BEWARE OF IMITATIONS – CHAPTER IV – ORIGINAL VIRO “SUPERMORSO” VS COPY.

Let’s continue our analysis, as already mentioned in the previous blogs, by comparing the Viro Made in Italy “Supermorso” product and its copies produced in the Far East.

Also in this case the results of the comparison confirm the predictions.

Let’s look at the test results.

The first test was the resistance to corrosion caused by salt spray.

Original Viro products and the imitations in the salt spray machine before testing

Original Viro products and the imitations in the salt spray machine before testing

Let’s focus or attention on the “Supermorso” and its imitation.

As can be seen, whilst having deliberately left open the padlock cover cap integrated in the nylon cover, the photo below clearly shows that the Supermorso has not undergone any type of corrosion of the padlock.

Supermorso after the salt spray test.

Supermorso after the salt spray test.

On the other hand, the visible part of the lock is very oxidised in the copy, which is a clear indication of how the internal mechanism will also have been adversely affected.

 Imitation product after testing in the salt spray machine.

Imitation product after testing in the salt spray machine.

So much so that, as can be seen the short video below, whilst the original Viro product still works perfectly after the salt spray test, the copy is blocked; it is difficult to insert the key and it will not turn, even with the help of pliers. The second test we performed on our product and on the imitation is the attempt to cut the chain.  Using the machine installed in our laboratory, and described in previous blogs, we have tried to saw off a link from the Made in Italy chain and then a link from the chain of the imitation product.

As you can see in the video below, the chain of the Viro product, as it is tempered and case-hardened, withstands the cutting with the saw.

On the other hand, the chain of the imitation product shows that it has been manufactured simply with iron which has not been heat treated, so it can be very easily cut with a hacksaw.

This short video shows the comparison of the two chains after the cutting test.

As mentioned previously, tempering and case-hardening are not sufficient conditions to be able to declare that the chain withstands any type of cutting. Indeed, cutters with long arms and rotary disks can be very risky for all types of chains.

It should be remembered that chains made of simple iron which has not been heat treated do not guarantee any real protection.

However, tempering and case-hardening of the steel makes the chain more resistant to cutting, thus creating a product suitable for use with padlocks to guard two-wheeled vehicles.

The third test we performed concerns the resistance of the padlocks themselves, that is, of the Viro “Supermorso” and the imitation product.
Again within the testing laboratory, we have inserted the products in a tool which reproduces the blows delivered from a height of 1 m, from the top downwards, with a weight of 3.05 kg as if it were being attacked with a hammer in an attempt to break the joint between the lock-bolt of the padlock and the chain.

It can be seen that the Viro Supermorso, when subjected to 5 blows, remains completely intact without losing the head of the lock-bolt (which is also designed for programmed breakage, so that, when trying to tear it from the body of the padlock, it breaks at a specific predetermined point, leaving the padlock closed and the remaining part of the lock-bolt inside the body, which cannot, therefore, be gripped).

The nylon protective cover is the only part which shows that it has suffered blows, but its damage does not affect the normal opening of the padlock.PARTICOLARE COVER SUPERMORSO

On the contrary, we can see that after just 2 blows of the imitation product the cover is split in half; after 5 blows it can be seen that the lock-bolt has bent outwards allowing the escape of the chain, the “armour” is open and the body is deformed.

This deformation is due both to inexpensive materials (such as the zamak alloy) which are not suitable for use in components of security products potentially subject to this type of attack and the lack of heat treatment which gives strength to the materials themselves.PARTICOLARI COPIA

At the end of this test, the result is truly shocking for the imitation, compared with the original Viro product.

PHOTOS comparison after testing resistance to blows on Viro “Supermorso”.

PHOTOS comparison after testing resistance to blows on Viro “Supermorso”.

To conclude our analysis, we have found that the comparison made on the basis of their technical characteristics, the material checks and the resistance tests clearly confirms that the imitations of the Viro Supermorso cannot be compared to the original. They are only copies, without any real effectiveness, which are produced to confuse and mislead users, by means of a similar external appearance, who are looking for a suitable protection for their two-wheeled vehicle.
One padlock is not worth the same as another, Viro is worth more!

Ask only for the genuine article.

Look at the data sheet of the “Supermorso” padlock with chain

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