Category: Blog

Disintegrator 20 Point Preventative Maintenance

January 30, 2018 at 9:55 am by SEM

Routine disintegrator maintenance is imperative to keeping any disintegrator functioning like a fine tuned machine. Unfortunately, disintegrator preventative maintenance is habitually an afterthought and this oversight can lead to costly repairs and aggravation. The majority of disintegrators are stationed in high security environments where classified or sensitive materials need to be destroyed in a timely, efficient manner. Whether it is a matter of national security or to protect business interests you need your disintegrator to work  and get the job done every single time!

In order to ensure our clients effectively maintain their disintegrator systems, SEM has incorporated a Service Guaranteed 20 Point Preventative Maintenance Service Program (listed below). SEM disintegrator preventative maintenance consists of a scheduled visit(s) by an authorized factory trained SEM service representative who will perform the at-site labor. This scheduled maintenance lineup includes three core areas of focus: The disintegrator system, evacuation system and electrical system. All three of these system operatives are symbiotic; when one is not maintained properly it causes more stress and wear on the rest of the system.

Disintegrator System:

1. Installation of sharpened knives,
2. Calibrate installed knives to application for optimal performance.
3. Remove old knives.
4. Sharpen spare knives.
5. Grease your rotor bearings.
6. Inspect hopper for easy opening and closing to cutting chamber.
7. Inspect rotor for excessive wear.
8. Inspect screen for proper fit and wear.
9. Inspect drive belt for wear.
10. Adjust drive belt tension to factory specifications for maximum efficiency.
11. Check sheave bolt tension and set to factory specifications.

Evacuation System:

12. Inspect fan for proper operation.
13. Inspect evacuation system for leaks.
14. Lubricate and grease air system as required.
15. Adjust flow controls as needed.
16. Inspect filter.
17. Shake filter and empty debris as required.

Electrical System:

18. Inspect all safety switches ensuring the function properly.
19. Inspect all starters ensuring proper operation.

Reports:

20. Complete evaluation report with recommendations.

How does this 20 Point Service Program work? At SEM we have several different ways of helping you determine which service arrangement works for you. If you are buying a new disintegrator our industry leading sales representatives will qualify you what type of service plan works for you based on your disintegrator system/model, volume of destruction and budget. If you already have an existing disintegrator we can schedule an immediate service call to get you tuned up and inspect wear mechanisms.

Once you have determined that a disintegrator service plan is sought after, our team will facilitate your scheduled service. Your scheduled service can consist of a onetime service call or an annual PM contract. Our best service option is our annual PM contracts, consisting of multiple service calls and is the most cost effective in the long run.

SEM’s 20 Point Preventative Maintenance is designed to spot small problems before they become big problems and keep your systems performing at peak efficiency with minimum downtime. SEM’s highly skilled service technicians service all major brands of disintegrators and are trained on all system components. Our service network has several locations throughout the United States and the world; there is no location we cannot get to!

What to Do with Drives Returned to Data Server Builders

January 6, 2018 at 2:48 pm by SEM

In a recent meeting with a company that builds custom data servers, they had a dilemma. What to do with the hard drives that contain data when a customer returns a failed server for a factory repair?

Each of their servers can have anywhere from 2-8 drives in them. They had been using an outside destruction service to come and destroy the returned drives once they were finished with them, but they were starting to get the feeling that this was not the most secure process and figured there had to be a more secure way. So their question to me was “What is the most responsible way to destroy their customers returned to factory hard drives?”

They wanted me to provide them some suggestions of different ways to destroy their media. In the Government, there are very specific guidelines on how to effectively eliminate data on virtually all forms of media, from paper to hard drives. However, in the commercial world, guidelines are more by industry, and not always exact. As such, here are a few suggestions for the commercial businesses on ways to effectively eliminate data on failed HDDs.

DEGAUSSING is the most effective method of erasing data on magnetic media like HDDs and data tapes. If you are trying to erase unclassified (CUI) or sensitive data, The SEM EMP1000-HS is a powerful commercially sold degausser with a power at 16,000 gauss (1.6 Tesla), erasing the highest coercivity magnetic media available today without the use of any adapters.

If you have drives that have classified data the SEM EMP1000-HS will also take care of those. This unit has been evaluated by the NSA for classified information erasure. When degaussing with this solution, you are ensured that all the data has been erased in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the National Security Agency. Note that classified data will also have to be physically destroyed, as discussed in this next section.

