How Does A Paper Shredder Work

paper shredder

Simon has long served as global leader in paper shredding and continues to raise the bar with new models such as the SIMON S3330 24. Despite a move by many offices to go digital, the Shredthepaper continues to play an important role in the security, recycling and sustainability ambitions of corporations and even residential households across the United States.

While a popular device in the professional world, the mechanics of paper shredders are rarely understood outside of the manufacturers or technicians that service the product. But in this article, we aim to demystified that commoditzed product and help your better understand the functionality that drives your paper shredder.

The Basic Use

Paper shredders are typically used by offices to destroy sensitive information. Think sensitive company information such as strategies, design plans and customer details. More frequently the standard office shredder has found a use in condensing paper for recycling purposes, which is another positive development in reducing a company’s carbon footprint.

Shredder Mechanics

The sharp edges inside the mouth of a shredder cut the paper into small pieces.The slices are so fine that any document that meets the shredder is virtually almost impossible to reassemble. Inside the sharp edges, or occasionally blades, achieve the fine shreds by their proximity to one another. To ensure that your shredded document is not a series of identical strips, newer models stagger the blades to upend any line consistencies. More innovative models now frequently include a blade that comes across the bottom, slicing the strips into even smaller shards. The SIMON S3330 fits this category. It’s unique crosscut technology slices and dices paper into 2mmx15mm slithers, similar to the size a single piece of confetti. The shredded document is then traditional caught in a container that makes for easy and secure disposal.

Failsafe Features

Espionage films popularized the idea that paper shredders can easily jam. In yesteryear, this was more common, but technological breakthroughs limit the potential to jam and malfunction your shredder. But this can still happen due to a number of reasons – loading the shredder with too many sheets, lack of oil in the shredder to grease the blades and inserting more solid items. It is now more common to see new models of shredders to trigger an emergency shutoff feature when a jam occur. This feature also allows you to turn off the power to the teeth quickly. The SIMON range of paper shredders helped revolutionise this idea, allowing for 10 sheets to be shredded simultaneously and the ability to dispose of items like outdated credit cards and CDs.

Bulk shredding

Commercial shredders are understandably larger than the office or home variety, capable to handling higher volumes and tougher surfaces. The main difference in functionality is that they use a ream feed or hopper bucket to shred the documents. Impressively, commercial and industrial shredder provide a more efficient and timely experience. For example, industrial shredders, often used to pulp paper can shred nearly 5000 pounds of paper and other materials per hour. The same functional principles apply to their smaller cousins, but the high costs make these a more prohibitive purchase.