Lock families
The lock families catalogued here. Each page gives anatomy, the parameters you must measure with their tolerances, related standards, the retrofit architectures that work, and the known blockers.
All lock families
| Lock family | Regions | Data status | Retrofit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian deadlatch and deadlock | Australia, New Zealand | ⚠ needs review | Motor on a rim (surface-mounted) lock, Surface motor on a deadbolt turn-piece, Motor replacing the interior handle |
| Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) | Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands | ✓ verified | Motor on the thumb-turn, Electronics integrated in the cylinder, Motor replacing the interior handle |
| Indian mortise handle set, rim nightlatch and cylindrical lock | India, South Asia, diaspora hardware markets | ✓ verified | Electronics integrated in the cylinder, Motor replacing the interior handle, Motor on a rim (surface-mounted) lock, Full lock replacement on the same footprint |
| Japanese mortise case and cylinder (MIWA / GOAL style) | Japan | ⚠ needs review | Full lock replacement on the same footprint, Surface motor on a deadbolt turn-piece, Motor replacing the interior handle |
| Korean push-pull digital lock base (mortise) | South Korea, Japan (imported sets), Southeast Asia (imported sets) | ⚠ needs review | Full lock replacement on the same footprint, Motor replacing the interior handle |
| Multipoint locking system (uPVC / composite) | United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium | ✓ verified | Motor on the thumb-turn, Electronics integrated in the cylinder |
| Padlock, hasp and staple | Worldwide | ✓ verified | Motor on a rim (surface-mounted) lock |
| Rim nightlatch (surface-mounted) | United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand | ✓ verified | Motor on a rim (surface-mounted) lock, Surface motor on a deadbolt turn-piece |
| Singapore HDB main-door mortise set and metal gate lock | Singapore, Malaysia, Southern China | ⚠ needs review | Full lock replacement on the same footprint, Motor replacing the interior handle, Gate actuator (lever, chain or magnetic) |
| Singapore HDB metal security gate lock | Singapore, Malaysia | ✓ verified | Gate actuator (lever, chain or magnetic), Full lock replacement on the same footprint |
| 5-lever mortice deadlock (BS 3621) | United Kingdom, Ireland | ✓ verified | no clean path |
| UK oval cylinder (uPVC and composite doors) | United Kingdom, Ireland, Commonwealth hardware markets | ✓ verified | Motor on the thumb-turn, Electronics integrated in the cylinder |
| Bored lever or knob set (ANSI/BHMA A156.2) | United States, Canada, Mexico, Philippines | ✓ verified | Motor replacing the interior handle, Full lock replacement on the same footprint, Surface motor on a deadbolt turn-piece |
| Single-cylinder deadbolt (ANSI/BHMA A156.36) | United States, Canada | ✓ verified | Surface motor on a deadbolt turn-piece, Motor replacing the interior handle |
| Mortise lockset (ANSI/BHMA A156.13) | United States, Canada, commercial buildings worldwide | ✓ verified | Full lock replacement on the same footprint, Motor replacing the interior handle |
Australia
- Australian deadlatch and deadlock — A surface deadlatch with a key outside and a knob or slide inside, plus a separate deadlock on many doors. Mechanically close to the UK nightlatch but with its own case geometry and a strong local brand ecosystem.
- Rim nightlatch (surface-mounted) — A surface-mounted case on the inside of the door with a cylinder through the door face. Pulling the inside knob retracts the latch; the outside is key-only. Universally fitted, cheap, and mechanically simple — but the case geometry varies more than any other family.
Austria
- Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) — The most standardised lock family on earth. A 17 mm × 33 mm profile cylinder sits in a mortise case built to DIN 18251, driven by an 8 mm square spindle, with a 72 mm centre distance on interior doors. If you design one adapter well, you cover most of continental Europe.
Belgium
- Multipoint locking system (uPVC / composite) — One cylinder and one handle drive hooks and rollers at three or more points along the door edge through a gearbox. The handle must be lifted to throw the bolts, which is the fact that breaks most naive retrofit motors.
