BiLock EX
BiLock EX/NG
| BiLock EX/NG | |
 | |
| Name | BiLock EX/NG |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Australian Lock Company |
| Lock Type | Cylinder |
| Lock Design | Sidebar |
| Year(s) Produced | 1998 - present |
| Patent | US 6,681,609 |
| Related Locks | |
| BiLock BiLock QC | |
The BiLock EX (or BiLock NG, BiLock New Generation) is a dual-sidebar lock made by Australian Lock Company. The BiLock EX uses twelve pins arranged in two rows of six. Each row of pins uses a separate sidebar located at 3 and 9 o'clock in the plug. It also uses a moving element in the key blade which is used to position an addition component at the front of the plug. The BiLock EX is easily identified by the U-shaped key and keyway.
The BiLock EX supercedes the earlier BiLock design and is available in the BiLock QC interchangeable core format.
Principles of operation
The BiLock EX/NG uses a total of twelve pins arranged in two rows of six. Each row of pins interacts with a sidebar on each side of the plug. Each pin has a round hole, the true gate, and a false gate located two pin depths away from the true gate. The false gate is the same shape as the true gate, but is too shallow to allow the sidebar to fully retract. To open the lock, all pins are raised and the side bar legs retract into the true gate on each pin. There are 4 depths for pins, which allows 16,777,216 (412) theoretical key differs. Master keying is available by using pins with wider sidebar holes. Master keyed pins do not use false gates.
The main difference between the classic BiLock and the BiLock EX is a moving element in the key. Similar to the component used in the Mul-T-Lock Interactive, this component in the key interacts with a movable element at the front of the lock, referred to as the "13th locking dimension" by BiLock advertising literature.[1] While at rest, the movable element connects to a blocking bar that prevents the sidebar at 3 o'clock from retracting. The moving element in the key raises the blocking bar so that the sidebar may retract. Unlike other interactive components, the BiLock's component does not use a shear line or other positive locking mechanism; it only needs to be moved up to function.
The EX/NG plug also has a removable faceplate which allows the warding of the lock to be changed without replacement of the plug or cylinder. The actual design of EX/NG keys slightly differs from previous models; the base of the key and keyway are curved inward.[2]
The BiLock EX key.
Pins used in the EX, with false gates and master keyed pin shown.
One of the sidebars used in the EX.
Moving element pin and blocking bar.
Notes
- BiLock keys are cut then folded to create their U-shape.
- The BiLock EX/NG core is compatible with the BiLock and BiLock QC cylinders.
Disassembly instructions
The BiLock EX is easy to disassemble, but the moving element uses a number of small components that need to be considered.
- Remove the cam or C-clip.
- Remove the plug from the cylinder. A plug follower is not needed because there are no driver pins.
- Remove the faceplate from the front of the plug to access the moving element and the pin chamber cover.
Vulnerabilities
The BiLock EX may be vulnerable to one or more of the following:
Notes
- The BiLock EX cannot be bumped because it is not a pin-tumbler lock.
Gallery
Moving component (key) in the default position.
Moving component (key) in the active position.
Closeup of the key bitting.
References
- ↑ Australian Lock Company. BiLock Sales Brochure
- ↑ PULFORD, Graham (2007). High Security Mechanical Locks: An Encyclopedic Reference. ISBN 0750684372.
