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The electrical striking plate allows you to open a door remotely, without changing the mechanical lock already installed.
Some might think that this is the only advantage that the installation of an electric strike provides, but is not so! Let’s see why.

The installation of an electric strike plate is the most appropriate solution for anyone who needs to open a door remotely, without doing it physically. There are many situations where this may be necessary: opening the door of a shop to a customer from behind the counter, or the door of a shared office, or even more simply, the door of an apartment building.

What other advantages could result from the installation of an electric striker plate?

Permanent or controlled opening

An electric striker plate allows you to choose the way the opening will be controlled:

• Permanent (or service) opening: by pressing the button the striker is released and it only re-locks after the door has been opened and re-closed. This is the most common type of operation.
• Controlled (or security) opening: the striker only opens if, at the same time as the electrical pulse, pressure is exerted either manually or automatically on the door. In other words, therefore, if nobody opens the door when the button is pressed, the door remains closed. This prevents accidental openings. This the right solution when maximum security is required, as in the case of jewellery shops or supervised warehouses.

“Dogging device”

Another useful feature is the possibility of easily leaving the striker in the open position, for all those situations where the lock must remain open for long periods. This is the so-called “dogging device”, and it can be useful, for example, on access doors to a building which is supervised by a concierge during the day, and can remain open for the sake of convenience, but it must remain shut at night.

The red circle highlights the lever which must be moved to activate and deactivate the dogging device in Viro electric strikers.

In the Viro electric strikere plates, the dogging device can be activated simply by moving a small lever inside the striker plate, either by hand or with a screwdriver.

“Fail sicure” and “Fail safe”

And what if there is power failure? This doesn’t often happen, but it can occur. An electric striker plate can deal with such an occurrence in one of two ways, depending on the type of coil which is fitted:

• Fail secure: the striker plate remains closed during normal operation when it is not energised and it opens when, by pressing the button, it receives an electrical pulse. Therefore, if there is a power failure, the striker plate remains closed. It is a solution which, in the case of a fault, favours security of the rooms, by keeping them closed.
• Fail safe (mandatory operation in the case of electrified emergency exits): the striker plate remains closed during normal operation because it is continuously energised and it only opens when, by pressing the button, the power supply is interrupted. Therefore, if there is a power failure, the striker plate opens, thus allowing free passage. It is a solution which, in the case of a fault favours safety of individuals, by ensuring the ability to pass through as well as the possibility of evacuation in case of emergency.

This feature depends on how the electric striker plate has been designed; in particular how the coil is energised. It is therefore a characteristic which is selected at the time of purchase and cannot be changed at a later date.

Conclusions

The convenience of electric striker plates is therefore not merely that of being able to open a door remotely, but also carefully choosing how the opening must work. Convenience and flexibility combined. Before making a purchase it is well worth spending a few minutes to decide which solution best meets one’s needs, in order to take full advantage of everything an electric striker plate can do.

>> Have a look at the catalogue of Viro electric strikes