Canada
- Bored lever or knob set (ANSI/BHMA A156.2) — Two bores: a 2-1/8 in cross bore through the face for the knob, and an edge bore for the latch. Dimensions are so consistent that a retrofit can be designed blind — backset 2-3/8 in or 2-3/4 in covers almost everything.
- Single-cylinder deadbolt (ANSI/BHMA A156.36) — A separate round lock above the handle: key outside, thumb-turn inside, 1 in bolt throw. It is the single most retrofit-friendly lock in the world because the thumb-turn is accessible, standardised, and the door is already drilled.
- Mortise lockset (ANSI/BHMA A156.13) — The commercial workhorse: a large case in a pocket in the door edge, with a huge function catalogue (passage, entry, classroom, storeroom, exit). Retrofit means understanding the function, not just the dimensions.
China (imported hardware)
- Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) — The most standardised lock family on earth. A 17 mm × 33 mm profile cylinder sits in a mortise case built to DIN 18251, driven by an 8 mm square spindle, with a 72 mm centre distance on interior doors. If you design one adapter well, you cover most of continental Europe.
commercial buildings worldwide
- Mortise lockset (ANSI/BHMA A156.13) — The commercial workhorse: a large case in a pocket in the door edge, with a huge function catalogue (passage, entry, classroom, storeroom, exit). Retrofit means understanding the function, not just the dimensions.
Commonwealth hardware markets
- UK oval cylinder (uPVC and composite doors) — The cylinder on most British uPVC and composite doors. It is oval rather than round-profiled, sits in a multipoint gearbox, and is the component that gets snapped by attackers — which is why TS007 star ratings exist.
diaspora hardware markets
- Indian mortise handle set, rim nightlatch and cylindrical lock — India is the clearest example of why a retrofit cannot be designed per country. Three incompatible interfaces share one market: a euro-profile mortise set with a 50 mm backset, a rim nightlatch with a 69 mm backset, and a cylindrical lock with a 60 mm backset. A single adapter library has to cover all three, and the backsets do not overlap.
export hardware worldwide
- Bored lever or knob set (ANSI/BHMA A156.2) — Two bores: a 2-1/8 in cross bore through the face for the knob, and an edge bore for the latch. Dimensions are so consistent that a retrofit can be designed blind — backset 2-3/8 in or 2-3/4 in covers almost everything.
Germany
- Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) — The most standardised lock family on earth. A 17 mm × 33 mm profile cylinder sits in a mortise case built to DIN 18251, driven by an 8 mm square spindle, with a 72 mm centre distance on interior doors. If you design one adapter well, you cover most of continental Europe.
India
- Indian mortise handle set, rim nightlatch and cylindrical lock — India is the clearest example of why a retrofit cannot be designed per country. Three incompatible interfaces share one market: a euro-profile mortise set with a 50 mm backset, a rim nightlatch with a 69 mm backset, and a cylindrical lock with a 60 mm backset. A single adapter library has to cover all three, and the backsets do not overlap.
Ireland
- Multipoint locking system (uPVC / composite) — One cylinder and one handle drive hooks and rollers at three or more points along the door edge through a gearbox. The handle must be lifted to throw the bolts, which is the fact that breaks most naive retrofit motors.
- Rim nightlatch (surface-mounted) — A surface-mounted case on the inside of the door with a cylinder through the door face. Pulling the inside knob retracts the latch; the outside is key-only. Universally fitted, cheap, and mechanically simple — but the case geometry varies more than any other family.
- 5-lever mortice deadlock (BS 3621) — A lever lock keyed from both sides, with no cylinder at all: the key moves the levers directly through a keyhole in the faceplate. BS 3621 certification requires at least five levers, hardplates and a 20 mm bolt throw. Retrofit is hard here — there is no cylinder and no spindle to drive.
- UK oval cylinder (uPVC and composite doors) — The cylinder on most British uPVC and composite doors. It is oval rather than round-profiled, sits in a multipoint gearbox, and is the component that gets snapped by attackers — which is why TS007 star ratings exist.
