BiLock NG

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BiLock NG

BiLock NG
BiLock NG cylinder rim.jpg
Name BiLock NG
Manufacturer Australian Lock Company
Lock Type Cylinder
Lock Design Slider, Sidebar
Year(s) Produced 1998 - present
Patent 1999
US 6,681,609
Expired 2019
Specifications
# of Components 12
Component Type Slider
Related Locks
BiLock FG
BiLock QC
BiLock Exclusive


The BiLock NG (or BiLock New Generation) is a dual-sidebar lock made by Australian Lock Company. The BiLock NG 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 NG is easily identified by the U-shaped key and keyway.

The BiLock NG supercedes the earlier BiLock FG design and is available in the BiLock QC interchangeable core format.


Principles of operation

The BiLock NG uses a total of twelve pin sliders 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 sidebar 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 widened or multiple sidebar holes. Master keyed pins do not use false gates.

There is no MACS for BiLock pins, but two four depths (deepest key cut) cannot be opposite one another because it weakens the key.

The main difference between the classic BiLock FG and the NG 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 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 NG keys slightly differs from previous models; the base of the key and keyway are curved inward.[2]

Notes

  • BiLock keys are cut then folded to create their U-shape.
  • The BiLock NG core is compatible with the BiLock FG and BiLock QC cylinders.

Disassembly instructions

The BiLock NG is easy to disassemble, but the moving element uses a number of small components that need to be considered.

  1. Remove the cam or C-clip.
  2. Remove the plug from the cylinder. A plug follower is not needed because there are no driver pins.
  3. Remove the faceplate from the front of the plug to access the moving element and the pin chamber cover.

Vulnerabilities

The BiLock NG may be vulnerable to one or more of the following:

Notes

  • The BiLock FG cannot be bumped because it is does not use driver pins.
  • Decoding is possible via shimming of the pin channels as well as a pin & cam decoding tool from Falle Securities.[3]
  • Visual key decoding is simplified due to the low number of depths per pin.
  • Keys can be simulated with thin shims made of plastic or metal.[3]

Gallery

References

  1. Australian Lock Company. BiLock Sales Brochure
  2. PULFORD, Graham (2007). High Security Mechanical Locks: An Encyclopedic Reference. ISBN 0750684372.
  3. 3.0 3.1 King, Jon & Datagram. (2011) Beating the BiLock

See also