What is an Electronic Security Door?

An electronic security door is a security door with electronic features, ranging from electronic locks to remote control options. Security doors in general are heavy duty doors that are designed to provide safety and security. They can be used to control access to restricted areas, to secure buildings, and to create safe or panic rooms where people can shelter if they are threatened. These doors have a number of features that are designed to make them difficult to penetrate.

A typical security door is built from heavy, thick materials so it cannot be kicked in or cut open. Security doors may also be designed to be fireproof for extra safety. These doors have concealed hinges to prevent people from simply removing doors by their hinges, and heavy duty locks and strikeplates to make them difficult to open by interfering with the locking mechanism. Security doors are used in settings ranging from college dorms to weapons storage facilities.

An electronic security door has electronic features designed to enhance security and support security measures. Such doors can interface with a larger electronic security system. On the electronic security door itself, features like electronic keypads or biometric locks may be implemented. Electronic security doors can also be fitted with card swipes or radio frequency identification (RFID) locks. These features allow a facility to limit who is allowed to pass through the door.

Security doors can also be alarmed. These doors may send an automatic signal to a central control room whenever they are opened, and they are often equipped with cameras so that security officers can see who went through the door. The door also maintains logs indicating who opened the door and at what time. The security logs can be matched with camera records. If the electronic security door is forced or interfered with, alarms may sound remotely, as well as locally, depending on how the security system is organized.

Remote control of an electronic security door can include the ability to lock down the door, making it impossible for people to open, even if they are normally authorized. Security officers can also remotely open the door, as may be done in an emergency when first responders need to be able to get through the door as quickly as possible. Other remote control options can interface with fire control systems and other safety systems so that a door can be opened or locked down in the event of a fire, chemical spill, or other hazard. In facilities like laboratories where people work with hazardous materials, security doors are usually designed to lock down in the event of an incident to contain hazards until they can be cleaned up.