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What is Locknetics?
Locknetics is a brand of electromechanical door hardware for access control systems, sold through Allegion US. Its products sit at the point where an electronic access decision (a card reader, keypad, or credential system) is turned into a physical action — unlocking a door, releasing a strike, or holding a maglock.
What that means in practice
The category covers hardware such as electric strikes, electromagnetic locks, exit devices with electric locking, and power supplies or controllers that tie them to a credential system. A facilities or security integrator typically selects these parts when a building already has (or is adding) electronic access control and needs the door itself to respond.
Who uses it
- Security integrators and locksmiths specifying electrified openings for commercial buildings, schools, healthcare, or offices.
- Facilities and security managers standardizing hardware across many doors so credentials, power, and monitoring work consistently.
- Specifiers/consultants matching hardware to door type, fire-rating requirements, and traffic volume.
How to decide if it fits
Start from the opening, not the brand: identify the door type and frame, whether it must latch for fire or life-safety code, how much traffic it sees, and how it will fail — fail-secure (stays locked if power drops) or fail-safe (unlocks). Then confirm the electric hardware matches that behavior and your existing access control panel.
A useful next step: pick one representative door in your building, list its requirements, and check the Locknetics line against them before standardizing across the rest.
What types of electromechanical hardware does Locknetics make?
Locknetics makes electromechanical hardware for access control: electric strikes, electromagnetic locks (maglocks), and electric latch retraction or bolt products used to secure doors and release them electronically. The line is aimed at commercial and institutional openings—offices, schools, healthcare, and similar facilities—where a door needs to be controlled by a credential reader, keypad, or request-to-exit device rather than a key alone.
H3 What each category does
- Electric strikes: replace the standard strike plate in a frame and release the latch when powered, so an existing mechanical lock can be made electrically controlled.
- Electromagnetic locks: hold a door by magnetic force and release when power is cut; commonly used where high holding force is wanted.
- Electric latch retraction and related hardware: motorized or solenoid-driven devices that retract the latch or bolt for quieter, more deliberate release and easier integration with exit devices.
H3 How to choose between them
| Type | Best suited to | Trade-off to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Electric strike | Retrofits where the existing lock should stay | Needs a frame cut and matching latch/faceplate |
| Maglock | High holding force, simple release | Usually needs a request-to-exit sensor and can be harder to align |
| Electric latch retraction | Frequent, controlled traffic and exit devices | Higher cost and more wiring complexity |
For a concrete scenario: a small clinic wants its reception door locked after hours but opened by staff badges. An electric strike is often the least invasive route because the existing lockset stays; if the door is a glass or aluminum storefront with no room for a strike, a maglock may be the more practical fit.
Next step: confirm the door type, frame material, and existing lock, then match those against the Locknetics product families on Locknetics. If the opening is part of a wider system, compare integration with Allegion and check whether the chosen device supports the credential and exit hardware you already have.
How does Locknetics hardware integrate with existing access control systems?
Locknetics electromechanical hardware is designed to work as the locking endpoint in a broader access control system, so integration is mostly about matching the lock to the controller and credentials you already use rather than replacing your whole setup.
In practice, the hardware typically receives a command from an access control panel or controller and then either releases or secures the opening. Electric strikes, electromagnetic locks, and electric bolt locks are the common categories, and each behaves differently at the door: a strike releases a mechanical latch, a maglock holds the door by magnetism, and a bolt extends or retracts a solid locking pin. Because these are electromechanical rather than networked devices, the intelligence usually lives in the panel, not the lock.
What integration generally requires
- A compatible controller or panel output (often a relay) that switches power to the lock.
- Correct voltage and current matching between the power supply and the device.
- A request-to-exit device, such as a push button or motion sensor, so people can leave freely.
- Fail-safe or fail-secure behavior chosen deliberately: fail-safe unlocks on power loss (common for fire egress), fail-secure stays locked (common for perimeter security).
- Monitoring contacts, if you want the system to report whether the door is actually locked or closed.
A useful decision criterion is the door type and life-safety requirement. On a fire-rated stairwell door, you would typically favor fail-safe hardware tied to the fire alarm system. On a secure server room door, fail-secure may be the better trade-off.
For a concrete scenario: a facilities manager retrofitting an office suite can often keep existing card readers and panels and simply swap the mechanical locks for Locknetics electric strikes, provided the frame and power run support it. That is usually cheaper and less disruptive than a full rip-and-replace.
To move forward, confirm three things with your integrator: the output type and voltage of your existing controller, the fail-safe/fail-secure requirement for each opening, and whether the door frame can accept the chosen hardware. Locknetics product details are published at Locknetics.
Which Locknetics product should I choose for a high-traffic commercial door?
For a high-traffic commercial door, Locknetics is best understood as a brand to spec by function rather than by a single "best" model: its electromechanical hardware is built around electric strikes, electromagnetic locks, and access-control components that a locksmith or integrator pairs with the door, frame, and credential system. The right pick depends less on traffic volume alone and more on the door type, whether you need fail-safe or fail-secure operation, and how the opening is used day to day. You can review the current range at Locknetics.
Match the product family to the opening
- Electric strikes suit a standard commercial door with a mechanical lock and a credential reader. Best for offices, interior tenant doors, and main entries where the existing lock can stay. High traffic mainly means choosing a heavy-duty strike rated for continuous cycling and reinforced with a proper frame reinforcement.