PHYSICAL DESTRUCTION is another method of destroying HDDs. While data is not erased, the drive itself is physically damaged making it inoperable. The SEM 0101 Hard Drive Crusher is an entry level device that bends and punches a hole into the drive. It can destroy standard HDDs and up to six laptop drives in one 8 second cycle.

Whitaker-crusher-HSM-crusher-Garner-crusher
SEM Model 0101

A level up from that for physical destruction would be an SEM HDD shredder like the SEM Model 0300 HDD Shredder. This machine shreds the drive down to a particle of 1.5 providing a higher level of security. These methods physically destroy the media making them inoperable.

So if you have drives returned to a site that need to be destroyed, consider using equipment to do it right in house. At SEM, we’re here to help with any volume, budget, or location and we’re just a click away! Contact us today to learn what solutions would be best for your company to keep your data and your customers data safe and secure.

How to Ensure Information Security in Your Workplace

September 25, 2017 at 2:44 pm by SEM

When running any commercial business, department or government organization today, the last thing that you likely want to impact your organization with is a data breach. According to a recent study on the cost of data breaches in the past year, U.S. companies paid an average of $ 5.4 million to cope with the repercussions of data breaches. Don’t allow your organization to become a victim of a data breach. Here are 5 ways to ensure information security in your workplace:

1. MAKE DATA SECURITY A TOP CONCERN

Through simple, easy to follow security policies, you can train your employees on information security best practices. Additionally, you could appoint a safety committee to help keep security issues a focus.

2. KEEP PHYSICAL INFORMATION SECURE

Keep all physical information your company has secured by only allowing certain personnel to handle it. Give keys or passes to only those who need to have access to that information. Keep tabs on who has handled any sensitive documents and when.

3. CREATE A SECURE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT POLICY

Keep track of all sensitive documents throughout their life cycle and dispose of them based on compliance regulations. Create a data security checklist and make sure all employees adhere to it.

4. DESTROY HARD DRIVES

The only way to be completely sure that your sensitive data will not fall into the wrong hands is to destroy data from hard drives permanently through hard drive sanitization (otherwise known as degaussing), destruction or in some cases both. Be aware that many office electronics, such as copiers and multi-purpose machines, now contain hard drives that store data, not just computers. If you lease office equipment, check with the vendor to make sure that they dispose of media containing data using secure, environmentally sound processes.

5. BRING IN A PROFESSIONAL

At SEM, your business’ information security and well-being is important to us. If your company is required to be in compliance with certain privacy laws or meet even higher secure compliance levels, you probably want to minimize that huge risk of a data breach. At SEM we offer solutions to all of these information security concerns by offering expertise with both a certificate of destruction for data destruction and sanitization of every media type or provide you equipment solutions that will allow you to control your secure destruction program to erase or destroy your organizations data under your own roof.

At SEM, we help businesses and government organizations find real solutions for addressing real information security needs that will reduce their waste disposal costs and improve their environmental footprints, with shredding and recycling service programs that are convenient and secure.

For 50 years SEM has been the largest direct supplier of information destruction and sanitization equipment in the US – where our reputation speaks for itself.

For more information contact us at 800-225-9293.

Information Destruction Guidelines for State and Local Governments

September 5, 2017 at 2:51 pm by SEM

Unlike the Federal Government, where the NSA provides information destruction requirements for classified information, there are no specific guidelines for state governments. Although there are several organizations that have some requirements for the commercial world and all states comply with federal privacy laws such as HIPAA, each state is on its own when it comes to information destruction. It can be difficult to decide what level of destruction is best for your needs.

pii-securityRecently the IRS has updated Publication 1075 Tax Information Security Guidelines for Federal, State and Local Agency’s. This is a detailed public policy for information handling and destruction. It outlines specifically how the IRS expects Federal Tax Information that they share with other agencies be handled and destroyed. It specifically states that paper must be destroyed down to a 1MM X 5MM spec with a shredder to using a 3/32 screen size if using a disintegrator. Both are a requirement of classified documents. For hard drives, they must be degaussed before being destroyed. It also includes requirements for CD/DVDs and even microfilm.

As we all know the IRS is a massive organization and has the most important personal information on each tax payer in this country. When you think about it, they share our information with several other Federal agencies and even state and local governments. Therefore with all that information being shared it’s of the utmost importance that it be handled properly then destroyed to where nothing can be compromised.

So to say the least, I am quite impressed with IRS Publication 1075. They clearly take seriously the information they collect and share with other government agencies based on the handling and destruction guidelines detailed in Publication 1075.

