Q&A

Proper shredder maintenance is recommended by all paper shredder manufacturers to maintain warranty coverage. The most important thing you need to do is keep your machine oiled.

The frequency of shredder oil applications is determined by the type of shredder you have. First of all cross cut shredders must be oiled more often than strip cut shredders do. A cross cut paper shredder will require regular applications of shredder oil while a strip cut can go for a longer period of time without decreased performance. Secondly, paper shredders that are used more will need more lubrication. A paper shredder under heavy usage will need to be oiled about every half hour of constant use, while one under normal use will only require oil every few days. Most manufacturers recommend oiling the cutters once every 30 minutes of accumulative shredding, some makes now come with an indicator when this is required.

Directions

You should only use specifically designed shredder oil to oil your paper shredder. This oil is designed to lubricate precision heat treated shredder cylinders, and any other lubricant or oil will void the manufacturers warranty.

Shredder oil can come in both bottles and aerosol varieties.

The first way to oil your shredder is to spray or squirt lubricant into the opening and onto the cutting heads. The oil is packaged in a squeeze bottle and is applied directly onto the cutting head in a fine stream, make sure you first turn the machine off. Once done leave for about 30 seconds then turn the machine on and run in reverse for about 10-15 seconds to allow the oil to transfer to all parts of the cutting head. The final step is to shred a few sheets of paper to remove any excess oil.

The other, and perhaps most common, way to oil your paper shredder is illustrated in the image above. Simply spread a small amount of shredder oil onto a piece of paper in a zig-zag type motion. Make sure that you spread the oil over the entire sheet. Feed this sheet through the shredder and then operate the machine in the reverse mode for a few seconds. This will make sure the oil is dispersed throughout the shredders cutting cylinders.

Don't forget this just oils the cutters the machine still needs to have a full service every six months to ensure all,the drive gears are lubricated and greased as well.

Most jams can be simply backed out with the reverse button, while more stubborn jams may require the assistance while reversing it out.

If you have jammed your shredder so bad that you can no longer back out the paper, don't worry because there is a solution. Most paper jams are caused by improper use or over feeding of your paper shredder. Proper maintenance can prevent jams and keep your paper shredder in prime running condition.Please call us for more information on 01582 536346

With any type of shredder you can use the same technique:

Soak the jammed paper with some shredder oil and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Once it is completely saturated try to run the paper through again in both forwards and reverse. For the most part, this technique is going to clear most jams. However; if the shredder still doesn't budge you probably have a more serious problem,Please contact us for more information.

SRS are authorized main UK service agents for Swordfish, Dahle and Kobra. Being the main service agents in the UK we carry most parts you need when you need them. We also have a limited stock or can obtain parts for other makes of shredder we just need the full model and serial number. For inquiries about specific parts please call our sales team on 0844 8000840 to check for availability. Buying paper shredder parts and performing repairs can save you a lot of money. We also give free in-house estimates on the repairs . If your paper shredder is beyond repair and no amount of parts will bring it back to life, you will always find the great prices on our new paper shredders at SRS.

SRS technicians are trained in all aspects of paper shredder repair, we have over 15 years experience in on-site and in-house repairs. If you are having trouble, SRS may be able to provide technical support to alleviate your difficulties with installing your shredder parts. In some cases we can have a technician come out to your location if the need arises for a call out fee please ring for details.

Document Shredder Protection Classes & Security Levels

Whether you are dealing with paper, CDs, credit cards or USB sticks, the procedure for the secure destruction of personal data on all types of media nearly always contains the terms “security levels” and “protection classes”.

We have summarized what these terms actually mean.

What is ISO/IEC 21964 (DIN 66399)?

Over the last few years, the requirements regarding data protection have become stricter and stricter. In the meantime, moreover, digital data carriers such as USB sticks, CDs and hard drives have become part of our daily lives.

For this reason, the standard ISO/IEC 21964 (DIN 66399) “Office and Data technology – destruction of data carriers” was drawn up. It is the new standard for the correct destruction of data and also deals with the particular characteristics of digital data carriers. DIN 66399 categorizes the security levels into 6 media categories: hard drives (H),optical media (O),magnetic data carriers (T),electronic data carriers (E),information in reduced format (F) and information in the original size on paper (P).
 

Which Security Levels are there for Paper & which one is needed when?

There are a total of 7 security levels for paper, each with their respective requirements. To put it simply: the higher the number after the “P“, the finer the paper is shredded by the document shredder. That means that the smaller the particle size or strip width of the shredded paper, the higher the security level and therefore the more difficult it is to reconstruct the information.

Security level P-1

• Suitable for general documentation such as catalogues, brochures
• Strip width max. 12 mm
• Shreds an A4 document into approx. 17.5 strips
• Easily possible to reconstruct the information

Security level P-2

• Suitable for internal information such as old instructions, travel guidelines, notices
• Strip width max. 6 mm
• Shreds an A4 document into approx. 35 strips
• Possible to reconstruct the information with a certain effort

Security level P-3

• Suitable for sensitive and confidential as well as personal data such as turnover analyses, offers with personal address data
• Particle size max. 320 mm²
• Shreds an A4 document into approx. 194 particles
• Data reconstruction only possible with considerable effort
   

Security level P-4

• Suitable for particularly sensitive and confidential data as well as personal data such as balances, salary statements, personal data, employment contracts
• Particle size max. 160 mm²
• Shreds an A4 document into approx. 389 particles
• Data reconstruction only possible with extraordinary effort

Security level P-5

• Suitable for information of existential importance which has to be kept secret such as medical reports, patents, design documents
• Particle size max. 30 mm²
• Shreds an A4 document into approx. 2.079 particles
• Data reconstruction only possible with an undefined amount of effort

Security level P-6

• Suitable for documents which are to be kept secret and which require extraordinary security precautions, e.g. research and development documents, official areas
• Particle size max. 10 mm²
• Shreds an A4 document into approx. 6.237 particles
• Data reconstruction currently not possible with the available technology
   

Security level P-7

• Suitable for documents to be kept top secret with the highest possible security precautions such as secret service or military documents
• Particle size max. 5 mm²
• Shreds an A4 document into approx. 12.747 particles
• Data reconstruction impossible

To meet the requirements of the GDPR, HSM recommends the use of a particle cutting shredder of security level P-4 or higher.

This way you are on the safe side when it comes to data protection!

more about GDPR-compliant shredders
 

Which Cutting Style is suitable for which Security Level?

Strip cut
In strip cut, each sheet of paper is shredded into strips of max. 6 mm wide. The length of the strips correspond to the width of the paper fed into the shredder.

Cross cut/Particle cut
Cross cut document shredders cut documents diagonally in both directions and generate small paper particles.

Micro cut
The finest of all cutting types: a special version of the cross cut which makes reconstruction of the data impossible.

Cutting Type	P-1	P-2	P-3	P-4	P-5	P-6	P-7
Strip cut
Cross cut/Particle cut
Micro cut