Cam Locks: Cabinets, Drawers, and Enclosures
A cam lock uses a keyed cylinder that rotates a metal tab (the cam) behind a fixed panel. One quarter-turn moves the cam from a locked position blocking the drawer or door to an open clearance slot. The format dominates office furniture, arcade cabinets, mailboxes, and electrical panels.
Cam locks are small, inexpensive, and easy to replace — but standard models offer limited pick resistance. They excel where convenience and keyed access control matter more than high-security defense.
Anatomy
The cylinder tailpiece attaches to a flat or offset cam. Cams come in various lengths and shapes — straight, hooked, or stepped — to match keeper slots in different manufacturers' furniture.
Key Types
Tubular, flat wafer, and pin tumbler cam locks coexist. Office furniture often uses interchangeable cores from major brands (HON, Steelcase-compatible sizes). Locksmiths stock cam length gauges for field replacement.
Security Level
Most cam locks resist casual opening but yield to picking or drilling in seconds compared to deadbolts. High-security cam cylinders exist for cash drawers and sensitive enclosures — usually with restricted keyways.
Installation
Cam locks install through a single circular hole in the panel face. The retaining clip or nut behind the panel fixes the body; cam rotation clearance must be verified before tightening.
When to Upgrade
Facilities migrating to electronic access sometimes replace cam banks with solenoid latches, but millions of metal filing cabinets worldwide still open daily with brass cam keys — proof that simple mechanics outlast many software platforms.