If you are a state and local government and need assistance destroying your sensitive data contact us directly to discuss your destruction needs.

Reconditioned and Remanufactured Disintegrators

June 10, 2017 at 4:57 pm by SEM

Knife mill disintegrators are widely known as the go to machines for bulk classified document and media destruction. Multiple NSA approvals, very high throughput, and rugged/reliable industrial style quality are all features that make them so popular. SEM disintegrators come in a wide range, from desk top size to massive bulk destruction systems.

What isn’t quite as widely known is that these machines can be purchased at extreme discounts as refurbished versions.

A notable characteristic of SEM disintegrators is how truly long they last. Numerous examples exist of these machines lasting for decades under regular heavy usage. I’ve seen instances of in my travels of machines still running after 28 years. In fact, it is hard to answer the question of how long an SEM disintegrator can last.

It is easy to see which items on a disintegrator see the most wear and could eventually be points of failure. Those parts can be replaced. The overall structure of a disintegrator is thick plate steel with heavy industrial fasteners and welds, not prone to wearing out. By replacing the short to mid-term wear items, even a very old disintegrator can be returned to a condition where additional decades of use can be expected. SEM gets in used machines periodically from customer trade-ins, allowing us to produce a limited quantity of refurbished disintegrators.

SEM has two offerings for refurbished disintegrators. The most basic process is reconditioning. A reconditioned disintegrator has the heaviest wear items changed out if they show damaging wear, including knives, screens, and drive belts. The system is tested for proper operations and painted similar to a new machine. These machines come with a basic warranty.

A reconditioned DS1436 disintegrator.

SEM also has a more deluxe offering, remanufactured disintegrators. These machines receive a greater level of refurbishment. These machines are broken down to their major components. All surfaces are scrutinized for flaws or stress. Once those tests are satisfied, all surfaces are repainted and relabeled like new. All of the consumable parts are replaced with new ones. Each system receives careful factory testing prior to shipment. Best of all, remanufactured systems come with a new product warranty.

Due to the limited availability of refurbished disintegrators, folks who are interested need to check with SEM and our blowout list for up to the minute availability.

Whether reconditioned or remanufactured, a refurbished SEM disintegrator can be a bargain and even a blessing for a tight budget.

State and Local Government – The Importance of Destroying of License Plates

June 4, 2017 at 11:41 am by SEM

State and local governments all know the importance of personal information security. Items such as paper, computers, and phones all have varying degrees of sensitive information that need to be destroyed. But what about license plates?

Think of what a license plate actually does. According to Wikipedia…… “The purpose of a license plate, also known as vehicle registration plates or tags, is to identify the car and its owner as well as to show that the car is registered with the government and has been through specific tests to ensure the car is safe to drive”. Because of potential security risks associated with license plates when they become damaged or unable to be read, DMV’s typically require that they be returned the state before a replacement is issued. But once returned, what happens to them?

What Happens to Old License Plates?

The unfortunate truth is that many are simply uncertain on what to do with them. They typically end up stockpiling in basements or storage warehouses. As the saying goes, “out of site / out of mind”? So the million dollar question is “How can licenses plates be disposed of in an efficient and effective manner?

License Plate Destruction Solutions:

A very popular solution for state and local governments is to shred them. Security Engineered Machinery (SEM) offers a variety of effective shredding solutions. The SEM Models 0300, 0304, and 0305 are capable of shredding license plates. These low speed, high torque shredders use specially designed saw tooth hook cutters to chew up plates down to a 1.5 inch wide particle size, with smaller sizes of 1” or .75” are also available. These units range from 1.0 HP to 20 HP and can shred between 300-3,000 plates per hour. They are easy to use, quiet and can discharge the shredded material into a variety of waste collection containers.

If you are a state or local DMV and need to destroy anything from licenses, parking stickers or even license plates, SEM has a solution to meet your volume and price requirements. Contact us today to discuss your needs.

How Can I Destroy Sensitive 3-D Printed Items?

February 27, 2017 at 11:13 am by SEM

3-D printing or additive manufacturing is a hot topic these days. As this technology improves and comes down in price, its use is experiencing huge growth. No one should be surprised that the Federal government is right in the middle of this surge. The General Services Administration (GSA) has recognized this growth potential and has begun hosting a 3-D Printing & Additive Manufacturing Virtual Industry Day in 2017. But what does this have to do with SEM and data destruction?

