HES 8500 Series Grade 1 Fire-Rated Concealed Electric Strike

Overview

The HES 8500 Series is a concealed electric strike with a Grade 1 fire rating for mortise locksets without a deadbolt. It offers a high-security and no-cut way to retrofit electronic access control into existing doors. The HES 8500 Series is perfect for commercial and institutional uses where you cannot cut, you have fire codes to meet, and there is a need to preserve the door frame.

Concealed No-Cut Design

Installation is simple and fast: just remove the existing mechanical strike plate and dust box, then insert the 8500 into the same opening. No cutting to the frame is required, preserving the door jamb’s integrity and finish. The strike’s slim, low-profile form factor conceals completely within the frame, maintaining clean lines and enhancing tamper resistance against prying. This innovation significantly reduces installation time and labor, making the 8500 ideal for retrofit projects.

High Strength & Performance

The 8500 offers outstanding performance in a compact package, and rated to better than Grade 1. A proprietary keeper pin lock mechanism adds exceptional strength - tested to a static holding force of 1,500 lbs and 70 ft-lbs of a dynamic impact. Built with stainless steel components and endurance tested in excess of 1,000,000 cycles, this strike promises to operate reliably in high-volume doors. It can be field configured for fail-safe or fail-secure operation, and it's fully non-handed, making it adaptable to left- or right-hand doors.

Fire-Rated & Code Compliant

Engineered for life safety, the HES 8500 is UL 10C 3-hour fire rated for use on fire-door assemblies (fail-secure mode). It complies with stringent safety and building codes, including NFPA 80 guidelines for retrofitting electric hardware into fire-rated frames. The strike is also UL 1034 burglary-resistant and UL 294 listed, signifying its suitability for high-security installations and compatibility with access control systems. These certifications make the 8500 well-suited for schools, hospitals, offices, and other facilities where both security and fire safety are critical.

Versatile & Upgradeable

The 8500 fits latchbolts with 3/4” of throw, allowing it to work with several mortise lock manufacturers (without deadlocks). The 8500 offers interchangeable faceplate option kits (purchased separately) which allow a perfect fit with the varying sizes of mortise lock faceplates, permitting one strike body to work with several mortise lock constructions. Also available are monitoring modules – Latchbolt Monitor (LBM) and Latchbolt Strike Monitor (LBSM) – which provide real-time door latch status to your access control system. The unit runs on 12V or 24V input (either DC or AC) with a low current draw (240 mA @12VDC), making it Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) compliant and easy to implement into any new or existing electrical systems. The 8500 is supplied with an array of optional accessories (including plug-in power regulators and buzzers) that can be used to further configure the 8500 for your specific needs, and use of the HES SMART Pac power controller will extend the warranty up to 10 years.