Security locks: security doors and European cylinder locks
As we know, the “threshold” represents the cultural and architectural value par excellence that historically divides the “public” from the “private”, on both an urban scale (think of “Porta Romana” and the gates of the Roman or mediaeval “walled” cities) and the residential.
If you think about it, it is the only architectural element in a home that is used every day.
Alias returns the cultural value to the front door that had been lost, declining its existence to purely “functional”: I am opening and closing an object with bolts, safety locks, visible or hidden hinges.
ALIAS SECURITY DOORS CLOSURES
Introducing the values of quality, modernity, research into the design and production of the door, both from a technical/constructive* and aesthetic point of view.
Combining technical and formal research with the exquisitely functional value of the object of the “door”.
But what is it, design, what is architecture? in the words of the father of contemporary architectural aesthetics, Mies Van Der Rohe: “Form is function”.
An Alias security door, an “architectural” and not simply functional object, enhances one of the most important parts of the house with its typical design features.
All this is undoubtedly enhanced by the “Wing project”, which transforms the function of security doors and security locks into an element that gently and discreetly enriches an interior by allowing the architect the opportunity to enhance the qualities of his design and the beauty of an interior in its threshold.
Designed by Ivo Pellegri, Wing is a “DESIGN SOLUTION” designed by an architect for architects. The threshold therefore becomes an opportunity, not a limitation.
Alias’s catalogues offer a variety of highly flexible options for projects with different needs and which also offer the company limitless possibilities to meet any specifications, so that any product can be enhanced with fine technical and aesthetic features.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EUROPEAN CYLINDER LOCKS
From a construction perspective,the cylinder is a very important element of the security door as it is subject to constant use over time and is the first point of attack by thieves.
That is the lesson taught by a city like Milan, which remains the “capital of crime” from the point of view of statistics relating to domestic burglaries. It must first of all be reliable and resistant to wear, due to a mechanical play that could facilitate a thief in manipulating it.
Alias has chosen to fit doors with European cylinder locks, by far the most requested solution for its technical performance and also for its practicality.
Indeed, one of the most appreciated aspects is the size of the key, easily pocket-sized, but the real advantage is to be able to perform master keying, which allows you to open several locking systems with the same key.
Alias has chosen 3 different types of European cylinders, which vary in price and level of security:
- Type E
- Type A
- Type S.
We support the choice of Type A (provided for the anti-burglary class 3) or Type S (provided for the anti-burglary class 4) because these cylinders – equipped with special springs and specially designed construction details – have anti-bumping certifications.
Therefore, they guarantee the immunity of the cylinder from bumping attempts, one of the most common methods of lock manipulation even for high security locks, through the use of a particular specially filed key and some hammer strikes.
All Alias doors also come with anti-drill and tear-resistant Defender as standard.
The Defender is the front protection of the cylinder, fixed to the lock in order to resist attacks on the European cylinder. It’s made of tempered steel, squared or hemispherical, and available in the same finishes as the handles, for easy matching.
LOCKS FOR SECURITY DOORS: WHAT IS THE BEST OPTION?
In order to defend against thieves, it is necessary to adopt a series of measures that are capable of withstanding as much as possible. The most experienced thieves usually attack the front door, focusing specifically on the lock. A lock for a security door can traditionally be either a double map or a European core.
EUROPEAN LOCK, PROTECTIVE INNOVATION
The security door lock is known as a European lock when it provides for a certain type of operation, which occurs by means of a cylindrical shaped European profile (the Yale cylinder). The security behind a European lock is a result of the particular mechanics with which it is built. It’s essential that there is a high level of quality that can only be found if it contains anti-burglary systems that serve to lock the mechanisms when a burglar tampers with the lock by forcibly removing the cylinder, for this reason it is known as a burglar-proof lock.
EUROPEAN LOCKS AND EUROPEAN CYLINDERS ARE NOT THE SAME, BUT THEY WORK TOGETHER
Let’s make a distinction between the various mechanisms so that we can have a clear view of the level of protection a security door provides. Firstly, you need to differentiate the lock from the European cylinder.
The European lock, basically, is the device that allows you to open and close the security door, and is a box that contains the levers and gears that move the pins or cylinders that will then be fitted into the frame of the security door.
The European cylinder is an important part of the locking system. It contains a central element, known as the Cam, which controls the lock’s mechanisms, moving the pistons.
It is considered a sensitive component because the cylinder is what a thief focuses his attempt to tamper with the lock on, and if he succeeds, the security door is no longer protected.
ANTI-DRILL DEFENDER TO PROTECT THE CYLINDER
The Defender or Protector is a steel shell that protects the front of the cylinder. There are several models in different price ranges offering a variety of performance. It is usually manufactured in such a way as to be drill proof, and has a rounded shape that makes it difficult to detach from the lock.
The steel used to manufacture the Defender, in some cases, is tempered so that it is also drill proof, in other models, the defender is made of alloy and is equipped with balls and drill-proof pins.
The burglar-proof version is made of solid steel, which makes it difficult to force the tube and the pliers, nullifying any break-in attempt.
Defender can be certified according to 4 degrees of burglary resistance, grade 4 being the most high-performance certification class
