we are trying to change a lock on one of our University's lab's doors (standard lock system) to a biometric lock, so that our students would have access to the room outside of the standard 9-5 hours.
The lock has to have a mechanical key that would fit the Corbin-Russwin key system, which has been in use since 1967 on this campus, and the master key has to be fit to this lock.
Unfortunately, if we cannot find such lock, we won't be able to change it. Lock combinations (push button, etc.) are not acceptable, as they can be shared and we've had problems with security because of it.
Order whatever kind of biometeric locking system you want, and install an electric strike in the door frame that is operated by it... You can keep the lock that you currently have installed on the door...
Evan, ~~ formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...
Evan has hit on a good possible solution. Other solutions may exist. As an example if the lock itself is a mortise lock, it is quite possible that your existing cylinder could be used in a lock body, and wires run from the biometric unit to the lock body.
Also Corbin-Russwin is still in business and they might be able to supply an electrified version of a key in the knob/lever lock that would be compatible with the current keying system.
Since you are at a university, often they have in house locksmiths. Talk to them and explain your goal and they may have a solution.
Corbin-Russwin also made some odd-ball locks (hardware standards wise) and to keep everyone happy the door prep may have to be changed if the electrified hardware solution is chosen. If you could provide a photo of the lock and frame and some specifics like the exact keyway designation(The campus locksmith may be able to supply this.), we might be able to give you more specific recommendations.
As an amendment to my previous suggestion posted yesterday evening:
Does your university have any existing access control systems, or ID cards with mag stripes on the back ??? It may be possible for your department to investigate these possiblities and find an access control technology that is compatible with credentials that are already in use elsewhere on campus...
If students have a photo ID w/ magstripe that is used in the dining hall for the cafeteria staff to determine what meanl program they are on, or the same ID has a RFID chip integrated in it to operate prox card readers to allow entry into dorms -- it would be the most ideal situation for your department to use compatable technology, it would take much less time to program the users for this one lab door if integrating it into a campus-wide system than if someone from your department had to sit there with each student and program in their biometrics...
Biometric access control on a science lab in a university is a bordering on the line of overkill... It seems all you are looking for is some type of audit trail that can identify individuals who open the door to use the room (hence your wariness of push-button or electronic combination locks where the credential can be shared amongst many users)... That being said however, it will still be possible for students to get around this security measure in order to get into the room... Only ONE person has to open the door -- others can then get in while that door is open...
An even better solution may be a matter of utilizing existing campus personnel in a different manner... Does your university have campus police/security ??? If so then perhaps having the students contact the police/security department in order to gain entry to the lab after hours and maintain a log of those admitted could keep everyone honest, and not cost any money on installing a stand-alone access control unit for this one door...
Evan, ~~ formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...
There are several options for this door. Do you need audit trail? If not, a fingerprint reader tied to an electric strike is your best option. It would operate with the door hardware already in place. If the door hardware is a mortise lock, you could install an electrified lock instead of the e-strike. (It's more secure).
Stay away from inexpensive fingerprint readers. Many of them have lots of false positives. Also, register at least 2 fingers of each person because if someone has a cut on their finger, they won't be able to get in.
If you need audit trail, there may be some stand-alone locks from Kaba Ilco or Alarmlock that have biometrics. I find a prox card/for and code is sufficient unless you just like the wow factor of biometrics.
Thank you so much for replying to my posting and for providing many wonderful ideas/suggestions. I will definitely talk to our university's locksmith (a contractor).
Electric deadbolt that requires external voltage is not acceptable, simply because it would cost an arm and a leg to have the contractor pull the cable and mount this inside a solid door. If at all possible, we are looking for an inexpensive solution and a battery operated lock sounds like one of the best solutions. I will take a photo of the lock on Monday, and post it here, so that you get a better idea of the current setup.
A lock like this looks promising - it appears that it may take a cylinder that conforms to our University specification:
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emailed the vendor to find out more about it.
Oh, yes. We do not worry about keping a log of who accessed the lab and when. We just want to make it a bit harder (if not impossible) for an unauthorized person to enter the lab.
Most locks that have a mechanical-key bypass mechanism should be able to be fitted with a cylinder that meets your university's specs, unless they're using something particularly unusual.
The problem with this viewpoint is that you are buying an expensive toy to now do a job that could be done by a person with a key letting students into the lab... What is the point to installing an access control device on the door and NOT wanting an audit trail ??? Part of the expense of installing such equipment is the benefit that someone will have the ability to know EXACTLY who opened the door and when that person opened it...
It will not be any harder to gain entry into that lab with the type of devices you posted links to pictures of than it is right now with a keyed lock on the door... Typically that is the "drawback" to installing an electronic locking device that uses a "keyed bypass"...
Unless you are using something a bit more secure than the standard Corbin-Russwin cylinder installed as the keyed bypass you will find that the "unauthorized people" you wish to keep out of your labspace will seek out a new security related hobby in order to get in... All people accessing the lab should be using the access control device, and only those who are authorized emergency personnel should be issued actual keys that allow the bypass function to be utilized for gaining entry...
A simple prox card access system will allow you much easier administration cababilities, especially if your university already has a similar system in place on campus... (Especially since you seem to have little concern over being able to figure out who is getting in and when they are there) It is simple, if they don't have one of your cards, then they can't get in... Considering the man-hours that you would have to put into programming in the biometrics of EACH student you want to allow after hours access to this lab EVERY semester (as the students graduate out of the program and new students are coming in) it seems like you are only buying into a MAJOR headache having biometric equipment guarding this one lab door -- prox cards can be collected by department staffers as students no longer need access to the lans and then re-issued to new students without ever having to modify or reprogram the access control device itself...
Evan, ~~ formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...
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