PACLOCK (Pacific Lock Company) is a family-owned business that began operation in 1996. In the beginning, padlock products were manufactured overseas, imported and assembled in the USA. Over the last seven years, PACLOCK made the commitment to producing high quality U.S.-made end products.
The family operates the company with a balance of business and humanity. We employ able bodied, as well as disabled and disadvantaged workers. We purchase U.S. made raw materials and have CNC machinery to build our product line.
PACLOCK’s core products are high quality, solid padlocks; manufactured from hardened steel, aluminum and brass in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and shackles. The company uses U.S.-made 6061 aircraft grade aluminum to ensure a balance of machining ability and security.
Our product line includes specialty padlock products ranging from hockey puck padlocks using interchangeable cores and conventional commercial/residential lock cylinders to special application padlocking mechanisms for truck doors, gates, fences and key control.
Many PACLOCK products are direct replacements for the American Lock Company’s padlocks. We share a common keyway, AM3, as well as the same pin spacings and depths. The PACLOCK key blank number is P0. In addition, Pacific Lock offers other keyways including restricted.
Small-Batch Production
We provide our customers the capability of small batch production. Making small runs of custom padlock products enable our customers to have exactly what they need in the amounts many companies can afford.
These capabilities added to our existing achievements that include the “Your Logo, Your Locks” program where a customer can buy as few as six padlocks and get custom laser engraving. Through this program, we engrave on hardened steel, aluminum and brass padlocks using any font, any size, or any style of engraving, with the job completed in a matter of days instead of weeks.
To ensure high quality production, Pacific Lock began producing all of their padlock bodies on Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines here in the United States. These CNC machines have cut down lead times, cut down required stock on hand, and vastly improved the company’s ability to say “yes” to what would be considered one-off projects.
While one-off projects in quantities of a hundred might be considered unthinkable for some manufacturers, PACLOCK is able to satisfy customers’ needs. The ‘Heart Lock’ is one example. The ‘Love Lock’ industry is booming in Europe and now is coming to the United States. The idea is people buy a padlock, have it custom engraved, and then lock it to a fence, bridge, or other landmark to be left there into eternity as a sign of their love.
A PACLOCK customer made an odd request for a padlock in a shape of a heart. The customer wanted the first few orders in batches of 100 with the possibility of larger orders in the future. It’s hard to shake off the old ways of doing business. However, we tried and developed a unique product our customer loves that can be produce in small quantities, and delivered within 30 days.
While CNC machining is not unique in the manufacturing industry, PACLOCK makes exceptional use of being able to make one style lock, then effectively turn on a dime and begin producing an entirely different lock five minutes later. This cuts down setup times and in the process saves money.
Government Contracts
The third milestone is the contracts with large end users including the United States government to produce padlocks, including laminated padlocks for the military. Previously these locks were supplied to the U.S. government from another manufacturer making Mexican end-products.
Today, a significant proportion of the padlocks supplied to the military are produced in the United States by PACLOCK’s workforce, which is comprised of 15 percent disabled workers and a majority of the rest is considered disadvantaged. While Pacific Lock receives no bonuses or special considerations by the U.S. Government for our hiring practices, our family simply feels it’s the right thing to do.
Future Trends
The future of the padlock as we see it is the "Aluminizing the Padlock Industry". Much of PACLOCK’s new product focus is on creating aluminum versions of padlocks not otherwise seen in the market place. The concept is simple.
A big, strong, and very capable machine hardened steel padlock with a 7/16" shackle is expensive. What if the customer’s security solution doesn’t require a steel body padlock? The PACLOCK solution is to not only offer that hardened steel padlock, but also a more affordable version of the same padlock but with the body made out of aluminum. The cost savings is dramatic and the tradeoff in security is negligible as when padlocks are attacked, rarely is the body of the padlock being attacked. Rather, it’s the shackle that the common thief tries to defeat.
In 2012, Pacific Lock introduced an aluminum bodied shackle-less padlock, the hockey-puck style, the aluminum 900 Series 7/16” shackle padlock and a complete aluminum lineup of the IC Series padlocks. The aluminum padlock requires less time and materials, providing the customer with a quality product that is inexpensive.
Product Design Improvements
Along with improved quality and shorter lead times, the in-house manufacturing capabilities have given PACLOCK an ability to make rapid adjustments or improvements to their padlocks. For about five years now PACLOCK has sold an “XIC” Hockey-Puck padlock that can accept either SFIC or K-I-K 6-Pin cylinders. The patent pending design is unique in the industry.
However, the current design has limitations. The outer diameter of the puck is slightly larger at 3” versus a traditional hockey-puck at 2-7/8”. The slot that accepts the hasp also had to be shifted to allow for the longer size of an SFIC or K-I-K. Because of these two changes, the “XIC” does not fit with the standard hasps found on the market today. PACLOCK had to manufacture and sell a special hasp to be used with this "XIC".
Many customers don’t mind the fact that they have to buy a hasp with their puck. But, we know we are missing out especially when it comes to the consumers who has an existing system and only wants to ‘upgrade’ his traditional puck to a puck that will work with an SFIC or K-I-K.
So, Pacific Lock has made dramatic improvements to their patent pending SFIC Hockey Puck. “Necessity is the mother of all inventions,” says Josh Fleagane, VP of Engineering at PACLOCK and brother-in-law of Greg Waugh. They threw convention out the window and made minor tweaks to the original XIC design that allows for a 7, 6, or 5-Pin SFIC to work in a “regular” 2-7/8” size hockey-puck structure.
“The outer dimension of our Version 2 is 2-7/8” and the slot is in the same location as a traditional puck,” explains Fleagane. The bottom line is Pacific Lock is bringing to market a hockey-puck that you can use with any SFIC and that will fit in any existing hasp on the market today. Pacific Lock is in the currently working on improving the K-I-K version of the XIC Hockey Puck.
Revamping K-I-K Products
Versatility is a rallying cry for PACLOCK by offering different shackle diameters, body materials, keying possibilities, engraving options. Pacific Lock is ready to unveil the next step by completely revamping its K-I-K padlock line.
Rectangular-style K-I-K padlocks will be available in two body material types: aircraft grade aluminum or brass. The padlock will also come in three sizes of shackle diameters: ¼”, 5/16”, and 3/8”. The market for this padlock will be your “standard,” run-of-the-mill padlock for your customer’s need.
However, if your customer wants a heavier-duty padlock with an even thicker shackle, then Pacific Lock is preparing a round style padlock with a 7/16” diameter shackle. For those customers who want the strongest security possible, PACLOCK will offer a hardened steel body. However, for those customers who are looking to make the cost/security tradeoff, they can save some money by opting for the aluminum body version.
For those customers who want to go with a shackleless design, PACLOCK has its current “XIC” hockey-puck. Plans are in the making for a version 2 hockey-puck that will also be available in hardened steel and an aluminum body with an upgraded capability over the first version “XIC” in that the version 2 will fit in your standard shrouded hasp.
For more information, contact PACLOCK is located at 25605 Hercules Street? Valencia, CA 91355? Telephone 888-562-5565 Web Site: www.paclock.com.
