Gearing Up For Product Destruction

It’s not uncommon for secure document destruction companies to offer product destruction. Many equipment providers contacted say they have seen their customers’ interest in product destruction peak during the last couple of years. The reason, according to Chris Hawn, director of business development, Vecoplan LLC, Archdale, N.C., is that product destruction has a lot to offer these destruction companies, including increased business and revenues.

Joe Roberto, vice president of sales and marketing for Shred-Tech, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, says his clients often ask for product destruction solutions. He adds that these solutions typically come in the form of shredding equipment designed to handle various types of materials, including hard drives, CDs, DVDs, microfilm, microfiche, shoes and clothing.

To shred this material effectively, equipment providers recommend purchasing shredding equipment that is capable of handling a variety of materials beyond paper.

Many of the problems companies can encounter with product destruction are the result of using their paper shredders for this application, equipment providers say.

"One client in the document destruction industry told me they wait until the cutters and anvils on their single-rotor shredder are dull and need to be replaced before running hard drives," says Dave Wilson, technical sales, SSI Shredding Systems Inc., Wilsonville, Ore. "This is not the best approach for a company that wants to get serious about product destruction applications."

In some cases, though, Jeff Dietterich, president of Advanced Equipment Sales (AES), Franconia, Pa., says many information destruction companies use their paper shredders for product destruction tasks without negative ramifications.

Ohio Mobile Shredding uses its plant-based Allegheny strip shredder for most of its product destruction jobs in addition to document destruction. "The only problem we have run across with the strip shredder is if we’re doing hard drives," says Taylor Oberst, operations and IT manager, Ohio Mobile Shredding, Columbus, Ohio.

Oberst adds that Ohio Mobile Shredding’s strip shredder also has a hard time shredding pill bottles and other round materials. To get around this, the company uses the grinders on its two mobile trucks to destroy these materials.

In addition to hard drives, other materials containing metal, including medical appliances, small electronics, golf clubs, tools and even shoes, can damage many types of shredders. "Processing metal takes a shredder that is designed to process metal, such as a dual-shear or quad-shear slow-speed shredder," SSI’s Wilson says.

Vikki Van Dam, inside sales and marketing manager for Weima America Inc., Fort Mill, S.C., says certain types of shredders work more efficiently when processing certain materials. "Single-shaft machines are designed to handle anything from documents and posters to X-rays and credit cards," Van Dam says. "There are also four-shaft shredders that are ideal for destroying items such as electronic hard drives," she adds.

Along with metals, destruction companies also should watch out for magnetic tapes, Hawn says. "Sizing it appropriately is critical, as long lengths of media tape can wrap around downstream equipment, such as conveyor pulleys or auger shafts." He adds, "This usually happens to customers who make the mistake of taking off the machine’s screen."

To prevent this, Hawn suggests using a 2-inch screen for sizing tape material, unless a firm’s customer requests a smaller particle size.

"It’s also a good idea to have two shredders within one shredding operation, as it gives you the ability to continue shredding while doing maintenance on the other, therefore, eliminating downtime when you could be making money," Van Dam says.

When it comes to destroying electronic media such as hard drives, destruction companies may want to consider specialized equipment. "Hard drives are made of such hard material that if we try to run them through, they would damage the shredder," Oberst says.

During the last year and a half, Roberto says he has seen an increase in document destruction companies wanting smaller, more affordable hard drive shredding solutions. Roberto says Shred-Tech has addressed this by taking its most popular shredder and creating a custom short-body version specifically designed for hard drives. "The short-body version can easily be placed in the corner of a facility and can be fed by hand or by cart tipper," he says.

Rather than use its strip shredder for destroying hard drives, Ohio Mobile

Shredding has invested in a machine designed specifically to destroy them, Oberst says. Ohio Mobile Shredding owns a prototype hard drive crusher that the company purchased from eDR Solutions, Greenville, S.C., several years ago.

"The unit crushes one drive at a time in a matter of seven to 10 seconds," Oberst says. "And it’s portable, so we can take it on site if we need it."

On average, Ohio Mobile Shredding crushes a few hard drives per week. Once per month or so, Oberst says the company will have a client with more than 20 drives to destroy.

When designing a plant to handle product destruction, the first thing companies need to determine is the materials they plan to destroy.

"A destruction company that is shredding NFL footballs is going to require a different type of shredder than a company that is shredding hard drives," Dietterich says.

Destruction companies also have to take into account the additional processing some materials might require. For instance, Dietterich says AES has a client who is required to remove the liquid from plastic Coca-Cola bottles before shredding them. From there, he says, the client can either bale the shredded plastic or process it further. "But, in order to do this, they need the right equipment, including a machine that can remove liquid and a baler or granulator," Dietterich says.

Because product destruction sometimes entails purchasing additional equipment, destruction companies also must take the size of their facilities into consideration. While Oberst says Ohio Mobile Shredding would like to purchase another shredder, unfortunately its facility isn’t big enough to accommodate it.

"We also have thought of replacing the strip shredder with a grinder," Oberst says, "but the strip shredder works great with clothing, which we do get a lot of from time to time."

Regarding space, Mike Oden, director of sales and marketing for Axo Shredders Corp., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, says a secure destruction company also should take into consideration facility layout, including the location of its conveyor pit, shipping doors and trailer access, as well as the material handling equipment the company has on site.

Destruction companies also need to ensure they have enough room for pre-processing. "Many product materials that come from clients can’t go directly to the shredder," Oberst says. "You might have to unpack large boxes or reduce the size of products that can’t fit or be shredded as a whole in the machine." He adds, "You also have to remove any hazardous substances, fluids or anything else that is unsafe to be destroyed."

Axo’s Oden says a primary sort to remove unwanted items, which could include radio frequency identification tags, prior to shredding is critical. "And, if metal is a problem, then a magnetic separator is essential in after-shred or pre-bale operations," he adds.

Dietterich says companies also should find out if their states require a permit to process electronic media. "In the state of New Jersey, if you’re doing any electronic recycling, you need to get a state DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) permit as a processor," Dietterich says. "Whereas, in Pennsylvania, there is no such requirement at this time."

While pursuing some product destruction jobs may require obtaining additional equipment, destruction companies may determine the benefits of an expanded service offering warrant the investment. "[Destruction companies] get the opportunity to increase business and revenues while also meeting the needs of their customers," Dietterich says.

Additionally, "The opportunities for product destruction applications are almost endless," Wilson says. "That is, if they have the right tools for the job." n