Electric Lock for an Armoured Door: What It Is and How It Works

The security of an armoured door does not depend only on its structure, but above all on the type of locking mechanism, because this is its most vulnerable point.

The lock is in fact the key device that guarantees an armoured door delivers the best burglar-resistant performance.

The use of electronic locks is spreading more and more, because they are very practical and offer excellent functional performance for any purpose (in private homes, hotels, B&Bs).

Who, more than 30 years ago, would have thought that every car would open with a click of a remote and that keys would no longer be needed?

Well, this digital revolution has touched just about every area, and now it is reaching the door above all others: the front door of your home, which besides being ever more modern, practical and secure, has now become intelligent too.

If you do not know me yet, let me introduce myself: I am Mauro from Ariete Security Doors, and in this article I will tell you about the best electronic locks for armoured doors, their uses, the different types and the prices.

Read the article all the way through and you will discover everything you need to know about electric locks.

Ready? Let’s begin!

Electric armoured-door lock: everything you need to know 

What an electric lock for an armoured door is

The electronic lock for an armoured door is an automated mechanism that can be operated remotely through an external device which, using electrical signals, manages the opening and closing of the armoured door.

The electric armoured-door lock is usually fitted to doors and windows in order to do away with the traditional key, since the opening and closing mechanisms are controlled by an electromagnet powered by the mains.

Today’s building trends, inspired by the ideas of home automation, increasingly rely on electronic door openers, thanks to their remarkable versatility and security.

In fact, this kind of remote control can also be managed from a smartphone, something we all carry at all times.

As well as making opening considerably faster, these mechanisms can be fitted to many structures, such as armoured doors and gates, windows, not forgetting that electronic locks for lockers are available too.

In this article, however, I will focus solely and exclusively on electronic door openers for armoured doors, which remain the most widely used, since their ease of handling and reliability make them the ideal choice for ensuring the highest quality standards across the whole structure.

The remarkable versatility of electronic bolts means they can also be operated by fingerprint, exactly as happens when you unlock the screen of a smartphone.

Let’s look together at how a motorised armoured-door lock works and what the main benefits are.

Electric lock: how it works

Electric locks are made up of an inner plate and an outer plate: the first usually carries the handle, while the second is managed by the electronic control mechanism.

The outer side houses the reader, which identifies the incoming electronic signal and whose job is to communicate with the card or the control signal.

Opening a door with a badge works differently: you have to hold it in place for about a second to allow the proper communication that precedes the activation of the device.

If instead the door opener is controlled by a finger touch (fingerprint opening), it is enough to touch its outer surface to release the mechanism.

Why buy an armoured door with an electric lock?

But what are the real benefits of having a door with an electronic armoured lock? Let’s look at them together.

Maximum security

The main advantage of electronic doors is that, every time you pull the door to, the bolts lock automatically: this way your door is always secured, even if you forget to turn the key by mistake.

It may seem a minor benefit, but in fact it is the most important one.

Did you know that 76% of burglaries happen through the front door?
And that most of them happen because we did not lock the door!

If we forget to turn the key by mistake, an intruder can get in within seconds using, for example, a simple card or the well-known “shim” trick.

With an electric armoured door, this is no longer possible.

Manage access remotely

Being able to check remotely the actual state of the locking systems is another notable benefit of using these electronic devices.

With a single click you can, for example, let in your child who has left their keys at home, or the cleaner or the babysitter, even if you are on the other side of the planet.

Let in only the people you choose

A very useful feature is the ability to personalise the access codes, so that they cannot be used by anyone other than whoever set up the system.

You no longer need keys

On top of these obvious benefits, the feature users appreciate most is no longer having to use traditional keys.

Most electronic armoured-door locks are paired with a traditional lock, so that, if you ever need to, you can always use the keys while still enjoying the benefits of a lock you can operate remotely.

Who are doors with an electronic lock recommended for?

Electric locks are widely used both for domestic purposes in private homes or on communal entrance doors of blocks of flats, and for hotels and B&Bs, and in any situation where practicality needs to be combined with security.

Let’s look together at the settings where these kinds of products are most commonly used.

Electronic locks for hotels

In almost all modern hotels, the rooms are fitted with armoured doors whose task is to ensure the highest standards of intrusion protection and privacy.

