Access control (AC) is the selective restriction of entry into an area. Simply put, access control is the act of controlling access. The field of access control can describe both physical and information security fields.
An access control system consists of the equipment and software used to control access into an area. The system determines who is allowed to enter and exit a facility while also controlling where and when they can enter and exit.
ADA is an acronym that stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. This act was signed into law in July 1990 with the purpose of guaranteeing that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else. The ADA provides and enforces strict regulations for the access control industry.
An ADA Gate is a gate built in compliance with the Americans with disabilities Act (ADA) passed in 1990. The ADA requires gates to be at least 32 inches wide to accommodate those with physical disabilities. This extended width provides more room for those entering with wheelchairs or walkers.
Alerts are audio and visual signals. These signals are implemented on some turnstiles (especially optical) to alert attendants and users of unauthorized entry and lane status.
An arm cover is a padded sleeve that fits over the arm of a turnstile. An arm cover softens impacts between metal turnstile arms and users in the cases of misuse or system malfunction.
Arm length refers to the measured length of any given turnstile arm. The arm length is measured from the arm hub (connection point) to the tip of the arm.
A barrier-free turnstile is one that lacks physical restraints to entry. Instead, barrier free turnstiles utilize optical beams and optical beam detection equipment to sense when someone passes through them. Many optical turnstiles are barrier free.
A base plate is the bottom part of a turnstile cabinet that sits on the floor. To secure a turnstile, the base plate is bolted into the ground upon installation. Portable turnstiles have large, oblong base plates to stand steadily without needing to be bolted to the ground.
Bi-directional simply means something that can be accessed from two directions. A bi-directional turnstile or gate can be accessed both from entry and exit directions.
A cabinet is the part of a turnstile that houses the mechanism, arms, and all other accessories. It is what gives waist high turnstiles their tell-tale shape. Cabinets can be customized with one of many finish options including stainless steel and black powder coat.
Cabinet style refers to the finish, shape, and size of the cabinet used to assemble a turnstile.
Capacity is how quickly authorized individuals can enter a facility. Capacity is at a maximum when there are no access control systems implemented and is at a minimum in highly secure entryways.
A programmable method of entry through a turnstile that allows multiple registrations with access control prior to entering. This method of entry keeps barriers open as long as all users passing through are authorized. Card stacking allows for an increase in throughput in high traffic areas and combats the development of traffic jams at turnstiles.
A card reader is an electronic sensor that reads a magnetic strip or bar code on a specific card. Card readers can be integrated into access control systems with turnstiles or other gates. If presented with a card with the correct credentials, a card reader will send a signal to its corresponding turnstile or gate to unlock.
A full height turnstile can be set up to rotate clockwise, as opposed to rotating counterclockwise or bidirectionally.
Conduit openings are openings in a turnstile where primary power and other wiring feed into the turnstile. These conduit openings are usually on the underside of the baseplate of a turnstile cabinet to allow for wiring to be fed up from under the ground.
A counter, usually digital, can be attached to a turnstile cabinet and integrated with a turnstile’s mechanism plate to count either number or entries, exits, or both. Counters are great for admission counting and gathering data.
A full height turnstile can be set up to rotate counterclockwise, as opposed to rotating bidirectionally or clockwise.
Crawl detection is the practice of using infrared transmitters and receivers to detect when someone attempts to crawl over or crawl under a waist high turnstile.
Infrared transmitters and receivers placed above the arms of a waist high turnstile used to detect when someone attempts to crawl over turnstile arms and gain unauthorized access.
Infrared transmitters and receivers placed below the arms of a waist height turnstile used to detect when some individual attempts to crawl under turnstile arms and gain unauthorized access.
Having the proper credentials means having the proper clearance to pass through an access control system. One can check credentials through card readers and other forms of identification and access control.
A cut sheet, often also referred to as a spec sheet, provides and describes the specifications of a particular product.
Dry contact is a synonym for “volt free.” It refers to when an electronic circuit is not wetted with electricity flow. Dry contacts are used for readers to communicate with turnstiles. A dry contact is created in the communication between the reader and the turnstile solenoid to either lock or unlock the turnstile.
Optional electronic control that allows your turnstile to be integrated with third party access control software. Works with optical, waist high, swing gates, and full height turnstiles.
Electronic operation is one of the many options available when building a turnstile. This option includes a locking solenoid and an electronic interface board with adjustable time control.
Fail Safe is an option that forces a turnstile’s arms to unlock and spin freely in the event of a power outage or emergency.
Fail Secure is an option that locks a turnstile’s arms in the event of a power outage or emergency.
Flow can be defined as the number of individuals that travel through an access way during a given duration of time. Flow can be controlled with access control systems.
