how, SDH has successfully provided customized lock cylinders for big and small brands for more than 10 years.
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Contact: Mag Liu
Tel: 86-18364685393
Email: mag@euprotek.com