Japan
- Japanese mortise case and cylinder (MIWA / GOAL style) — Japan has its own dominant makers and its own case geometry, with a backset commonly around 64 mm rather than the European 55/60 mm. Replacement parts are matched by maker part number far more often than by a published standard dimension.
Japan (imported sets)
- Korean push-pull digital lock base (mortise) — The design language that dominated Asian smart locks for a decade: a tall push-pull handle set replacing an entire mortise lock set. It is a full-replacement architecture, so the retrofit problem is not adapters — it is the lock case matrix.
Malaysia
- Singapore HDB main-door mortise set and metal gate lock — A two-door entrance: a fire-rated timber main door with a mortise lock set, and a metal security gate with its own latch. Most Singaporean retrofits are full lock replacements sized to the existing mortise, and the constraint nobody expects is the clearance between the door handle and the gate handle.
- Singapore HDB metal security gate lock — The second door of a Singaporean entrance, and the one that defeats most smart-lock products. It is a metal gate, not a door: bars instead of a leaf, no mortise pocket, exposure to weather, and a main door sitting only tens of millimetres behind it. Everything that works on a timber door has to be re-derived here.
Mexico
- Bored lever or knob set (ANSI/BHMA A156.2) — Two bores: a 2-1/8 in cross bore through the face for the knob, and an edge bore for the latch. Dimensions are so consistent that a retrofit can be designed blind — backset 2-3/8 in or 2-3/4 in covers almost everything.
Middle East
- Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) — The most standardised lock family on earth. A 17 mm × 33 mm profile cylinder sits in a mortise case built to DIN 18251, driven by an 8 mm square spindle, with a 72 mm centre distance on interior doors. If you design one adapter well, you cover most of continental Europe.
Netherlands
- Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) — The most standardised lock family on earth. A 17 mm × 33 mm profile cylinder sits in a mortise case built to DIN 18251, driven by an 8 mm square spindle, with a 72 mm centre distance on interior doors. If you design one adapter well, you cover most of continental Europe.
- Multipoint locking system (uPVC / composite) — One cylinder and one handle drive hooks and rollers at three or more points along the door edge through a gearbox. The handle must be lifted to throw the bolts, which is the fact that breaks most naive retrofit motors.
New Zealand
- Australian deadlatch and deadlock — A surface deadlatch with a key outside and a knob or slide inside, plus a separate deadlock on many doors. Mechanically close to the UK nightlatch but with its own case geometry and a strong local brand ecosystem.
- Rim nightlatch (surface-mounted) — A surface-mounted case on the inside of the door with a cylinder through the door face. Pulling the inside knob retracts the latch; the outside is key-only. Universally fitted, cheap, and mechanically simple — but the case geometry varies more than any other family.
Nordics
- Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) — The most standardised lock family on earth. A 17 mm × 33 mm profile cylinder sits in a mortise case built to DIN 18251, driven by an 8 mm square spindle, with a 72 mm centre distance on interior doors. If you design one adapter well, you cover most of continental Europe.
- Multipoint locking system (uPVC / composite) — One cylinder and one handle drive hooks and rollers at three or more points along the door edge through a gearbox. The handle must be lifted to throw the bolts, which is the fact that breaks most naive retrofit motors.
Philippines
- Bored lever or knob set (ANSI/BHMA A156.2) — Two bores: a 2-1/8 in cross bore through the face for the knob, and an edge bore for the latch. Dimensions are so consistent that a retrofit can be designed blind — backset 2-3/8 in or 2-3/4 in covers almost everything.
Singapore
- Singapore HDB main-door mortise set and metal gate lock — A two-door entrance: a fire-rated timber main door with a mortise lock set, and a metal security gate with its own latch. Most Singaporean retrofits are full lock replacements sized to the existing mortise, and the constraint nobody expects is the clearance between the door handle and the gate handle.
- Singapore HDB metal security gate lock — The second door of a Singaporean entrance, and the one that defeats most smart-lock products. It is a metal gate, not a door: bars instead of a leaf, no mortise pocket, exposure to weather, and a main door sitting only tens of millimetres behind it. Everything that works on a timber door has to be re-derived here.
