How to Place a First Smart Lock Order Without Wasting a Quarter
The sequence that turns a first order into a repeat programme.
Read the article →Working With Door Manufacturers on Smart Locks
For a door manufacturer the lock is a component rather than a product. It goes into something you already build, so the specification is driven by your jig and your assembly sequence, not by what sells on a shelf.
Work from the drawing, not a product photograph
Three dimensions decide whether a lock assembles: bore position, backset and door thickness. Get those three right and the lock becomes a line item rather than a project.
Swipe the table sideways to see the full specification →
| Bore position | Where the spindle and the keyhole sit on the door face |
|---|---|
| Backset | From the door edge to the centre line |
| Door thickness | Measured in millimetres, and consistent across the run |
| Handing | Read from the hinge side, and it cannot be changed after production |
Matching an existing preparation
Where the door is already jigged, the lock has to suit the hole. Send the drawing or the jig dimensions and we confirm the fit in writing, then sample before the production run.
- A dimensioned drawing in PDF, DWG, DXF or STEP
- Or the jig itself, measured
- Or an existing lock that already fits, which we measure
- Plus a note of which dimensions are fixed and which can move
Setting keying during production
Keyed-alike and master-key plans can be applied while the lock is assembled, which removes a re-keying step from your line. The key plan has to exist before production, because it is applied there rather than afterwards.
Swipe the table sideways to see the full specification →
| Keyed alike | One key for a defined group of doors |
|---|---|
| Master key | One key opens the group; the group opens individually |
| Applied at assembly | No re-keying step on your line |
| What we need | The key plan, by door model or by production batch |
Packing for the line, not the shelf
A production line does not need shelf-ready colour boxes. Bulk or line-feed packing is cheaper and faster to handle, and the carton marking is set to whatever your line needs.
- Bulk packed by model, with the quantity per carton agreed
- Line-feed orientation if your handling equipment needs it
- Carton marking matched to your internal part numbers
- Fixings and templates packed so the line does not have to sort them
Delivery against the production schedule
Where your line consumes in a rhythm, we ship to that rhythm rather than sending one large delivery that has to be stored. The schedule is agreed at quote stage.
Keeping the file for the next batch
Swipe the table sideways to see the full specification →
| Confirmed dimensions | Bore, backset, thickness and handing, kept on file |
|---|---|
| First article | Measured against the drawing before the run continues |
| Key plan | Kept with the specification |
| Repeat batch | Runs against the same frozen specification |
The one error that stops a line is a mounting hole that does not match the jig. It is prevented by working from the drawing and sampling, not by reading a specification sheet.
Buyer Questions
Three questions this guide usually raises.
On this topic
Can you match our existing door preparation?
Yes. Send the drawing or the jig dimensions and we confirm bore, backset, thickness and handing in writing, then sample before production.
Where does mismatching usually go wrong?
Almost always the bore or the backset, and almost always because the lock was chosen from a photograph rather than from the drawing.
Can you supply bulk-packed for our line?
Yes. Bulk or line-feed packing instead of retail packaging, with the carton marking your line needs.
Related Reading
How to Measure a Door for a Smart Lock: A Photo Guide
Five photos and three numbers are usually enough to confirm the fit.
Read the article →OEM Packaging for Smart Locks: From Artwork to Sealed Carton
The packaging is the part buyers underestimate, and the part that cannot be changed once it is printed.
Read the article →