Understanding lock keyways are critical for access control, as even when adding in electronic access control, mechanical locks are typically maintained but changed in the process.
In this note, we examine keyways, identify which ones are most commonly used, how to identify them, and how they improve lock security.
Electronics Access Control And Keyways
While electronic access control adds new capabilities, overwhelmingly mechanical locks and keys continue to be supported as backup, redundancy, and even for conformance to life safety codes.
When installing electronic access control, the mechanical lock is often replaced because the existing one does not physically fit the new electronic locking set. However, users typically want to continue to use the same keys. To do so requires understanding what keyway is used for those keys throughout the facility. If a different keyway is selected than what is used on other doors, this will force buying and using a different key, which is typically operationally problematic.
Keyways Explained
The hole inside a lock is designed to fit specific shapes of keys. This key path is critically important, because not only does it keep potentially invalid keys out, it also precisely indexes a valid key in the right spot to move pins for unlocking it.
The animation below shows how a key matching the specific keyway profile slides into a lock and aligns the pins to unlock it:
If the key and keyway do not match, the mismatch typically prevents most invalid keys from fitting into a lock.
Within the context of physical access control, proper keyway identification is as fundamental as choosing the right lock type or evaluating the door swing.
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Travis Willis
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