There are many levels of access security, ranging from simply discouraging opportunistic or unauthorised access to defending against an outright vandal attack on an enclosure or installation. For each level, there are appropriate and cost-effective access hardware solutions to limit access and protect equipment or facilities. The critical question is: what is the level of risk?

As with any design challenge, defining as many attributes of an application as possible will help prioritise needs and guide access hardware evaluation. A knowledgeable supplier, consulted early in the design stage, will offer experience of comparable applications and help identify the solution to match the need.

For vending machines, major factors in determining the level of risk are the location and the content of the equipment. In applications with a low risk of theft or damage, the need to control or discourage access might well be satisfied with a solution as simple as using a tool operated latch. This is one of the easiest and most common tamper-resistant latch options and could be a compact low-profile solution such as a cam latch that uses tool actuation for economy and simplicity.

Within a controlled access environment, maybe premises with main entrance security or high-traffic locations which would discourage obvious attempts at break-in, the simplest key locking solution with controlled distribution of keys could be a perfectly acceptable option for managing access. Public exposure in an attended application, perhaps high-value in-store displays or vulnerable equipment, might require a more secure solution. For applications that warrant a more secure solution, more specialised locks or custom key codes to minimise opportunities for unauthorised key duplication would be more appropriate.

At the highest level of risk where equipment is publicly exposed in unsupervised low-traffic areas, or where the potential cost or consequences of damage or theft are significant, there is an obvious need for the most secure solutions available. These can include more robust latch and lock designs, secure multi-point latches to minimise pry points and other special access hardware designs.

When evaluating the security implications of the right access hardware for your applications, you should consider both physical design and access management issues that can have an impact on practical performance and convenient operation.

Where vandal resistance is an issue, look for a style of hardware that minimises opportunity. Concealed hinges welded on the inside of a vending machine eliminate external points of attack. Flush mounted or recessed latches also minimise grip points for forcing the latch. Rotary latches, by their very design, typically offer a higher degree of operating strength and multi-point latches help to hold the extreme corners of larger doors flush against the frame to minimise flexing and potential pry points.

The more critical your security requirement, the more important it is to identify applicable load ratings. Different materials, from engineered thermoplastics to die-cast zinc, steel and stainless steel, have their own performance characteristics. Some latch styles are available in a choice of alternative materials to give you options for strength and vandal resistance.

Style of lock is another consideration. A padlocking solution allows you to dictate the degree of security depending on the size, design and sophistication of the lock. Flush-mounted latches with integrated keylocks can minimise exposure to vandalism while electronic access systems and latch mechanisms with electronic interlocks can offer an additional layer of protection. Specific features in some hardware designs can also help to enhance security, such as a locking latch with key removal in the locked position only to ensure key-carrying personnel re-lock enclosures.

With secure access it is also important to look at how you assign access. Traditional metal keys are an obvious easy choice, but unless carefully monitored can be lost, borrowed or duplicated. Any compromise in security could require complete and costly replacement of installed latches or locks. Electronic access latches and locks can use numerical keypad access for versatile, re-programmable access assignment. They can also use existing ID card technologies or sophisticated biometric access systems. Many electronic access security systems can work in conjunction with premises-wide electronic security and monitoring systems to manage and monitor access by time, date, location and employee or to generate electronic signals for alarms, warning signals or lockdowns. For vending machines, such technology can also be easily combined with software to monitor stock levels across different locations.

Having defined the level of risk to be addressed, look for versatile products that can satisfy a range of security requirements. For vending applications, this could mean a cam lock style that offers a range of actuation and security options from tool to key-locking access. Alternatively it could involve using a common lock barrel across a variety of latch styles for convenient key code management.

For more complex or demanding applications, look for solutions that combine multiple advantages: high security key locking, vandal resistant design, environmental sealing and so on within a single design. If a standard product cannot meet the specific needs of the application, look for a supplier who can offer accessories or the ability to modify an existing design.

Perhaps your application requires a custom-made solution? This can be something as simple as a special finish to match the aesthetics of the application or it could involve arranging for custom key codes in a new latch to remain compatible with existing locks in an installation. In cases where both mechanical operation and key locking security are critical, it could mean borrowing principles from multiple latch and lock designs to create an optimal custom solution.

Ultimately, the prime requirement of the latching and hinging solution is to prevent unauthorised access. Defining the level of risk and required level of security must, therefore, guide the access hardware solution.

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