Round profile cylinder with new patented actuator technology expands the KESO Integra product portfolio

“Euroswiss mechatronic cylinders available in Switzerland until now always had to be adapted to the required Euroswiss profile with time- and cost-intensive milling in the door leaf due to the different mass and, in our experience, people were reluctant to install them for this reason,” reports Erwin Stump, Product Manager Mechatronic Locking Systems at ASSA ABLOY (Schweiz) AG regarding the initial considerations on the development of the new KESO Integra round profile cylinder. Some Euroswiss cylinders with a knob also had to be disassembled into small parts before the final installation on the door in order to fit the cable connection in the cylinder to the relevant profile length. “The existing systems were no longer up-to-date, were complicated and inflexible. This is why we began looking for a round cylinder solution that both corresponds to the high technological quality standard of KESO Integra mechatronics and also offers the most compact electronic unit possible, which could preferably be handled without tools”, continues Stump.

Compact electronic unit with innovative actuator technology

For the new round profile cylinder model, ASSA ABLOY developed a completely new actuator technology, which combines the mechanical and electronic request in the cylinder in an extremely compact design. Two contact pins connect the motor connection of the actuator with a second connection for the cylinder. The actuator blocks the rotor reliably until the additional electronic contact closes the circuit with an access-authorised key, thus reliably triggering the opening mechanism. The entire actuator technology was also integrated compact and vertical in the cylinder, making the KESO Integra round profile cylinder the first of its kind to be available in a 22 millimetre design.

Flexible modular system with four cylinder variants

Further unique selling points of the new round profile cylinder include its flexible, modular cylinder variants and the cable routing. The cylinder model is available in four variants. A half cylinder with electronic unit installed in the faceplate is available, along with the double cylinder and knob variants, which can either be installed with the electronics mounted on the door leaf or with compact electronics in the faceplate. On the fourth version with a thumbturn, the electronics is installed completely and compactly in the knob to enable easier maintenance. The thumbturn cylinder is also the only round cylinder available on the market with turn-lock fastener, which has no screw connection or bayonet fitting.

Existing mechatronic systems previously needed a separate cable in the relevant length for all conventional cylinder length versions. The pluggable and extremely installation-friendly flex cable of the KESO Integra round profile cylinder requires no tools thanks to an innovative mechanism and can be extended and shortened without replacing the cable. This is made possible by the patented double stop, which enables the flex to be adjusted to the correct length when the deflecting strip is inserted. The simple plug connection of the flex cable means that all four cylinder versions can be extended or shortened easily on-site. With the additional option of shortening or extending the profiles in 5 millimetre increments (up to a maximum of 97.5 millimetres per cylinder side), the round profile cylinders also offer the advantage that they can be adjusted to any common door leaf thickness. The metal guide in the bottom part of the cylinder provides additional protection for the cable during installation and against tampering.

Contact-based cylinder for maximum security

The new round profile cylinder completes the KESO Integra cylinder family for internal and external doors. The system can also be used without restrictions in security fittings or security escutcheons, as the communication between the cylinder and Dual RFID key takes place contact-based. This makes the new KESO Integra cylinder ideal for reliable use in doors of higher security classes (RC3/RC4) in combination with security fittings. Every KESO Integra key fits - it just has to be assigned the relevant access authorisation. The KESO Integra cylinders are designed for LEGIC advant and for MIFARE DESFire technology depending on the requirements.

State-of-the-art technology

It goes without saying that the new, patented electronics for the 22 millimetre round profile cylinder corresponds to the latest KESO Integra technology. The data transfer between a KESO Integra key, reader and door takes place extremely quickly thanks to the 13.56 MHz Dual RFID technologies LEGIC advant or MIFARE DESFire. The AES 128bit encryption of all data, on the other hand, ensures that the transfer can not be monitored and intercepted for tampering attempts. KESO Integra uses a contact-based key as ID in the new cylinder, which enables direct and reliably secure connection between the key and cylinder. These Dual-Interface keys can be used for other cylinder types in the product range, both contact-based (Integra mechatronic or mechanical cylinders) and contactless (fittings, readers and digital cylinders). The new round profile cylinders are also LEGIC advant and MIFARE DESFire-compatible. They can be used from the stand alone to the online and offline solution as a NOK system (Network on Key). 

The new round profile cylinder can be ordered from July 2020 and will be available from September 2020.