A framed glass gate is a gate with a swinging door made of glass. The glass is enclosed within a metal frame for added structural support and durability.
A frameless glass gate is a gate with a swinging door made of glass. Unlike a framed glass gate, a frameless glass gate lacks a metal frame around the glass. The frameless glass gate offers a sleek, modern look to fit today’s world.
Free egress means to exit freely. With access control systems, free egress means unrestricted exit through a turnstile, gate, or other access controlling barrier. Turnstiles and other access control system mechanisms are programmed to grant “free and unobstructed egress” in the event of an emergency by law as detailed in OSHA 1910.35. With a lack of free egress safeguards, an access control system runs the risk of trapping individuals during emergencies.
A full height turnstile is a turnstile that provides a floor to ceiling barrier to entry. Much like a revolving door, a full height turnstile operates in either clockwise, counterclockwise, or bi-directional passage. These are the most secure turnstiles because it is not possible for individuals to climb over or crawl under them.
A gate is a hinged barrier used to close an opening in a wall, fence, or access control setup.
Hayward Turnstiles, Inc. a family owned and operated manufacturer of turnstiles and other gates for access control. Hayward provides the industry’s only turnstiles manufactured to aircraft standards.
Hands-free is a feature included with motorized gates, where the gate opens and closes on its own without any human intervention.
A heel guard is a padded sleeve that fits on the lowest arms of a full height turnstile. Heel guards are used to protect against heel injuries.
A heel pad is a padded sleeve that fits on the lowest arms of a full height turnstile. Heel pads are used to protect against heel injuries.
Hidden Hinges are hinges designed to be hidden from view and to be tamper proof. These hinges are seen on some Hayward swing gates.
The hub of a turnstile is the fixture that connects the arms of a waist high turnstile to the mechanism of the turnstile. The three arms attach to the hub and the hub attaches to the mechanism.
Turnstiles use hydraulic shock suspension to control the speed at which the turnstile arms spin. The hydraulic shocks used in turnstile mechanisms can be adjusted so that arms spin slower or faster accordingly. Injuries would occur if the speed at which turnstile arms spin was not controlled for.
An impassable barrier is a barrier that cannot be breached. When locked, full height turnstiles act as impassable barriers because they span from floor to ceiling and do not provide any possible way around.
A lane is a passageway. Access control systems create lanes through which entry is controlled. For example, if you install 5 optical turnstiles, you have created 5 lanes.
A lane status indicator (LSI) is an indicator mounted on top of optical turnstiles. An LSI indicates if a lane is open or closed.
Lane width is defined as the width of the walkway through a turnstile or gate. Generally, a handicap accessible unit will have a larger lane width than a regular unit.
Turnstiles can be classified as either left or right handed. With waist high models, a turnstile is considered left-handed if the cabinet is on your left as you enter a facility from the outside. With full height models, a turnstile is considered left-handed if the arms rotate clockwise and you enter the cage on the left of the center post.
Locked entry is a turnstile mechanism configuration that is locked on entry into a facility. Credentials must be presented to enter the facility.
Locked exit is a turnstile mechanism configuration that is locked on exit from a facility. Credentials must be presented to exit the facility.
A loop arm is the arm of a loop arm turnstile that is shaped like a “D.”
A manned lobby is an area with a security guard, typically an entryway or lobby with access control systems. Manning a lobby is helpful for stopping access control problems such as piggybacking, tailgating, and vaulting access control systems.
A manual key override is a safeguard for access control systems. This feature unlocks one or both directions of passage in the system and is used in the case of system failure or emergency.
A mechanism plate is a steel plate upon which a turnstile or gate mechanism is fixed. The mechanism plate sits under a turnstile’s lid towards the top of the turnstile’s cabinet.
A motion sensor is a device used to detect moving objects, particularly people. These devices are often integrated with access control systems.
A motorized gate is a gate that opens and closes by the power of an internal motor.
One way swing usually refers to a gate that can only swing in one direction–entry or exit.
Optical beams are infrared electronic beams used in optical turnstiles. These beams detect whether an object has passed through a turnstile’s lane.
Utilizing optical beams, optical detection is the detection of breaks in the stream of infrared light to a receiver. If an optical beam is blocked from reaching its receiver, then an optical turnstile detects that an individual has passed through that turnstile’s lane.
An optical lane mounting platform is a platform used to install an optical turnstile without having to drill or cut into existing floors.
An optical turnstile is an access controlling device designed to restrict or control access to a building or secure area. Optical turnstiles operate similarly to regular mechanical turnstiles, except for the fact that they rely on infrared beams and audible/visual interfaces to control entry, as opposed to the physical restraint exhibited by mechanical turnstiles.
