Description of shredders and the secrets of their choice

Electronic documents try to absorb paper documents and do it successfully. But there is still a long way to go before the complete victory over the documents that can be touched. This means that you should not write off what will come in handy in the processing of paper documentation. An example of such a technique is the shredder, a well-known office device that not everyone can appreciate.

A shredder is a paper shredder, a special machine that quickly and deftly makes thin small stripes from large sheets. The main advantage of technology is that this is the only way to ensure that an unnecessary document with confidential information will not be used by anyone for illegal purposes. Documents have to be thrown away often: but it is naive to be sure that if you just send them to the trash bin or waste paper box, no one will be able to remove them from there. And coming up with some more sophisticated ways of destroying documents is still a hassle. So that there was no such trouble, they came up with a shredder.

There is perhaps no better device for recycling waste paper. In addition to the fact that such disposal serves as a means of protecting information, it also minimizes waste paper waste. Shredding by slicing is the most active and widespread principle of shredder operation. But there are others as well: for example, incineration of paper and chemical decomposition.

The office equipment market is rich in supply, although they all revolve around the same mechanism. The design includes cutting and feeding elements. Knives are considered the main mechanism of the shredder: they manage to shred sheets, and also plastic cards, for example. The cutting mechanism is powered by a motor, which, in turn, is started with electricity.

The feeding element in the shredder is not as important as the cutting element, but it cannot be done without it. It is important that the material is fed and shredded correctly. By the way, even though the market is flooded entirely with electric shredders, manual shredders also work. They look more like special scissors and have their own circle of admirers. There is something vintage and pleasant about it, not only visually, but also tactilely.

The device is presented in a large number of variations: there are universal models, they are most in demand. But the exclusive, narrow specification is also appreciated by consumers.

Shredders are divided into several types depending on the area of ​​use.

• Office. The most common option, which should correspond to the power, size and purpose of use that the buyer expects. If the shredder will be used often, you cannot save on the model. If from time to time, you can find something on a budget. If frankly rare, even mechanical is worth considering. If they buy a shredder for the office, it is more likely for permanent use.

• Personal. This is not a professional technique, but a home one. Therefore, high power is not the main selection criterion. This device shreds paper into strips (or other types of paper) and does not work with large volumes. It is inexpensive.

• Industrial. The productivity of such a device can reach the size of hundreds of thousands of sheets per hour.True, such technical devices are purchased mainly by large enterprises engaged in, for example, waste processing. And they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

• Archival. Archival shredders are also geared towards handling large volumes of documents. In addition to A4 sheets, they destroy magazines, folders with metal inserts, as well as disks and floppy disks.

Industrial-type devices include crushers that process paper, wood, automobile rubber, leather, and metal.

Slicing types are a variation of the technique with respect to how it produces the chopped product. According to this criterion, shredders are of several types.

• Strip cutters. The blades of the machine rotate, the paper is cut into narrow strips along the entire length of the sheet. This device is the simplest you can imagine, and the most secure. But, it should be noted, the level of reversibility is high - it is still possible to restore a document after such destruction, if desired. Another disadvantage of the strip cutter is the greatest amount of waste after the actions carried out.
• Meat grinders. In this case, the document passes through a special mesh, and it is shredded more efficiently than the strip cutter does. That is, it is almost impossible to restore a document scrolled in a special meat grinder.
• Shredders. These models are capable of cutting paper into round or rectangular pieces, which also makes it difficult to recover documents.
• Grinders. The paper is cut by a rotating roller with blades, and this is done until the pieces are very small to pass and exit through a special mesh. This is a very secure way, the document cannot be recovered.
• Confetti. In this case, two rotating drums work. The small pieces of paper at the exit form one of the following geometric shapes: rhombus, parallelogram, rectangle.
• Disintegrators. And under this complex name there is a shredder that will work with paper until it can pass through a special filter lattice with small particles.
• Granulators. Almost the same as the disintegrator, just the type of lattice is different, but the principle of operation is the same.
• Cutters. And this shredder is good in that it is not content with cutting the document, but literally tears it apart with special knives. There is also no chance of recovery of the paper.

