Padlock shackle design and material
Padlock shackle design and material
A padlock shackle is that U-shaped metal loop that goes through the opening of a locking mechanism such as chain link or hasp staple.
Its rod like shape makes it an easy target for cutting with a bolt cutter or saw, grinding, or picking with a hammer or claw bar. Shackles are in different lengths and designs and although it would make sense to shorten its length and reduce exposure, the design of the locker will determine where you will be able to slip through that short fetter. For instance, school or gym lockers or cabinets normally have concealed hasps that you can only access with one or two fingers and therefore the best locks for gym lockers and school cabinets need a balance between length, clearance and strength.
So what shackle designs are there?
(i) Closed design; in this the body features raised shoulders that conceal much of the shackle leaving a small portion and thus minimized chances of attack. This is the preferred design in high-security industries like banking and insurance. However, the reduce clearance makes it difficult to secure things like chain links and hard to access hasps.
(ii) Open design; In this design, much of the manacle length is exposed, making it easy to slide through links, holes, and bars. However, the longer exposed length is much easier to cut or break and the padlock may not serve high security purposes.
(iii) Semi-concealed design- in this, the fetter length is a compromise between flexibility of use and security from attack.
(iv) Long shackle design; this is an extra-long design and maybe useful when you want to lasso multiple hasps, fittings or chain links. However, when accessed by a burglar, he has all the space to hold and cut or break open.
(v) Adjustable design; this features an ingenuous way to vary the shackle length according to your needs.
Considering the shrouded design of school and gym lockers amid the vulnerability of attack, the adjustable and semi-enclosed designs are the most arguably the appropriate. They will let you have some reasonable clearance for locking the padlock without having to sweat it but still make it a hassle for a would-be burglar to have his way too soon.
Padlock shackles are made in a variety of material that include;
Molybdenum- this is the strongest, most reliable and resistive to the elements. It is also expensive such that it is mostly used in industries such as defense and nuclear.
Boron- this is a high-grade type of steel and its extreme strength finds use in high-tech and heavy-duty industries such as automotive.
Hardened steel- this is durable and attack resistant thus it is used in high-security applications. It may also be zinc coated to resist the elements.
Stainless steel – somewhat similar to hardened steel but more weather adaptive
Brass- this is used for light applications where burglary is not high risk.
Plastic- typical in light security application.
A padlock shackle is that U-shaped metal loop that goes through the opening of a locking mechanism such as chain link or hasp staple.
Its rod like shape makes it an easy target for cutting with a bolt cutter or saw, grinding, or picking with a hammer or claw bar. Shackles are in different lengths and designs and although it would make sense to shorten its length and reduce exposure, the design of the locker will determine where you will be able to slip through that short fetter. For instance, school or gym lockers or cabinets normally have concealed hasps that you can only access with one or two fingers and therefore the best locks for gym lockers and school cabinets need a balance between length, clearance and strength.
So what shackle designs are there?
(i) Closed design; in this the body features raised shoulders that conceal much of the shackle leaving a small portion and thus minimized chances of attack. This is the preferred design in high-security industries like banking and insurance. However, the reduce clearance makes it difficult to secure things like chain links and hard to access hasps.
(ii) Open design; In this design, much of the manacle length is exposed, making it easy to slide through links, holes, and bars. However, the longer exposed length is much easier to cut or break and the padlock may not serve high security purposes.
(iii) Semi-concealed design- in this, the fetter length is a compromise between flexibility of use and security from attack.
(iv) Long shackle design; this is an extra-long design and maybe useful when you want to lasso multiple hasps, fittings or chain links. However, when accessed by a burglar, he has all the space to hold and cut or break open.
(v) Adjustable design; this features an ingenuous way to vary the shackle length according to your needs.
Considering the shrouded design of school and gym lockers amid the vulnerability of attack, the adjustable and semi-enclosed designs are the most arguably the appropriate. They will let you have some reasonable clearance for locking the padlock without having to sweat it but still make it a hassle for a would-be burglar to have his way too soon.
Padlock shackles are made in a variety of material that include;
Molybdenum- this is the strongest, most reliable and resistive to the elements. It is also expensive such that it is mostly used in industries such as defense and nuclear.
Boron- this is a high-grade type of steel and its extreme strength finds use in high-tech and heavy-duty industries such as automotive.
Hardened steel- this is durable and attack resistant thus it is used in high-security applications. It may also be zinc coated to resist the elements.
Stainless steel – somewhat similar to hardened steel but more weather adaptive
Brass- this is used for light applications where burglary is not high risk.
Plastic- typical in light security application.