AFT's Innovation Thwarts Mail Thieves
While computer hackers and internet scammers account for much of the identity theft crime, mail theft is more common that you might realize. Thieves typically target large "gang-boxes," which contain a cluster of mailboxes for several homes or an apartment complex. Many of these thefts occur around the first of the month when the likelihood of finding government checks or personal information in the mail is greatest.
While loss of a check is bad, the biggest problem with mail theft is the identity fraud that follows. Stealing mail is very productive for identity thieves, stated Beth Givens of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: "Think of the things that are put in the mail: monthly accounts, Social Security numbers, credit-card applications, and so on. A credit-card application would be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."
Part of the problem of mailbox theft is simply that the locks usually aren't very sturdy. Many box locks still have a traditional zinc design that can be easily broken.
AFT has a better solution. Using its expertise in Metal Injection Molding (MIM), the company is manufacturing a new mailbox lock (known as COM01-02) made of 17-4 stainless steel, which increases the yield strength to more than 1000 pounds per square inch.
The capability to customize complex-shaped parts economically has become one of the hallmarks of Metal Injection Molding (MIM), a manufacturing process ideal for applications where high volume, complex geometry, high performance and low cost are required.
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