Interestingly, in 1935, the German Ehinger, who brought to mind the project of Abbott Gus Lowe, made a shredder based on a noodle cutter. That is, the same recognizable device that cuts paper into thin strips is inspired by a kitchen tool. There is a version that Ehinger pursued the creation of a shredder with a very specific goal - to destroy anti-Nazi documents that could lead to problems with the government.

In the age of digital information, the shredder has by no means gone to museum shelves - this device is still considered a guarantor of the destruction of documents, which makes it possible not to give a chance to specialists in industrial espionage. Hence, another classification of types of shredders arises - according to the level / degree of secrecy. This indicator is related to the size of the fragments of the crushed material. The smaller the size, the higher the privacy class will be.

We list the seven security classes of modern shredders.

• Class 1. Low security, fragment width - 12 mm.
• Class 2. The width is already half the size, but the privacy is still low.
• Class 3. The maximum area of ​​one fragment is 320 sq. Mm, confidentiality is at an average level.
• Class 4. The fragment is 4 mm wide and 40 mm long, which is already good information protection.
• Class 5. The maximum width is 2 mm, the maximum area of ​​one fragment is 30 sq. Mm. The level of secrecy is high.
• Class 6. The maximum width is 1 mm, the area of ​​one particle is 10 sq. Mm. Confidentiality will be considered enhanced.
• Class 7. The limiting width is 1 mm, and the area of ​​the fragment is less than 5 sq. Mm. This is the highest level of information security today.

In this rating, there will be devices designed for office use. It would be incorrect to mix devices with different purposes in one list, and office equipment is considered the most popular.

Let's take a look at 10 of the best office shredders.

• HSM 80.2. German shredder of compact size, which will be an excellent purchase for small offices where you do not have to shred a lot of documents. And although the volume of the basket of the device is not particularly large (17 liters), as well as the power (120 watts), the device destroys several sheets at the same time, together with paper clips. Lightweight, convenient, with the second degree of secrecy. Will cost the buyer 10,000 rubles.

• Gladwork iShred 16CD Effect. Chinese budget device with the third class of secrecy. Its basket has a capacity of 26 liters, it is possible to shred 16 sheets at the same time (however, it cuts both discs and plastic cards, paper clips and staples). Fragments when cutting - 4 x 35 mm. Can work continuously for 3 minutes. The only obvious disadvantage is rapid overheating, it is not designed for high power operation. The approximate cost of the shredder is 5,000 rubles.

• ProfiOffice Alligator 707CC +. Chinese apparatus with the fourth degree of secrecy, reliable and modern. Shreds paper to a size of 2 x 5 mm. It cuts well both paper and paper clips, cards, staples. It is noteworthy that this unit is quiet. You can load up to 7 sheets into it at the same time. If you need a higher degree of secrecy, but not the largest volumes of paper will have to be destroyed, this machine, which costs almost 22,000 rubles, will be the optimal purchase.

• Jinpex JP-870C. A functional Chinese model of a shredder, which will cost a little more than 21,000 rubles. A machine of the fourth degree of secrecy, shredding staples and paper clips, discs and credit cards. You can load 15 sheets at a time. Weighs 25 kg, the structure is quite massive, but for ease of movement it is equipped with wheels.

• Rexel Duo. A cheap mobile shredder from a French manufacturer, you can buy it for about 6,000 rubles. The third level of secrecy, cutting paper into small stripes. You can load 9 sheets at once. Works in short-term mode. Has a basket of 17 liters.

• Kobra + 1СС4. The Italian device costs almost 20,000 rubles. The third level of secrecy, based on the principle of energy saving, a viewing window for observing the basket - these are the main properties of the shredder. The basket has a capacity of 38 liters, a fairly quiet appliance.

• Office Kit C-22CC. A beautiful Chinese shredder with the fourth degree of secrecy. He cuts the paper crosswise, a maximum of 6 sheets at once. Cuts credit cards, discs and staples too. It weighs 13 kg and is mounted on castors. A highly functional device with very convenient control. It costs 22,000 rubles.

• Fellowes 8CD. A product from an American stationery manufacturer for almost 8,000 rubles. This is the fourth degree of secrecy, cross cutting type, automatic control, stylish appearance and only 5 kg of weight. This product has a 2-year warranty. Car basket - 14 liters.

