Securitron M68 (L, S and LS with D and T Options) - Manual (Page 12)

PN# 500-21400
Page 12 Rev. B, 8/07
can make it more difficult to secure if it is stiff or rigid. Steel doors and most particularly solid
steel doors such as may be found in prisons, transmit impact much more effectively to the lock
and as such may be defeated by repeated leg blows or by charging the door. If the end user
has such doors and/or a security environment where such determined attacks can be foreseen
on the doors, it is his responsibility to ensure that the Magnalock’s strength is adequate for the
application. Selection of the model 68 is strongly recommended with another technique being
the use of multiple locks.
These Magnalocks have been carefully designed to be installed with the included fasteners
which substantially exceed the strength of the lock. If the installer substitutes for any of the
factory included fasteners or hardware for any reason, the strength capability of the
installation may be compromised. It should be noted that a key component to the successful
installation of this product is the sex bolt. The head of the sex bolt is the only part of the lock
assembly that is accessible to an attacker.
It is also vital when mounting the magnet (lock housing) into a metal frame to use the
included machine screws and steel blind nuts. An alternative technique has been to use sheet
metal screws which some installers feel is easier. This is extremely ill advised as the magnet
receives a torquing force each time that the door is closed, which over time will work the sheet
metal screws loose. It has been determined that sheet metal screws may be considered
acceptable, although not preferred, if the frame header is made of steel. Indeed this is
mandated when Securitron’s concrete header bracket is utilized. On an aluminum header
however, mounting with sheet metal screws is dangerous as the steel screw threads will
eventually tear through the relatively soft aluminum.
To fully complete an installation that maximizes the effectiveness of the included fasteners, the
thread locker compound (provided) should be used to prevent the threads from loosening over
time.
C. TROUBLESHOOTING
PROBLEM: No magnetic attraction between magnet and strike plate.
First be sure the Magnalock is being correctly powered with DC voltage. This includes
connecting the power wires with correct polarity. Positive must go to red and negative to
black. If the magnet body is wired in reverse polarity, it will not be damaged, but it will not
operate. If the unit continues to appear dead, it must be electrically checked with an
Ammeter. It must be powered with the correct input voltage and checked to see if it draws the
specified current. If the unit meters correctly, it is putting out the correct magnetic field and
the problem must lie in the mounting of the strike.
PROBLEM: Reduced holding force.
This problem usually expresses itself in terms of being able to kick the door open or to open it
with a shoulder. Check the strike and magnet face to see if some small obstruction is
interfering with a flat fit. Even a small air gap can greatly reduce the holding force. Another
possibility is if the strike plate has a dent on it from being dropped for example. Remove the
strike from the door and try to rock it on the magnet face to insure that it is flat. If the strike
and magnet are flat and clean, the cause is nearly always improper mounting of the strike in
that the strike is mounted too rigidly. The strike must be allowed to float around the rubber
washer stack which must be on the strike center mounting screw. The magnet then pulls it
into flat alignment. To correct the problem, try loosening the strike mounting screw to see if
the lock then holds properly. Another possibility is if you are operating the lock on AC instead
of DC or on half wave rectified DC (transformer + single diode). Half wave rectified DC is
unacceptable; you must at a minimum employ full wave rectified DC (transformer + bridge).
PROBLEM: The Senstat output does not report secure.
Because of the simplicity of Securitron’s patented Senstat design, this is almost always a case
of the lock status sensor doing its job. It is not reporting secure because a small obstruction
or a too stiffly mounted strike is causing the Magnalock to hold at a reduced force. The
problem is corrected by cleaning the surfaces of the magnet and strike (see Maintenance
Section 7) or establishing proper play in the strike mounting. If this does not work, you can
verify function of the Senstat feature as follows: Note that there are two (2) thin vertical lines
on the magnet face that can be said to separate the core into three (3) sections from left to