Keyed Cam Lock

One Lock Point, Two Turning Parts

What catalogues call a cam lock is a cylinder inside a cylinder. The inner plug carries the keyway and a set of tumblers; the outer body stays fixed in the panel. When the correct key aligns the tumblers, the plug turns and a flat cam fixed to its rear sweeps around with it, catching or releasing behind the panel edge or a keeper. There is no bolt to throw and no strike to align - the panel itself does the latching, which is exactly why the cam's geometry matters more than the lock's strength rating.

Rotation is set by a stop: a quarter turn (90°) suits edge-latch panels, while a half turn (180°) suits hooked cams and drop-through keepers. On many designs, the key can be removed in one position only; on others, in both. Confirm this before ordering, because it decides whether an unlocked panel can be left half-open without the key.

Barrel Length: Matching the Keyed Cam Lock to the Panel

Barrel length is measured from under the mounting head to the end of the threaded shank, and it must span the panel plus everything stacked behind it - paint, gaskets, a sub-panel, a trim ring - and still leave thread for the retaining nut. Stock barrels are commonly graded in 5 mm steps from roughly 15 mm to 60 mm to cover typical sheet and door builds. A barrel too short bottoms out before the nut clamps the panel; one too long leaves exposed thread that a spanner can grip. Measure the stack under clamp pressure, not the loose sheet.

Diameter follows the same logic. The 19 mm and 20 mm bodies dominate the market because they drop into holes punched by standard tooling; specifying a cam lock in an uncommon diameter on a replacement job usually means re-tooling the hole, not just swapping the part. For new designs, pick the diameter your hole-making process already handles and let the cam carry the load differences.

Cam Styles: Straight, Hooked, and Offset

The cam is the working end of the assembly, and stock parts offer more variety here than in any other dimension. A straight cam is the default: its tip sweeps behind the door edge or into a keeper and holds in shear. A hooked cam drops through a slot and traps, which suits sliding or lift-off panels. An offset cam bends the grip line away from the barrel axis for shallow doors and raised trim. Cam length should give a comfortable overlap of the frame - in practice 10–20 mm of engagement - and rotation direction (clockwise or counterclockwise to lock) must be stated on the drawing, not assumed.

Keying Decisions: Alike, Different, or Passed

Keying is a fleet decision disguised as a product option. Keyed alike means one key pattern opens every unit in a shipment - the right answer when service technicians carry the keys. Keyed different gives each panel its own pattern, which suits lockers and mailboxes in shared spaces. Where a supervisor needs access without holding every individual key, a master system layers a second cut level over the individual patterns. Many cam locks in stock ranges are offered with pre-cut key series numbered on the face; a custom order can match an existing series or start a new one.

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