• Bulros 5840C. Bulgarian grand, very expensive, but also very powerful. It costs 110,000 rubles, has the third level of secrecy, is capable of loading 40 sheets at once. The basket has a capacity of 130 liters, that is, it often does not have to be emptied. The most powerful engine, touch control, indication of significant processes. Finally, it is a very stylish car. For large offices and large volumes of destruction - the luxury option.

• ProfiOffice Piranha 7CC. Chinese product for 4,500 rubles.It has the third level of secrecy, it works quickly and efficiently (although it is not equipped with a large number of functions). The basket of the device slides out and has not the smallest volume - 24 liters. True, disks and credit cards cannot be removed with such a device, as well as brackets. You will also have to remove the staples by hand.

The office shredder is a paper shredder that will be used by more than one person. And she will work where the team works. And this already imposes certain obligations on the technique to be chosen.

Most often, certain requirements are put forward for office shredders.

• Basket volume. Depends on the power: the higher it is, the greater the capacity of the shredder.
• Paper bin width. If you have to work with A4 format, this is a standard indicator for a shredder. But if you need to destroy documents and A3 format, you will have to look for a shredder with such parameters.
• Mobility. If the device is supposed to move inside and between rooms, this becomes an important criterion.
• The level of secrecy. If these are ordinary documents that are unlikely to pose a serious threat to information security, level 1 is fine. Then everything grows and, accordingly, the buyer's request.
• Slicing type. Cross-cut shredders may not be particularly fast in work, but the document cannot be restored, but the type of cutting only longitudinal or only parallel is no longer so perfect.

And also you have to pay attention to parameters such as continuous operation time and noise level. It also depends on the expected load of the device, on the number of people in the office, on the size of the room, on whether employees are equipped with headphones (that is, whether a frequently working shredder can interfere with them).

You may have to look at additional parameters of the device - for example, whether there is a reverse return system in it. For example, a document that could not be shredded went under the knife: if there is a return function, the paper will return back. Some shredders have a counting function, that is, they count the sheets in a stack, determining the number of pages processed. It is good if the equipment is equipped with a window for visual control of the work.

Auto-protection is present in most modern models of shredders - it prevents the device from working at critically high temperatures. And also the automation works if there is more paper in the basket than the shredder can destroy. If there is no such automation, the machine may interrupt work due to excessive load and even break down.

When the organization employs 3-5 people, a powerful machine with a large bookmark of sheets is not needed. A modest shredder is enough, which will take 8-18 sheets at a time. If there are up to 20 people in the office, the productivity of the device increases - most likely, a powerful shredder will be purchased that can destroy 26 sheets at a time.

What to do if a document is stuck in the shredder, how to remove it, how to react if the shafts do not pick up the paper after that? Such questions are not uncommon for those who are just getting acquainted with the device and have no idea how to respond to malfunctions, whether it is possible to lubricate the device and what to do in order to repair nothing.

Memo for the beginner shredder.

1. Lubrication of the cross knives is really necessary. It is held a couple of times a month. A suitable lubricant (only the one supplied by the manufacturer) is randomly applied to the paper and the paper is sent to the machine.
2. If you load stacks of sheets with many staples and staples into the shredder all the time, the system is capable of stalling at one point. But only one that does not provide for working with these elements. If the shredder works with small metal parts, there should be no failures. This point is usually one of the first to be specified upon purchase. Only laser-sharpened knives can process metal.
3. The machine may break down if the user places a laminated document in it. This cannot be done categorically. Thick stickers on sheets are another taboo, a destructive element for a paper shredder. Three-layer cardboard cannot be used in a shredder either. Residual paper from these products can stick to the knives and cause the system to stand up.
4. If you want to attach the sheets to the maximum, this should be done when the time is really pressing and the work is to be done at a high pace. But you shouldn't use the limit all the time.

The rest of the scheme is simple: the device has broken down, there are no visible reasons for downtime (or there is, but the user does not know how to fix it), you need to call the wizard. And if the shredder is under warranty, contact the service department. Trying to pick out something with sharp objects, using "old-fashioned" methods is a dangerous tactic that can only increase the scale of the problem.