To help you understand all the technical terms of locksmithing, here is our expert glossary: 30 essential terms defined simply by our technical team.
- A2P
- French certification standard for the burglary resistance of cylinders and locks, issued by the CNPP. Three levels: 1, 2 and 3 stars.
- Anti-bumping
- Protection mechanism against "bumping", a technique that mimics the effect of lock picking by striking a specially cut key.
- Anti-pick
- Mechanical protection against the cylinder being opened by manual picking.
- Anti-drill
- Hardened metal pins or inserts that prevent the plug from being drilled and the cylinder from being extracted.
- Door set
- Complete assembly of entrance door, frame, lock and cylinder, certified as a whole (A2P BP1, BP2, BP3).
- Key registration card
- Personal document supplied with a high-security cylinder, required to have keys copied. Your safeguard against unauthorised copying.
- Cylinder
- Pin mechanism, operated with the key, that actuates the lock. The European DIN 18252 format is the most common in France.
- Thumbturn cylinder
- Cylinder with an inside thumbturn, so you can lock and unlock from inside without a key.
- Cylinder with emergency function
- Cylinder that can be opened from outside even when a key has been left in on the inside.
- Half cylinder
- Single-sided cylinder, used on doors that do not require access from outside (cellars, plant rooms).
- Latch
- Bevelled bolt of the lock that retracts automatically as the door closes.
- Door frame
- Fixed frame of the door, into which the deadbolt locks.
- Mortice (lock case)
- Lock case housed within the thickness of the door, as opposed to a "rim" lock.
- Roller
- Rolling component on some multipoint bolts that locks into the strike plate.
- Strike plate
- Metal part fixed to the door frame that receives the bolts of the lock.
- Pin
- Tiny cylinder inside the plug that the key must position precisely to allow the plug to turn.
- Multipoint
- Lock fitted with several bolts that lock simultaneously (3, 5 or 7 points). Greater security against force applied to the door.
- Master key system
- Cylinder plan with a hierarchy of access rights: grand master key, sub-master keys, individual keys. Used in residential buildings, hotels and other buildings.
- Key bit
- Working part of the key that moves the bolt in an older-style lock (as opposed to the euro profile).
- Master key
- Key that operates several cylinders within a master key system.
- Deadbolt
- Mechanical bolt that can only be retracted by turning the key. Deep locking.
- Euro profile
- DIN 18252 standard for cylinders in Europe, used by most modern residential cylinders.
- Unauthorised copying
- Copying a key without presenting the key registration card. Possible with non-certified keys, impossible with A2P 2★ and 3★.
- Shrouded rim lock
- Rim lock with a vertical decorative cover concealing the locking points.
- Rim lock
- Lock whose case is surface-mounted on the inside face of the door (as opposed to a mortice lock).
- SRA / FUB
- Certification standards specific to bike locks, recognised by bicycle insurers.
- Tibbe
- Type of car key (flat). Outside Cléferm's scope.
- Vigik
- French access control system for residential buildings. Fobs programmed with time-limited access for couriers and tradespeople.
- XBlock™
- Proprietary Abus anti-drill insert technology, featured on the Bravus range.
- Rotating disc
- Abloy cylinder technology based on rotating discs (rather than pins), renowned as virtually unpickable.
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