Medeco facts for kids

Medeco is a company that makes special locks. It is part of a bigger company called the Assa Abloy Group from Sweden. Medeco's main office is in Roanoke County, Virginia, in the United States.

How Medeco Started

Medeco began as a small workshop in the mid-1950s. It was called the Mechanical Development Company. Paul A. Powell, Roy C. Spain, and Roy N. Oliver started it. Roy Oliver was the boss for many years.

A Special Lock Invention

In the 1960s, Mr. Spain created a very clever lock. This lock had pins that would turn and lift up when the right key was used. He even offered $50,000 to anyone who could pick his lock. Only one detective from New York City managed to do it once.

This new lock design was very strong. It was hard to pick or break into. Because of this great invention, the Medeco company was officially started in 1968. The name "Medeco" comes from the first letters of "Mechanical Development Company."

Medeco Today

In 1998, a large lock company from Sweden, Assa Abloy Group, bought Medeco. Today, Medeco has over 250 employees. They still work from their facilities in Roanoke County.

How Medeco Locks Work

Medeco locks have a special design. Their lock pins have a "chisel tip." This means the end of the pin is cut at an angle. Only keys with matching angled cuts can turn these pins. This makes it much harder to copy a Medeco key.

There is also a slot along each pin. When the pin turns to the correct spot, a part called a "sidebar" can drop into this slot. This allows the lock to open. The special pin tips also allow for more ways to set the pins. This design means a Medeco lock with six pins can have over two million different key combinations.

Security Challenges

In 2007, some researchers showed how to open Medeco locks. They used computers and special tools. They developed a way to use a "bump pick" attack. Medeco officials said they would check this claim. They also announced a new version of their lock. After this, Medeco stopped saying their locks were completely safe from picking.

New Ways to Open Locks

The next year, in 2008, more ways to open Medeco locks were shown. Researchers Marc Tobias and Tobias Bluzmanis presented their findings. They also released a book with more details. They showed how plastic keys could be used to make copies of Medeco keys without permission. They also showed a new bump attack for some Medeco locks.