Master Key Systems

A master system with high security locks ensures total peace of mind and low cost maintenance for both residents, building (domestic or commercial) and its owners/landlords.

Master keying is a tiered approach of key/lock manufacturing that enables restricted areas remain secure, whilst also granting access to specific people in case of emergencies or protocol. In a nutshell, you are able to permit/block access to specific parts of a building, all through a persons key.

The main benefit of a master key system is the increased safety, security and privacy provided by having different levels of access within the same building.

Master key systems also save money as, most often, a lost or unreturned key does not necessarily require you to change multiple locks. There is also reduction in the number of keys required as employees and residents don’t need multiple keys – they can access all, and only, the areas they need access to, all with the same key. You can see in the diagram below, the different levels of access a master key system can provide.

How does a Master Key system work?

A master key system is based on a sophisticated cylindrical lock. A cylindrical lock consists of two sets of pins; key pins and driver pins. The key pins are located on the lower level of the lock and are slightly raised when the ridges on a key touch them. The driver pins are located above the key pins and are raised when the key pins push against them. When the right key is inserted, the two sets of pins come together at the shear line or the centre ridgeline, and the lock is opened. A master key system has another pin in addition to the key and driver pins, called a master pin or master wafer. Any standard lock can be made into a master key system lock with the addition of the master wafer. It is located between the key and driver pins, forming two shear lines allowing two different keys, cut in a slightly different way, to work on the same lock.