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
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