Universities have unique challenges when it comes to locking solutions. Here’s how Ojmar has met the precise needs of some of the UK’s leading institutions.

No more locker hogging
The University of Huddersfield recently invested £22.5m in new sports, catering and study facilities. Located in the city centre, the new building has limited space for lockers. Ojmar’s
brief therefore was to incorporate its OTS RFID keyless locking system into the students’ existing ID cards for ease of use, while maximising usage of the 200 lockers from TBS Fabrications. To prevent students from ‘hogging’ lockers, Ojmar programmed the ID cards to work for three hours ensuring lockers are available throughout the day.

Bath goes card-free
Renowned for its £30m Sports Training Village, the University of Bath has a huge membership and wanted to dispense with the use of cards for students. Ojmar’s OCS digital locks were installed on all new lockers and easily retrofitted to the Prospec Lockers already on site. The wipe clean locks are suitable for both poolside and dry areas. They are also easy to use with no keys or cards required. Users enter a four digit code to activate and deactivate the lock. The locks can be configured to open automatically after a set period of time to
prevent locker reservations. An LED shows which locks are in use to quickly identify which lockers are available, while the master key system allows staff to open and relock lockers if students forget their codes.

Catering for visiting sports teams
The prestigious University of Cambridge had two challenges to overcome at its new sports centre. The building plays host to a variety of visiting teams so issuing keys or wristbands to access lockers was not viable. Instead, Ojmar’s OCS digital locks provided the ideal solution in the team dressing rooms. The locks are robust to with stand heavy usage and users only need to enter a four digit code once to access the lockers provided by Prospec. The new locks mean the visiting sports teams don’t have to wear bands or carry keys, which not only increases safety, but also saves the university money on lost keys.

In the members’ changing areas, the university card is used to operate Ojmar’s OTS advanced locks. A simple one click operation allows users to activate and deactivate the lock by pressing their card against the nozzle. They can also check which locker they have used via an info terminal thus solving the problem of forgotten locker numbers.

The two systems have an audit trail in real time which is regularly used to check usage levels and to protect the Center from any suspicion of theft. Cards can be programmed at reception via a standalone programmer - a unit designed to record and read proximity cards - saving gym staff valuable time.

Simple locks, stunning design
Innovative locker design combines with a subtle locking system for maximum effect at Edge Hill University’s sports complex. The stunning bespoke glass lockers, supplied
by LFM, utilise Ojmar’s OTS basic locks providing a simple and attractive addition to the large glass fronted doors, which are brightly coloured to match the centre’s vibrant decor. Coloured wristbands access the lockers, and are also used to identify the centre’s different membership categories such as peak, off-peak, staff and students.

Other university projects in 2015 include:
• University of Birmingham
• Oxford Brookes University
• University of Derby
• University of Warwick
• St Andrews University