A cover for turnstile arms, usually foam, that protects against injury by softening the surface that comes into contact with users of the turnstile. (See “Safety Sleeve” for more information)
Picket style describes a gate with vertical railings that resemble a picket fence in appearance.
Piggybacking is when a person follows an authorized entrant through an access control point without having to check credentials. (See “tailgating” for a related controlled access problem)
A portable turnstile is a turnstile designed to move around with ease. These turnstiles are usually fitted with wheels so that when leaned over the turnstile can be rolled to a new location.
A post mount is a plate fixture used to mount the post of a gate or railing.
A power outage is a short-term or long-term loss of electrical power to a particular area. Turnstiles are designed to react to power outages in one of two different ways (see “fail safe” and “fail secure”)
A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electrical energy to an electrical load (a component that consumes electrical power).
Push button operation describes a system where a button is used to control electronic entry/exit into or out of a turnstile or gate.
Quality Control is a system of maintaining standards in manufactured products by testing a sample of the output against specific specifications.
Railing systems are steel barriers used for pedestrian access/queuing control.
Reader integration is the integration between an identification reader/verifier and a turnstile/gate.
Turnstiles can be classified as either left or right handed. With waist high models, a turnstile is considered right handed if the cabinet is on your right as you enter a facility from the outside. With full height models, a turnstile is considered right handed if the arms rotate counterclockwise and you enter the cage on the right upon entering a facility from the outside.
A safety sleeve is an accessory designed to fit over the arms of both waist high and full height turnstiles. The sleeves provide padding and protection by softening the surface of the arms to minimize injury and maximize the usability of turnstiles.
Self-closing refers to a gate that closes on its own.
A self-lubricated bearing is an oil impregnated bearing/bushing that provides a constant lubrication. No additional lubrication is necessary as the porous metal excretes lubrication perpetually.
A shock absorber is a hydraulic piston-like component of a turnstile mechanism that is used to control the rotation speed of turnstile arms
A solenoid is a transducer that converts electrical energy into linear motion. Simply, in an electric turnstile, a solenoid provides the motion needed to lock and unlock the gear that allows the turnstile to spin.
A sound card is a component implemented in optical turnstiles that creates and emits sounds. A sound card can be programmed to react to different scenarios, such as creating an alarm noise for unauthorized access or being silent for authorized access.
A stop post stops a swing gate from swinging in the opposite direction.
A strike plate is a piece of metal welded to the swing gate arm used to prevent the arm from swinging beyond the stop post.
A supervised environment is an environment where a guard is on watch. Supervised environments are recommended for barriers that can be easily circumvented or breached.
Swipe to enter is a card reading system where turnstiles or gates are fashioned with a card swipe (a type of card reader). The card swipe component grants access to those with the correct clearance and denies access to those without a swipe card.
Tailgating is a situation when another person, whether authorized or not, passes through an access control point without the knowledge of the person who has gained legitimate access to the controlled access point. (See “piggybacking” for related controlled access problems)
A tandem turnstile is a type of full height turnstile. Tandem turnstiles combine two full height turnstiles into one unit. In other words, they are full height turnstiles with two lanes each. Tandem full height turnstiles are perfect for saving space without sacrificing throughput and security.
Throughput is how quickly authorized individuals can enter a facility. Throughput is at a maximum when there are no access control systems implemented and is at a minimum in highly secure entryways.
A tripod turnstile is a waist high turnstile with three arms that can spin in one or two directions.
A turnstile is a type of gate that makes it possible to control entry and exit into and out of a specific location. A traditional turnstile consists of a set of 3 arms that extend horizontally from a post to act as a barrier to entry. These arms either rotate mechanically to allow entry or lock to restrict access. A turnstile can provide security, organize crowds, prevent losses from theft, and control access.
Two-way swing usually refers to a gate that can swing in two ways. Also know as bi-directional.
Voltage is a force that makes electricity move through a wire. It is measured in volts and is named after Alessandro Volta. Most turnstiles run on 24 volt DC, which can be converted from 110-240 volt AC.
A waist high turnstile is a turnstile with revolving horizontal arms protruding at waist height used to control access.
A turnstile or gate can be custom fitted to mount on an existing wall.
180 degrees is a classification given to a swing gate if the gate allows bi-directional passage. To allow bi-directional passage, the arms of the swing gate must turn 90 degrees in one direction as well as 90 degrees in the other direction, creating a total of 180-degrees of movement.
24 volt is a low voltage input used to power electronically operated turnstiles. Most electronically operated turnstiles come equipped with a power supply that converts 120V alternating current to the 24V direct current needed to power a turnstile, allowing users to power their turnstiles from ordinary wall outlets.
90 degrees is a classification given to a swing gate that only opens in one direction. A stop post is used to stop the motion of the swing arm of the gate so to ensure only 90 degrees of travel is achieved.