Tag: SEM shredders

Paper Shredder Automatic Oilers: Why and How?

December 21, 2010 at 2:06 pm by SEM

Why Do We Need to Oil Shredders?

Most high performance cross cut (level 3 and 4) and high security cross cut (level 6) paper shredders are manufactured with high precision. The majority of these systems are built in Germany where high quality tempered steel is used in the process. Keeping the cutting heads well lubricated increases the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the shredder. Well lubricated cutting heads help prevent paper jams, keep the cutting heads cool and increase the overall productivity of the system.

SEM-shredder-oilHow to Oil

Cutting heads can be oiled manually by simply squirting oil onto the cutting heads. While this is an effective method, it is sometimes messy and difficult to determine when to perform this function. In order to eliminate the guess work and to make it easy for the operator to oil the cutting heads, Security Engineered Machinery invented the “automatic oiler”. The original auto oiler (LK Series) included a one gallon bottle of oil connected to a pump that hung from the side of the machine. The device was electrically connected to the machine and would automatically draw oil from the bottle and distribute it over the cutting head. Over the years, SEM has made significant improvements to auto oilers.

Today, SEM auto oilers are built-in to the machine. A small bracket holds a gallon jug of specially blended high viscosity lubricating oil on the side of the machine. When the system senses a need for oil, the machine automatically draws the oil. The see-through clear plastic jug and built-in LED indicators on the machine warn the operator when oil is low and requires a change.

Not All Oilers are the Same

Many competitive oilers include a reservoir that requires the operator to pour the oil into the reservoir. In fact, many suppliers provide a funnel to help with this function. The primary complaint with this method is the difficulty of holding the funnel in place while pouring the oil. Another complaint is the misplacement of the funnel and the need to pour the oil into a small opening atop of the reservoir. This usually results in oil spills alongside the machine.

As the inventor of automatic oilers and the ever ending desire to make improvements to the system, SEM has created a system with the operator in mind. The gallon jug itself acts as the reservoir. The containers are simply switched using a quick disconnect that snaps into place. No pouring is needed to fill messy oil reservoirs. The oiler bracket that holds the gallon jug can be placed on either side of the machine or in the back of the machine to accommodate the environment. In the end, simple to install and equally more simple to change the oil helping to prevent possible messy oil spills.

staples-shredderSummary

Oiling of paper shredders are recommended to help maintain and increase the overall effectiveness of the system. Auto oilers that are easily installed and changed like those offered by SEM, almost eliminate the chances for messy oil spills. When considering a high quality, high performance paper shredder, the protection of the investment with an easy to install, easy to operate auto oiler is a highly desirable feature.

Paper Shredder Waste Sizes, What Do the Numbers Mean?

at 10:59 am by SEM

If you are contemplating the purchase of a paper shredder, one of the key choices you must make is the security level or shred size. So how do you make the choice? Here are a couple guidelines that have served us well over the years.

First, use the largest shred size that will meet the security requirement. Models with larger shred sizes are more durable and offer more capacity for less cost.

Second, there is security in volume. If your volume is heavy, you might consider a larger shred size. It is a more difficult task to reconstruct one-thousand pages than it is to reconstruct ten pages. Another helpful tool is the international destruction standard known as DIN 32 757 (Deutsche Industrial Norm). Shredder manufacturers are now listing six levels of shred sizes, but only five are actually part of the DIN Standard. The reason these are important is because they are observed by all of the major shredder manufacturers. The international standards are used in the marketing of this equipment and are now a significant part of the government procurement process. Let’s review these different levels.

Level 1

Security Level 1 and 2 are strip shred requirements. Documents are cut into strips the length of the paper. These are the lowest security levels. Level 1 is a strip shred of ½” or smaller. Level 2 is a strip shred of ¼” or less. Strip shredders have become less popular in recent years as security concerns have increased. We have stopped actively marketing this type of shredder for this reason.


 Level 4
Security Levels 3, 4, and 5 are produced by crosscut shredders. These shredders cut in two directions and produce confetti of various sizes. Security Level 3 is considered a medium security level and a fairly large crosscut particle measuring 3/16” X 3” or less. Security Level 4 is a medium-high security particle measuring 3/32” X 5/8” or less. Level 3 is adequate to meet most unclassified government applications. But if you have doubts, move up to Level 4.

Security Level 5 is a high security particle measuring 1/32” X ½” or less. This was the particle size used for classified documents until the US Intelligence Community changed the standard in 2003. If you move to a Level 5 model, you will notice a drastic reduction in capacity. It would be worth your time to take a few minutes to compare the cost and the capacity loss by going to this much smaller shred size.

Although the highest security level is now commonly being called Level 6 by manufacturers, there actually is no Level 6 DIN standard. So technically there is no such thing as a Level 6 shredder. However, if you need to shred classified documents, you are required to select a model listed on the National Security Agency’s Evaluated Products List (EPL). The 1/32” X 7/32” (1mm X 5mm) or smaller particle is the current US standard for classified documents. The latest shredder EPL (as well as other types of destruction equipment) can be found here.

Level 6

If you still have doubts what shred size to choose after reading this, contact SEM for additional information.