The main requirement of these devices is the convenient operation of the electric locks, since guests must not have to deal with any sort of inconvenience (such as losing their keys).

The control methods can be of various kinds: code locks for armoured doors are operated by entering a preset alphanumeric mechanism, specific to each room.

Some bolt models instead use an electronic key (which allows electric door opening), whose design varies greatly and depends on the internal structure of the security device.

Where the automated armoured door is controlled by a badge, it has to be inserted into a dedicated slot where the control mechanism can decode the magnetic strip.

Digital locks for hotels, whatever their model, allow the electric door to be opened by means of an alphanumeric keypad usually fitted outside the room, on which you have to type your identification code.

The most innovative security devices fitted in hotel rooms can also be operated by fingerprint recognition; in this case the guest has to set up a recognition programme for their fingerprint beforehand.

The smart lock for armoured doors is managed through dedicated Bluetooth apps on the smartphone, which let you manage the security system using only your mobile phone.

In every case, opening the door depends on activating an electromagnet that works much like a traditional key.

If the power goes out or the batteries run flat, you can always operate it manually to deal with any emergency.

Electronic locks for B&Bs

The ever-growing spread of B&Bs, which brings a steady flow of tourists and frequent turnover, has raised the question of locking systems, since managing traditional keys is not always easy.

It often happens that bed and breakfasts are run remotely, with the owner in a different city, and guests are expected to let themselves in completely on their own.

It can also happen that guests who turn up unexpectedly without giving their arrival time are forced to wait (sometimes for quite a while) for the host to arrive and hand over the keys.

In a case like this, what can you do?

To avoid these problems, make running these holiday lets easier and manage access in a secure, practical and fast way, you can opt for electronic locks for B&Bs, which become smart and no longer require any key at all.

This way, B&B locks can be controlled remotely from a smartphone, through which it becomes especially easy to send guests virtual keys with a simple message.

No longer being obliged to hand over and collect keys every time there is a changeover of guests is a clear benefit not only for the host, but for the guests too.

What is more, there is no longer any risk of losing keys, since a new digital key is set up at every changeover.

This simple management system ensures complete control over check-in and check-out (and over the cleaner’s timing too), greatly simplifying every operation and making it faster to carry out.

Electric locks for communal entrance doors

The communal entrance doors of blocks of flats require a large number of keys, which can be lost, forcing you to change the lock; to avoid these annoying (and costly) problems, the best solution remains fitting an electronic armoured-door lock.

With this option, control over opening and closing the entrance door is handled by a remote push-button command.

The various solutions that can be used on the communal entrance doors of blocks of flats include:

• electric locks with a remote control (given to every resident);
• code door openers (set on a dedicated keypad);
• electric security locks controlled by an app on a smartphone.

In every case you can gain a number of benefits; first of all security, linked to the fact that keys possibly lost by one of the residents may be available to others.

A system of this kind also avoids problems caused by keys possibly breaking inside the cylinder, which would jam the opening device.

The running costs of an electronic bolt are very low and do not weigh on the block’s budget.

The third Ariete Security Doors Genoa showroom, for example, is inside a block of flats whose entrance door is fitted with an electric entrance-door lock that opens with an alphanumeric code typed on an electronic keypad.

This way all the residents can get in by typing a simple code, and can enter even if they have unfortunately forgotten their keys and there is no one at home.

If unwelcome visitors should ever turn up, you simply change the access code in a few clicks and share it with all the residents.

Simple, isn’t it?!

Electronic locks for armoured doors at home

The latest trends in building are increasingly geared towards using electronic locks on armoured doors for domestic use, since private security has now become a priority of the utmost importance.

The qualities an armoured door must have are mainly its burglar resistance, but also ease of use and good looks, as it has to fit into a home setting.

Electronic locks can offer excellent quality standards together with high-level performance, because they make the most of the latest technologies.

Here too the opening command can be given either by keypad or push-button panel, or in some cases by a biometric reader.

Locks for domestic use include products of various kinds that can adapt to the most diverse household needs, both for external armoured doors and for internal ones separating dwellings.

Some double-bit locks are interchangeable and come with modern cylinder versions that let you personalise the integrated security features.

The aim of these control systems on room doors, besides making opening and closing faster, is also to offer a high degree of security, especially through remote monitoring of how many times the door is opened and closed.

