56 • HISTORY & HERITAGE
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TO CELEBRATE 175 YEARS OF business, Yale invited a group of visitors to go‘ time travelling’ at its site in Willenhall …
“ As the name consumers know and trust, it’ s Yale’ s responsibility to ensure its products not only meet but surpass the latest security standards. The message is simple, together we can make 2018‘ Anything But Standard’. By choosing Yale products both homeowners and trade professionals can be assured they are purchasing superior quality products, tested to British Standards.” This is official introduction to Yale’ s 12-month campaign that will see a number of videos, adverts, consumer and trade press, all highlighting how making simple security changes can make a big difference.
To kick start the project – and celebrate its milestone birthday – Yale welcomed a select group of publications, including The Locksmith Journal, to take a trip down memory lane; back to where it all began, followed by a glimpse into the possible future of home security, with a few stopoffs on the way.
THE YEAR IS 1843 …
Arguably the best-known and mostrecognised name in the industry, it’ s hard to imagine a world without Yale. In fact, 175 seems quite young for such a household brand. 1843 was the year when Linus Yale Jr patented the first pin tumbler locking mechanism( said to be based on‘ technology’ used by the Ancient Egyptians some 4,000 years ago), and the company set up shop in New York. The same year saw Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol hit the shelves, the first patent for a typewriter issued, and the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna erupt. It was also the starting point of the‘ Anything But Standard’ open day held at Yale’ s Portobello Plant, Willenhall, on a very rainy Friday morning this Spring( the original date was victim to the‘ Beast from the East’).
A 175-YEAR JOURNEY
For almost the next two centuries, Yale has gone on to conquer the industry; amassing a portfolio of over 40,000 different products, which are sold in 130 countries, over five continents. From traditional door locks, window hardware, padlocks and safes, to the more recentlylaunched Smart Living range( just two years ago) to include doors, locks, alarms, and cameras for the extra convenience, security, and maybe even, sophistication of technology homeowners now crave.
But, after a brief history of the company, it was back to the present day with a tour of the factory from Yale’ s Engineering Manager, Steven Craddock, a peak inside the test lab, and a chat with supervisor Louise about her own 25-year history at the company.
HIGH-VIS VESTS AND HEADSETS
Steeped in history, while locksmithing is still as much a craft as it is a career, just as in all industries automation is making its way into the manufacturing process. As such, engineering manager Steven was keen to point out, from the outset of the guided tour, that Yale is not made up of“ factory workers” but of“ technically-skilled staff, trained in diagnostics and productivity”, and that attitude is set to continue for the foreseeable future, which is a reassuring thought for anyone in the‘ robots are taking over’ camp.
Technology is evident at varying degrees from the second visitors step into the factory, with signage on the company’ s sustainability and environmental projects lining the walk way plus the ubiquitous nod to LEAN working methods, safety protocol, innovation and development initiatives. Flat screen monitors above working stations offer visual management of all aspects of the production line because, as Steven says,“ it’ s no good finding out tomorrow that we’ ve had a bad day today,” and as such, parts, labour, quality, etc. can be tracked in real time and adjusting accordingly in order to meet ever changing requirements of Yale’ s customers.
In amongst the high-spec 20-magazine key cutting machine( that can be programmed overnight for 24 / 7 production times), the auto pinning system – with technology based on top-of-the-line medical equipment – that picks and places one pin every 1.4 seconds, and the overnight plastic
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL. CO. UK | MAY / JUN 2018 Sponsored by Insafe | Loksafe. co. uk | Insafe. com