Max Adjacent Cut Specification MACS

MACS isn’t just multiple boxes of macaroni or mistyped MACK…its Max Adjacent Cut Specification!

Are you generating a new key from scratch or making a master key system? Max Adjacent Cut Specification is a crucial part of this process, and understanding it can be the difference between a working key or system, and a waste of time!

MACS (Max Adjacent Cut Specification) is the maximum allowed distance between cuts. If the difference between the cuts is greater than the number specified by the manufacturer of the particular lock, the key will not work properly. So if the MACS is 5, you can’t put a 1 depth and a 7 depth next to each other, because the distance/number between the two is 6, which is greater than 5. If this happens, you usually won’t be able to push the key into the lock. Even if you can, you won’t be able to pull it out.

Take a look at the following chart to help you understand the MACS of popular lock manufacturers. Download it so that you have it for future reference!

Any situation in which you find your key bitting over the MACS is not fun or easy to fix, so make sure you stay within the guidelines.

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Article by Jake Douglas