By Sue Chen

Feb-02-2023

A magnetic lock, mainly consisting of a lock body and armature plate, is also called the electromagnetic lock, maglock, magnet lock, and so on because its working principle is based on the electromagnetism concept.

As known, the current goes through one or more loops of electric wire tied around an iron core producing a magnetic field, so it can attract a conductor when the magnetic force is large enough.

When this concept is applied to the electromagnetic lock: the electromagnet (the major part of the lock body), which includes a coil core with hundreds of copper or CCA (copper-clad aluminum) wire turns, creates magnetic holding force when it’s powered on. By this force, the armature plate made from zinc-plated iron is drawn to attach to the lock body, leading to the lock in the locking status.

With that being said, the lock body should be installed on the door frame, or hung underneath the doorway (if it’s frameless), while the armature plate should be attached to the door. In this way, the door is prevented from opening because of the large holding force.

For accommodating different doorways or door types, auxiliary brackets like U-shaped brackets, L-shaped brackets, and Z-shaped brackets, etc. are usually kit with the maglock.

To ensure provide enough magnetic force for different door weights, electromagnetic locks are designed to produce holding forces from 60kgf to up to 1000kgf, which is the most used force range. Few rare lock models can create even higher force.

There’re a few factors that influence the holding force of the magnet lock. The set voltage which is usually DC12V or DC24V, the number of coil loops that affect the amount of current flowing through, and the material used for the wire coil, decide how secure a maglock can be. Besides, the holding force ought to be collinear with the load, and the lock body and armature plate should be face to face to guarantee the optimal force.

The magnetic lock requires power to function since it doesn’t have interconnecting mechanical components. As it needs the power to generate the magnetic force, the electromagnetic lock is innately fail-safe. What’s Fail-safe? A locking device stayed unlocked when there’s an out of electricity is so-call Fail-safe.

This fail-safe mode makes the maglock more advantaged for emergency exit uses than many other locks, because per fire protection requirements in many places, the building should automatically cut off the power when a fire occurs, and the electric locks must be opened to facilitate personnel’s escape. The magnetic lock is unlocked when powered off, thus it’s also the perfect match with the fire relay, call button, and fire detection devices.

A magnetic lock provides fast access to buildings, so is widely accepted for office, residential, industrial, and commercial properties.

It’s convenient and easy to install because it has no moving components. This is why maglock becomes one of the best locking solutions for various swing door types like glass doors, wooden doors, metallic doors, PVC doors, and so on.

How does a magnetic lock work? Here’s a more direct demonstration in the following video: