Stealth Key

The Stealth Key is the world's first fully 3D metal printed security key. Invented in October 2013 by UrbanAlps AG in Switzerland (), it is a 3D metal printed key which hides the mechanical security features inside of the key - rendering it unscannable.

The complimentary cylinder is a purely mechanical design and is able to read the internal bittings of the key. If the code is matching, the user is then able to turn the cylinder and open the lock.

History
The Stealth key concept originated as the response to an important physical security breach: unauthorized key duplication by 3D printing. With 3D printers and 3D scanners reaching the consumer market in early 2010 the key copy and patent protection of most security keys was made obsolete. Many amateur users were reported duplicating security keys and several companies offering key duplication services using smartphone images began commercial operation In essence mostly any object can be 3D printed, the core point is if the mechanical code of the key can be 3D scanned or photographed, with code concealing being one of the most secure ways to protect it.

Additive manufacturing of keys
Unlike most ordinary keys which were produced by key blank stamping and subsequent hole drilling, the Stealth key is a mechanical key made by additive manufacturing (3D metal printed). It was a major disruption to the key manufacturing status quo and took full advantage of the novel manufacturing process, i.e. complex internal features and a batch size of one (each single key in the printed batch is unique).