‘GAME CHANGING’ SECURED BY DESIGN ACCREDITED LETTERPLATE FROM MILA

With TS008 now part of the updated PAS24: 2016 test required for SBD accreditation, manufacturers like Mila have been working hard to develop solutions which meet the very real challenges the standard presents, without compromising on style or ease of fitting.

The new Mila letterplate, available in both stainless steel SupaSecure and standard ProSecure versions, has been developed in response to direct feedback from fabricators on what their ideal TS008/SBD letterplate would look like. As a result, it is slimline, stylish, leakproof and easy to fit in standard apertures.

TS008 was introduced to tackle the rise in opportunist thieves using the letterplate for fishing to steal keys and valuables, and as an access point to manipulate the locking point of the door from the inside. However, it has proved testing for many hardware designers to get to grips with - and some of the letterplates which have come onto the market previously have sacrificed style for functionality, with bulky cowls and cumbersome add-ons. By contrast, Mila’s solution shows what can be achieved when some of the most experienced product designers in the industry set out to solve a problem.

The Mila letterplate incorporates clever, patent-pending anti-fishing fins which open with a smooth concertina action to allow mail to be posted through. Crucially, they restrict the internal flap opening to 80° and this, in combination with an angled postal ramp which deflects items upwards, makes fishing impossible.

The big advantage of the design is that it projects internally by just 45mm. That means it’s neat and unobtrusive and can be fitted to doors even in narrow hallways without any risk of the letterplate striking the wall on the inside.

The innovation from Mila doesn’t stop with the aesthetics though. Customers said that they wanted a TS008 letterplate which was quick and easy to install, so Mila’s design team has ensured that it can be fitted straight from the box, with no need for it to be disassembled first. It fits into standard apertures with no special screws or routing required and, as a new animation on the Mila website demonstrates, typical fitting time is less than two minutes.

There is also an integrated drainage channel and a combination of external foam and internal nylon brushes which addresses the problem which some customers had experienced of other letterplates leaking. The Mila version has been successfully tested to BS6375-1 and achieved an impressive 150Pa water penetration score – which is equivalent to withstanding 2 litres of water a minute being sprayed onto the door in gale force conditions.

The TS008 is available in six colours and finishes including polished and brushed stainless and polished and brushed gold PVD stainless, as well as black and white options. These can all be mixed and matched on the inside and out to suit both the door and the décor. Mila has even added an interactive colour selector to its website so that customers can try out the combinations online before they buy.

As customers would expect from Mila, the new letterplate has been extensively tested to all the latest industry standards and it comes with a 25-year mechanical and surface finish warranty. Operational reliability has been proven to 20,000 cycles, it has a passed a 100kg flap pull test and corrosion resistance has been tested to 1056 hours in a salt spray booth (way beyond the 480 hours required for a maximum Grade 5 rating on the BSEN1670 scale). It is also, of course, covered by Mila’s BSI quality Kitemark which guarantees consistent levels of performance thanks to regular independent auditing of its production and performance.

More details are at: https://www.mila.co.uk/supasecure-ts008-letterplate/