However, if you have an old, worn door, my advice is to replace the whole structure by installing an armoured door with an electronic lock.

This way you can enjoy not only the convenience of the electronic lock, but also the security of a latest-generation door that will protect you for the next 25 or 30 years without needing to be replaced.

Types of digital locks for armoured doors

Rightly considered the cornerstone of every armoured door’s security, electronic locks must be solid, functional, sturdy and long-lasting.

The digital locks currently on the market differ in their method of authentication, which in any case involves doing without the traditional key or pairing it with one.

Wi-Fi electronic lock

Wi-Fi electronic locks can be controlled through dedicated apps on the smartphone and therefore operated remotely.

Thanks to the innovative built-in technologies of these devices and their connectivity, they can communicate with the home Wi-Fi, greatly simplifying the opening and closing of armoured doors.

The main benefit of these door openers lies in being able to control how they work without having to be physically present, allowing or denying access to other people.

This model of smart lock can interact with other products that work in a similar way, controlling all the devices involved in home security.

For the system to work properly and to save a good deal on your energy bill, it is worth making sure you have one of the best deals for your internet connection (including business plans) and choosing a suitable provider for your smartphone that also allows remote control.

Wireless electric lock

Wireless electric locks remove both the problem of using traditional keys and that of connecting to a mains power supply.

Thanks to remote control, you get a high standard of security, with the ability to check at any time the real state the armoured door is in.

Ideal for family use, these devices are also widely used in places such as holiday lets, Airbnbs or hotel rooms.

Fingerprint lock

Digital locks allow you to control the opening and closing of the armoured door, even remotely, using a biometric system.

In terms of security, this is certainly the best system, since it records the fingerprints of the individual owners and grants access only to them.

This type of lock comes with a biometric reader for armoured doors on which the user first registers their fingerprint, which is then turned into a binary code and saved as such.

Only when the touch matches the biometric sample exactly is access granted by releasing the lock.

You can store more than one biometric code to allow several people in (family members, for example).

It works in exactly the same way as unlocking the keypad of the latest smartphones.

Opening a door with a smartphone

In this case, you simply have to download an app on your phone through which you can interact with the electronic part of the lock.

As well as guaranteeing a high quality standard, these electric lock models also offer the benefit of being controllable without having to be physically present.

How does the smartphone communicate with the lock? you may be wondering.

It does so through the Wi-Fi connection or, if a black-out or power cut should unfortunately occur, through the Bluetooth connection.

Electronic lock with badge

Electronic bolts with a badge require the digital card to be inserted into a dedicated slot.

After this is done, the reader inside the keyless lock is able to decode the signal and release the mechanism.

A model of this kind is fitted above all to the doors of hotel rooms and for access to B&Bs or holiday lets.

Electronic armoured-door lock: prices

The prices of keyless locks start at fairly modest figures for basic models, available on the market at around €150: these are usually keypad devices that are not particularly versatile.

Wi-Fi devices usually cost more, in line with their highly refined digital components; a good-quality product costs between €250 and €350.

The models that allow opening by fingerprint are currently the most expensive, with a price that can reach up to €500, a figure in keeping with the kind of performance these devices offer.

Electronic locks with an external badge, on the other hand, are quite affordable, since their technical features are by now very common: for a device of this type, offering excellent value for money, prices start from €80-100 up to a maximum of €300.

To all the prices given you need to add the cost of labour for installation.

Best electric locks for armoured doors

Among electronic Bluetooth locks with an automatic door opener, the best one around, in my view, is Avantgard (or the more advanced Avantgard Plus).

Avantgard is the heart of motorised security doors, fitted with the Avantgard kit, which is managed through the Iseo Argo smartphone app.

This system integrates with the main opening systems I mentioned earlier, including the numeric keypad, the card and transponder reader, the biometric system for fingerprint opening and many others.

Alternatively, I recommend the Yale Entr motorised cylinder (available on Amazon at this link) or the cheaper We.Lock cylinder with keypad, ideal for B&Bs and holiday lets (available here).

Conclusion

Here we are at the end of this long article on electric locks for armoured doors, in which we have talked about the best motorised cylinders, how they work and the prices.

Have any doubts or questions? Leave a comment below!

If instead you want to replace your front door with a latest-generation motorised armoured door, request a free quote.

Warm regards,
Mauro