- Electromagnetic locks (maglocks) suit glass, aluminum, or heritage doors where cutting a strike pocket is impractical. They hold firmly under heavy use, but confirm local code allows them and that you have a compliant request-to-exit and, where required, a mechanical release.
- Access-control accessories such as power supplies, request-to-exit devices, and door position monitoring matter as much as the locking device. On a busy door, an undersized or poorly sequenced power supply is a common cause of unreliable releases.
A quick comparison
| Priority | Better fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the existing mechanical lock | Electric strike | Needs frame/frame-prep work; strike must match the lock's latch |
| Glass or aluminum storefront | Electromagnetic lock | Exit and fire-code requirements are stricter |
| Simple, low-cost retrofit | Electric strike | Less holding force than a maglock |
| Very heavy, repeated use | Heavy-duty strike or maglock with quality power supply | Higher upfront cost, more installation planning |
Next step
Before ordering, note four things: door and frame material, the existing lock's brand and model, whether the door must unlock or lock on power failure, and the credential system's voltage and current. Take those to a licensed integrator or locksmith and ask them to confirm the Locknetics part and its listed fire rating for that exact opening. Traffic volume then becomes a durability question the specifier can answer with the strike or lock's cycle rating, not a guess from the catalog name.
What are the power and wiring requirements for Locknetics electric strikes and maglocks?
The site does not publish the power and wiring requirements for Locknetics electric strikes and maglocks. Its page is a product-family overview, so you will need the individual product installation instructions or datasheet for voltage, current draw, wire gauge and run length.
What you can expect in general terms, as advice rather than as this product's stated specs:
- Electric strikes are typically low-voltage AC or DC devices, often 12 or 24 volts, and many are fail-secure or fail-safe. Current draw is usually modest but can spike at the moment of release.
- Maglocks (electromagnetic locks) are almost always 12 or 24 VDC and draw more current than strikes, because holding force depends on continuous coil power.
- Wire sizing depends on both current and distance: a long run at 12 VDC loses more voltage than the same run at 24 VDC, so 24 V is often preferred where the power supply is far from the door.
- Power supplies should be sized with headroom for inrush and for any other devices on the same circuit, and should match the lock's required voltage and rectification (AC vs. DC).
- Control and monitoring contacts, request-to-exit devices and door position switches add their own conductors, so count them before pulling cable.
A practical next step: note the exact model number on the lock or strike, then find its installation sheet or spec sheet. That document will give the voltage, current, wire gauge table and any note about whether the device is field-selectable between 12 and 24 volts. If you are planning a new opening, decide the voltage and power-supply location first, then size the wire to the longest run, not the shortest.
For related access-control hardware and documentation, see Allegion and Allegion.
How do Locknetics products meet building and fire code requirements for egress?
Locknetics electromechanical hardware is designed to fit into access-control openings where egress and fire-code compliance are decided by how the door behaves when power fails or the alarm sounds. The practical answer is that the hardware family is built around fail-safe and fail-secure electric locking, request-to-exit sensing, and door-position monitoring — the functions a code-compliant egress system needs — but the specific compliance outcome depends on the individual model, the door assembly, and the local code edition. Confirm the exact listing and rating for your part number before specifying it.
What the product family covers
- Electric strikes and electric bolt locks for releasing a latch or securing a leaf under access control.
- Electrified and electric latch retraction hardware that lets a reader or push button release the door.
- Request-to-exit and egress devices so occupants can leave without a credential.
- Monitoring outputs for door position and latch status, which are often required for delayed egress, alarm, or interlock sequences.
How that maps to egress and fire requirements
| Requirement area | What usually satisfies it | What to verify on the Locknetics side |
|---|---|---|
| Free egress at all times | Mechanical release or a listed egress device that works without power | Whether the model is fail-safe or fail-secure, and whether it releases on power loss |
| Fire door assemblies | Hardware listed for use on a rated assembly, with the correct fire label | The specific listing and rating for the product and door type |
| Delayed egress or controlled exit | A listed delayed-egress system with sensors and alarms | Whether the model supports the required sequence and reset |
| Electrified locking on a rated opening | Electrified hardware that keeps the door latched when required | Whether the electric function is rated for the door's fire label |
The trade-off is straightforward: fail-safe hardware opens on power loss, which favors life safety but can leave a secured area unsecured during an outage. Fail-secure hardware stays locked, which protects assets but needs a compliant mechanical release for egress. Delayed egress adds a short release delay and typically requires signage, alarms, and coordination with the authority having jurisdiction.
A concrete scenario
A facilities manager retrofitting a stairwell door in a mixed-use building needs the door to latch securely during normal operation, release immediately on the fire alarm, and allow free exit at all times. The specification would pair an electrified locking device with a request-to-exit sensor and a connection to the fire alarm relay, then confirm the assembly's fire label and the local code edition. If the same door also needs to prevent theft, the team has to decide whether fail-safe release on alarm is acceptable or whether a fail-secure device with a mechanical exit device is the better fit.
Next step
Start from the door's required function — free egress, fire rating, and whether it must lock or unlock on power loss — then match the Locknetics model and its listing to that function. For product-specific listings, ratings, and installation guidance, check the manufacturer's documentation at Locknetics and confirm the final assembly with the local authority having jurisdiction.
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