Medeco Cam Lock Research
A lock relied upon for safeguarding expensive machinery and key infrastructure must provide protection beyond basic resistance to picking. This independent investigation examined how physical access to internal components could expose the mechanical information needed to operate the Medeco cam locks used in this project.
The work combined mechanical inspection, precision measurement, machining, and functional testing. The goal was to understand the limits of mechanically stored credentials and use those findings to inform a different approach to access control. This public case study presents the engineering reasoning and outcomes; it omits reproduction measurements and fabrication instructions.
The Mechanical Security Question
Medeco’s biaxial pin system requires both the correct pin height and the correct rotational alignment before the sidebar can operate. That adds complexity beyond a conventional pin tumbler. The question was whether access to the internal mechanism could reveal enough of those relationships to reproduce an operating key.
The trials produced functioning keys for the cam locks examined. This demonstrated a limitation of the tested mechanical credential architecture when its internal components were available for analysis. It was not a demonstration of picking an installed lock, and it does not establish that every Medeco product has the same weakness.
Measurement and Machining
The engineering work involved relating pin geometry to key geometry, keeping measurements consistent, and translating those observations into a machined part. Calipers, a milling machine, and a machine vise supported the trials. Workholding, alignment, and finishing mattered because a plausible-looking part still had to work with the mechanism.
The outcome was a functioning mechanical key and a clearer understanding of the relationship between dimensional accuracy, rotational alignment, and sidebar operation. The project developed practical skills in metrology, machining, and mechanical troubleshooting.
What This Changed in My Lock Design
The central lesson was that resistance to picking and resistance to credential recovery are different engineering problems. A mechanical lock can make manipulation difficult while still storing information about its operating key in physical geometry.
That distinction informed the electro-mechanical lock design: protected credentials, signed permissions, and a local access decision that begins with deny. Authentication alone does not grant entry; credential scope, freshness, revocation, policy, and actuator safety are checked separately. The custom lock and key PCBs specify secure elements; fabrication and bench testing remain the next stage. These choices address the research question without claiming that the new design is immune to attack.
Medeco® is a trademark of its respective owner. This project is an independent educational investigation and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Medeco.