Sargent 8200 Series Ecoflex Mortise Lock: Benefits for the End-User

The patent pending Sargent 8200 Series Ecoflex™ technology is an energy efficient electrified mortise lock. The 8200 Series mortise locks meet or exceed the ANSI/BHMA A156.13 Grade 1 requirements and is UL listed.

Sargent Ecoflex electrified models operate from 12-24VDC and can be field configured to operate in the Fail Secure or Fail Safe modes. The 8200 Series Ecoflex locking mechanism incorporates a low current draw high DC motor linked to the locking piece assembly. The motor’s location is in direct alignment with the latch retraction hub slot. Positioning the locking mechanism to operate in a direct line helps to minimize mechanical force and ensure minimum power requirements. This is beneficial for efficiently operating electrified lock and reducing the potential for wear.

When locked, the locking piece assembly extends into the slot in the exterior latch retraction hub. In this condition, the outside lever cannot retract the latch because the hub is locked in place. When unlocked, the locking piece assembly is not in the hub slot and the outside lever can retract the latch. In the standard configuration, the inside lever can always retract the latch.  Some configurations prevent the inside and outside levers from retracting the latch when locked.

For electronic Fail Safe operation, the lock is in the unlocked condition when not energized. When powered, the locking piece assembly extends into the hub slot, preventing the exterior lever from retracting the latch. To unlock the lock mechanism, power is removed and the motor slides the locking piece assembly out of the slot. In this condition the outside lever of the mortise lock is unlocked.

For electronic Fail Secure operation, the lock is in the locked condition when not energized. When powered, the motor retracts the locking piece assembly from the hub slot, permitting the lever to retract the latch. When power is removed, the locking piece assembly slides into the hub slot, locking the outside lever.

The Ecoflex design features a unique custom shaped circuit board that connects the non-contact switching mechanisms and capacitor to the motor assembly. The inside of the mortise lock cover is partially machined to accommodate this circuit board within the body. The field replaceable wiring harness exits the rear of the body helping to ensure against crimped or broken wires.

For this article, I was provided an Ecoflex mortise lock, mount and hardware. Built on an 8200 Series body, the Ecoflex can be retrofit to any later model Sargent including the 7800, 8200 and 9200 series mortise locks. The Ecoflex is available as a single or double cylinder without deadbolt. Deadbolt functionality is available upon request.

An interesting design addition to the Ecoflex mortise lock is a spring steel clamp securing two hub covers that appear to keep the hubs centered and in the neutral position. This helps to eliminate lever sag issues and reduce friction. With the hubs in the neutral position, less energy is required to keep the mortise lock in the desired state.

The important feature of the Ecoflex mortise lock is the low power draw of the electric motor to change the condition of the lock from locked to unlocked or unlocked to locked.

Before we get into the specifics, a couple of basics need to be discussed. When any electrical appliance is plugged into a 120VAC outlet, there is current draw. This is idling (standby) power, electricity used by electrical equipment (load) while it is not performing its primary function. When the load is not in operation, for example, an electrified device in the Fail Safe configuration, power is going to the lock's circuitry even though it is not functioning. This amount of power varies by the device itself.

For our purposes, we will use milliamps as a way to compare the power consumption for both the idling and operation from the 120VAC input and the operation of the 24VDC output.

Most hardwired access control locking devices installed by locksmiths/security professionals operate on 24VDC. For this article, I used a Securitron AccuPower AQD3 Switching Power Supply with battery charger/backup to obtain the power requirements for the Sargent Ecoflex mortise lock. The AccuPower provides filtered and regulated 12/24VDC power that delivers up to 1.4 Amps at 24VDC continuous. This Class 2 power limited output power supply has self-setting circuit breakers for overcurrent, thermal runaway and reverse battery hookup and is surge protected at the AC input and DC output. This UL/ULC Listed power supply is made in the USA and covered by the MagnaCare Lifetime Replacement No Fault Warranty.

To determine the energy consumption of the power supply and the Ecoflex mortise lock, we used three pieces of electronic technology - an oscilloscope, current clamp meter and multimeter. 

An oscilloscope is used to change measured voltages into displayed stable waveforms, permitting extraction of features including rise time, pulse width and amplitude. The oscilloscope was used to determine the surge as the Ecoflex motor was powered and when power was removed.

The Ecoflex had a double surge. The first was 156 milliamps for 38 milliseconds, powering the circuit to retract the latch. The second surge was 420 milliamps for 47 milliseconds, charging the capacitor to reverse the motor operation and extend the latch. The short duration of the double surge does not have an overall affect on operation and energy expended.

A current clamp meter is a measuring instrument that has two contacting jaws which open to surround an electrical conductor (wire), without having to make physical contact with it. When the jaws are closed, the electrical current properties in the conductor can be measured. For this article, the current clamp meter provided the milliamp draw of the load from the 120VAC conductor with just the AQD3 connected and then with the Ecoflex mortise lock connected.

The current clamp meter surrounding the 120VAC conductor measured a six milliamp @ 120VAC draw when the AQD3 power supply was powered. With the Ecoflex connected to the power supply, the current clamp meter measured nine milliamps @ 120VAC.

A multimeter also known as a VOM (Volt-Ohm meter) is a measuring instrument for measuring voltage, current, resistance, etc. For this article, the multimeter provided the milliamp holding force used by the Ecoflex at 24VDC.

The Ecoflex draws 14.74 milliamps holding force at 24VDC. The earlier model of the Sargent electrified mortise lock is equipped with a 500 milliamp rated solenoid at 24VDC. The Ecoflex equipped mortise lock provides a significant power reduction from the solenoid-equipped models.

The type and quality of the power supply is extremely important. An inexpensive or improper power supply can significantly increase the amount of power used by the Ecoflex mortise lock.

The Securitron AQD3 Power Supply is a switching type of power supply. If a linear type of power supply was used to power the Ecoflex, the significant power saving could be more than offset by the idling power draw. For example, a linear power supply can have a 20 to 50 milliamp idling power draw, resulting in significant power consumption.

Using the Securitron AQD3 to power up to three Fail Safe-configured Ecoflex mortise locks , can save the property owner money on operating expenses. This can be a significant savings when making full use of a switching power supply capacity.

For more information, contact your local locksmith distributor or visit www.intelligentopenings.com/Ecoflex.