Interchangeable cores (IC) are modular lock cylinders engineered to be extracted and replaced in seconds using a specialized Control Key without disassembling the surrounding lockset or door hardware. They are the standard for commercial office buildings, universities, hospital networks, and financial institutions.
Key decoding is the non-destructive process of translating a physical key blade, key photograph, or cylinder pin stack into precise numerical bitting codes. Once decoded, an operator can originate working keys using code machines, calculate master key systems, or identify systemic security flaws.
Accurate pinning specifications, spacing, depth tolerances, and Maximum Adjacent Cut Specifications (MACS) are essential for cylinder rekeying, master key calculation, key decoding, and field forensic analysis.