Journey Of Key Cutting

Generating coded keys: from Artisan to Automatic

When pin tumbler cylinders were first used for master key system generation, most locksmiths would have used space & depth keys, and painstakingly copied keys cut-by-cut, in an agonisingly slow and error-prone fashion.

In the 1930’s, the first “code” machines emerged, usually from America. They were made by brands such as Kiel, you can still see one in LSC’s museum at our North Melbourne headquarters.

Many Australian locksmiths will remember the traditional Ilco “plate” machine, which came in different versions, but were sold as “Universal”. The customer had to provide their own motor, typically mounted on a board with an exposed belt. OHS wasn’t really a focus at that time. The machine was clever, but required a very skilled operator and good concentration. LSC sold these machines in the 1950’s and 1960’s. They were so popular, most “old school” locksmiths have one under the bench somewhere. From the 1970’s, a new style of code machine arrived: The HPC 1200CM. More accurate and flexible than the Ilco machine, the HPC was originally made under license, and by a few different companies – but HPC made the best quality version for many years. The ‘needle and card’ system allowed for fine adjustment. Skill, concentration and knowledge were still needed.

In 1987 the world changed with what was the first reliable, high quality, high precision electronic key cutting machine: The Silca Unocode. Others had come before it, but weren’t that reliable or accurate. Silca launched the machine with a vast database of space & depths, enabling it to cut nearly every popular key, and many ‘exotics’ from the outset. The industry latched onto it, and it was a smash hit.

Countless businesses in Australia build huge masterkey systems (and their businesses’ success) on the back of the reliability, performance and long life of the machine.

In 1998 Silca upped the ante – bringing a new version to market, and making it more accessible than ever before. The X99 platform for the Unocode became the most successful code machine ever to hit the market, and locksmiths worldwide relied on it day after day. Probably Silca didn’t intend it, but the engineering quality and design were so good many would go on to cut into the multiple 6-digit number of cycles of keys. Updated and refreshed through the 2000’s the machine remained the only logical choice for professionals.

Today Silca have a completely new generation available – the Unocode F-Series. It takes 35 years of Silca’s knowledge, experience, engineering and design brilliance and amps it up to the max with innovative features allowing you to automatically feed, cut, engrave and sort keys without operator intervention. A locksmith using an Ilco universal would never have dreamed what could be possible today.

If your key cutting operation is stuck in the 1970’s (or even 1990’s), ask your Account Manager for a health check. Our team can show you the payoff calculations for automation – the numbers will surprise you, and you can save that valuable labour resource and flip it into more productive work.

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Journey Of Key Cutting

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