Destroying Dog Tags/ID Tags Requires a Tough Shredder

April 12, 2021 at 3:33 pm by SEM

With the announcement by the Army that they will stop putting social security numbers (SSNs) on dog tags, the question comes up – how can we get rid of the older ones that have SSNs on them?

Shredders are optimized to destroy specific materials, like paper, optical media, or rotational hard drives. Metal items, especially in large quantities, were never part of shredders initial design. Metals put significant strain on the cutters in a shredder, and are highly abrasive. The hardness of metals also means high stress on the drive mechanisms that turn the cutters, since they lack the flexibility of paper or the fracturing quality of plastics.

Modern paper shredders typically use rubber belts and plastic gears as a drive system. Paired with sensors and electronic controls, they are reliable and cost effective for paper document and optical media shredders. For metal items, like dog tags, metal credit cards, and license plates, something much more rugged is called for.

Very few office shredders are appropriate for dog tag shredding, which is why  SEM has introduced the IDShred product line. These three machines, which consist of the Model 0201, DS-400, and 1012/5 Disintegrator, offer three different solutions for destroying IDs with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) like dog tags, licenses, credit cards, CAC IDs, and more.

Here’s the breakdown of what each of these devices in the IDShred line can destroy:

SEM Model 0201: Plastic CAC IDs, licenses, credit cards, and badges at a low volume in an office space.

SEM Model 0201

SEM Model DS-400 Disintegrator: CAC IDs, licenses, plastic and metal credit cards, badges and dog tags at low volume for an office space or open area.

SEM Model DS-400 Mixed Media Disintegrator

SEM Model 1012/5 Disintegrator: CAC IDs, licenses, plastic and metal credit cards, badges and dog tags at a high volume for larger environments.

1012-disintegrator
SEM Model 1012 Disintegrator

Shredding these items is doable in an office environment, you just need the right machine. Reach out today to learn more with our online information/quote request!