Tag: how long does a disintegrator last

What to Do About Your Old Disintegrator

December 21, 2018 at 2:31 pm by SEM

Disintegrators are devices that were first introduced by SEM to the US Government back in the late 60’s and are now being used by the military, defense contractors, Fortune 500 companies and anyone that has the need to destroy specific types of information. Disintegrators would best be summed up as an industrial approach to the destruction of all types of sensitive data. Disintegrators come in various sizes from an office version to large volume units capable of destroying a ton or more paper or other media per hour to the standards of classified information in the government.

1012-disintegrator
SEM Model 1012 Disintegrator

What is the life cycle of a disintegrator?

There are many disintegrators in the field today that have been in operation for over 25-30 years and are still destroying data the same way they did when they were initially purchased. Back then, the systems were very functional and worked well but did not have the bells and whistles or special enhancements like the models being offered today. Special sound enclosures, air systems and electronic upgrades are now available. The quality of the SEM disintegrator has not changed and one can expect the same durability as machines from years past.

When is it time to replace or refurbish?

One of the most common reasons why organizations replace disintegrators is their volume of sensitive data has increased and they can no longer meet production requirements. Everyone today is looking for ways to reduce destruction time and increase operational effectiveness. Volume has increased over the years for everyone regardless of the business you are in. The paperless office has never really materialized as we had expected. When the equipment can no longer meet throughput production, it just may be time to replace old reliable with a new piece of equipment. As a viable option, the old equipment can be traded in to SEM to defer some of the costs of the new equipment.

From an accounting standpoint, it might be at the end of its useful life cycle. The key here might also be the actual condition of the equipment. Does it make sense to refurbish it? What are the maximum capabilities of the existing equipment even with factory upgrading?

It might make more sense to refurbish your old disintegrator since cost savings can be substantial. Machines are typically sent back to the SEM factory for refurbishment and upgrading. At one time, machines came standard with three rotating knives. Now, as part of the refurbishing process, a new five bladed rotor is installed in each machine. This upgrade offers you the latest machine technology for SEM disintegrators. Basically, a five bladed rotor produces more cuts per revolution and increases the capacity of the old machine by 30% or more.

Refurbished machines receive repainting, relabeling, new cutting knives, and replacement of defective out of tolerance components including safety switches. They receive a final inspection and testing to new machine standards. Machines also receives a new warranty. This could very well be the way to go depending on your current volume and other factors.

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SEM High Security Disintegrators – Do They Ever Die?

December 11, 2014 at 9:01 am by SEM

An average car lasts for around 13 years.

Microwave ovens, coffee pots, and many other electrical appliances last in the vicinity of 10 years. In the data destruction industry, high security paper shredders, as well as other destruction shredders, can last for 10 years. But what about an SEM disintegrator?

At SEM, we still don’t know. After over half a century of supplying disintegrators, we still can’t give a good answer to the question. They keep outlasting every application. These machines are the champions of sticking around.

Consider a Reconditioned Unit

In my travels, I have visited many SEM customers with disintegrators that have
been in continuous use for over 25 years. The record that I’ve seen thus far is 28 years. After those 28 years, when that customer finally decided to purchase a new disintegrator, SEM took the old one as a trade-in and that machine was still able to be used.

The disintegrator was refurbished and purchased by another customer as a reconditioned unit at a significant reduced price. The refurbished unit included all NEW “wearable” parts (knives, v-belts, starter, limit switches, belt guards, etc.) as well as a brand new paint job. When it left our facility, it looked and performed like a brand new unit that will last for yet another 25 years.

None of these long lived examples were for machines that were babied. More commonly they were used on a regular basis for central destruction applications. In addition to destroying paper, these machines were used to destroy paper clips, staples, optical disks, plastic based media as well as SSD devices like thumb drives, cell phones, PDAs, etc. These machines will work hard for decades!

1012-disintegrator

When looking at the total cost of ownership (TCO) and the overall value of SEM disintegrators, the exceptionally long life span should be part of the evaluation. If you’re looking for a real deal, consider a refurbished system. There are a few options to destroy large quantities of documents, optical media, and more. But, with 25 to “who knows how many” years of potential service, an SEM disintegrator can easily come out far ahead of any alternative for overall value.