South Asia
- Indian mortise handle set, rim nightlatch and cylindrical lock — India is the clearest example of why a retrofit cannot be designed per country. Three incompatible interfaces share one market: a euro-profile mortise set with a 50 mm backset, a rim nightlatch with a 69 mm backset, and a cylindrical lock with a 60 mm backset. A single adapter library has to cover all three, and the backsets do not overlap.
South Korea
- Korean push-pull digital lock base (mortise) — The design language that dominated Asian smart locks for a decade: a tall push-pull handle set replacing an entire mortise lock set. It is a full-replacement architecture, so the retrofit problem is not adapters — it is the lock case matrix.
Southeast Asia
- Rim nightlatch (surface-mounted) — A surface-mounted case on the inside of the door with a cylinder through the door face. Pulling the inside knob retracts the latch; the outside is key-only. Universally fitted, cheap, and mechanically simple — but the case geometry varies more than any other family.
Southeast Asia (imported sets)
- Korean push-pull digital lock base (mortise) — The design language that dominated Asian smart locks for a decade: a tall push-pull handle set replacing an entire mortise lock set. It is a full-replacement architecture, so the retrofit problem is not adapters — it is the lock case matrix.
Southern China
- Singapore HDB main-door mortise set and metal gate lock — A two-door entrance: a fire-rated timber main door with a mortise lock set, and a metal security gate with its own latch. Most Singaporean retrofits are full lock replacements sized to the existing mortise, and the constraint nobody expects is the clearance between the door handle and the gate handle.
Switzerland
- Euro profile cylinder in a mortise case (DIN) — The most standardised lock family on earth. A 17 mm × 33 mm profile cylinder sits in a mortise case built to DIN 18251, driven by an 8 mm square spindle, with a 72 mm centre distance on interior doors. If you design one adapter well, you cover most of continental Europe.
United Kingdom
- Multipoint locking system (uPVC / composite) — One cylinder and one handle drive hooks and rollers at three or more points along the door edge through a gearbox. The handle must be lifted to throw the bolts, which is the fact that breaks most naive retrofit motors.
- Rim nightlatch (surface-mounted) — A surface-mounted case on the inside of the door with a cylinder through the door face. Pulling the inside knob retracts the latch; the outside is key-only. Universally fitted, cheap, and mechanically simple — but the case geometry varies more than any other family.
- 5-lever mortice deadlock (BS 3621) — A lever lock keyed from both sides, with no cylinder at all: the key moves the levers directly through a keyhole in the faceplate. BS 3621 certification requires at least five levers, hardplates and a 20 mm bolt throw. Retrofit is hard here — there is no cylinder and no spindle to drive.
- UK oval cylinder (uPVC and composite doors) — The cylinder on most British uPVC and composite doors. It is oval rather than round-profiled, sits in a multipoint gearbox, and is the component that gets snapped by attackers — which is why TS007 star ratings exist.
United States
- Bored lever or knob set (ANSI/BHMA A156.2) — Two bores: a 2-1/8 in cross bore through the face for the knob, and an edge bore for the latch. Dimensions are so consistent that a retrofit can be designed blind — backset 2-3/8 in or 2-3/4 in covers almost everything.
- Single-cylinder deadbolt (ANSI/BHMA A156.36) — A separate round lock above the handle: key outside, thumb-turn inside, 1 in bolt throw. It is the single most retrofit-friendly lock in the world because the thumb-turn is accessible, standardised, and the door is already drilled.
- Mortise lockset (ANSI/BHMA A156.13) — The commercial workhorse: a large case in a pocket in the door edge, with a huge function catalogue (passage, entry, classroom, storeroom, exit). Retrofit means understanding the function, not just the dimensions.
Worldwide
- Padlock, hasp and staple — The oldest interface on this site and still the most common lock on outbuildings, gates and shutters. Retrofit here is not about the lock at all — it is about the hasp, the staple diameter and the weather.