Rotary latches have been around for quite some time in the form of door and boot latches on cars, vans, trucks and many other forms of transport. Rotary latches offer many benefits over other systems used in manufacturing including: design flexibility, improved vandal resistance, low cost and great strength.

Southco rotary latches come in a variety of designs, but all consist of the latch body with a two pronged cam which rotates to latch onto a mating post when the door is closed. Normally the latch will be attached to the door and the post to the door frame – but this setup can be reversed if required.  Gaskets can be accommodated to produce a tightly fitting and rattle free closure. The beauty of a rotary latch application is that there is no sign of the latch on the exterior of the door, making rotary latches resistant to vandals and other unwanted visitors.

Rotary latches are normally operated by a remote actuator joined to the latch with a cable. As the actuator can be positioned from a few centimetres to several metres from the latch the designer cane actuator can be located almost anywhere he or she prefers. This means that doors can be left with no visible signs of door hardware. Depending on the type of actuator used up to two latches can be operated with just one actuator, which allows simple to assemble and flexible multipoint designs to be produced.

Southco makes the design and specification of rotary latch systems easy by providing a range of latches in steel and stainless steel, plus a selection of actuators, cables and associated hardware – all from a single source.

For more demanding actuation requirements Southco also offers a range of electronic rotary latches – again complete with a range of actuators electrical cables and if required power supplies available. All components are designed to work together in almost any combination using the Southco plug and play fittings.

Electronic rotary latches allow complex and highly secure multi-latch applications to be designed. Southco latch systems have been designed into applications such as PUDO (pick up drop off) lockers as increasingly used by large mail order companies, personal lockers for employees in factories and shops, computer racks in data centres, access to equipment lockers on vans and lorries as well as providing fast secure access to home delivery vehicles.

Access options include key pads, RF proximity cards, electronic keys, remote controls and USB computer control. Electronic rotary latches offer maximum design option and security whilst simplifying the issue of key control when a large number of users need to have access – or be denied it if required.

If you would like your own Rotary Access and Electronic Access product Guides drop us a line at [email protected]  or visit our web page here

About Zygology Ltd
With nearly 40 years of experience Zygology is the country's largest distributor for POP Avdel and Southco; and lead distributor for PEM in the UK. We are in addition the UK distribution hub for Masterfix fasteners and tooling. We have in-house repair facilities for POP Avdel and Masterfix tools. Zygology Ltd has an in depth knowledge of the products we sell and how they can be best incorporated into yours. We will always give the best advice we can – even if this sometimes means that we end up recommending a competing technology. We combine friendly service with competitive prices and excellent stock availability.