The additive manufacturing process builds components from a computer design that uses a printer to layer different types of materials. At present plastics are the predominant materials. Ceramics and metals are being used too. An example of a military application might be the use of 3-D imagery to create a model of a city block or compound for use in mission planning. I viewed a recent video from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory showing the production of a component used to make wing parts for Boeing. The Army Research Lab is also exploring the use of 3-D printing. This technology allows organizations to make prototypes, parts, and models quickly at lower costs. Now consider that some of these items may be produced in highly classified programs. That’s where SEM comes into the picture.


If you need a way to destroy outdated 3-D printed items, the SEM disintegrator may be the answer. SEM Disintegrators have been used for tough plastic destruction applications for decades. Unlike a paper shredder, disintegrators have larger feed openings so they can better handle thicker, irregular shaped objects. You may have one in your organization being used for documents and never thought it could be used for the sensitive components or models being printed in your lab.

Depending on the size of your 3-D printed items and volume, it’s probably wise to check with SEM. Our team can get you the correct information to an efficient solution that meets the volume and size needs of the 3-D printed material.

Why Your SEM Disintegrator Needs Regular Service

November 3, 2016 at 10:33 am by SEM

A SEM Disintegrator is a large investment. Like a fine automobile, SEM machines also need regular maintenance. Would you buy a Mercedes and then never change the oil? No way! SEM disintegrators are ruggedly designed with precision built knife mills and with proper care and regular maintenance they can and will perform for decades.

Disintegrators operate with very close tolerances to efficiently cut paper. The 5-blade rotor rotates at over 600RPM and within five thousands of an inch over the bed knives. This action creates a very efficient cutting machine-like a big pair of scissors. However, sharp blades and proper tolerances are the key to good performance and avoiding a host of symptoms that slow you down, waste time and energy, put undue stress on the machine components and can cause premature failure of motors, belts and even cause cracks in the machine itself.
If you don’t want to replace your machine earlier than necessary, than the proper maintenance is absolutely vital.

We recommend maintenance for the following reasons:

  • Sharp blades improve performance and productivity while reducing airborne dust and noise. Dull/worn blades can lead to too much of a gap between the rotor knives and bed knives, which will make the machine prone to jamming.
  • Dull blades will also lead to a pounding of the paper instead of cutting. This condition creates a lot more dust and noise and will certainly require longer run times to process paper through the screen, and a longer run time is more costly in terms of power usage, employee time, and lost production. Also, this pounding of material, if allowed to continue, can ultimately cause stress cracks in the hopper and base and potential machine failure.
  • Greasing the bearings, as we do during a PM will also lengthen the life of the equipment. Without regular maintenance and grease the bearings can dry out causing the rotor to turn irregularly, which will cause knife damage. Replacing bearings is a costly repair that can be easily avoided with regular maintenance.
  • Your machine will jam more frequently as blades become dull and wear down. Jams are not only a pain to have to clean up, but repeated jamming causes undue wear on vital machine components and can put your machine in an early grave.
  • Fan systems are another key component of your disintegrator system.
    The fan systems ensure that the shredded material is moving properly through the system. Once the desired particle size is achieved and it falls through the screen, the fan system evacuates it out and deposits it into a waste bag, outside container/compactor or briquettor for disposal. The filter system takes the air used to remove the particles from the machine and filters the dust particles before exhausting the air back out into the room or exhausting it outside.

To support the air system we recommend:

  • Regular bag/tube change to ensure efficient operation. Filter tubes should be checked regularly and replaced when they show signs of damage or wear. Without proper airflow through these tubes or bags the filters become much less efficient increasing the dust levels. If not corrected, jamming can occur, which in turn can clog and jam up the whole system—Something you want to avoid if you can.
  • Flex hoses/duct work are also inspected and should be replaced as holes appear, since any loss of pressure/CFM will cause more dust coming out of the hopper of the machine as well as particulate and dust leakage from the hose/duct, creating a very dirty operating environment. This loss of pressure also slows down the removal of the particle from the machine, and in severe cases can also cause a jam.

We recommend all disintegrator users set up an SEM 20 Point PM service contract so that they can get the most production possible out of their machines, reduce downtime, protect your warranty and avoid the pitfalls caused by poor maintenance practices. SEM provides direct technicians and authorized service representatives on many different models and brands of disintegrators and shredders. Remember, SEM is always here to help. If you have any questions about your disintegrator maintenance or service, contact us today.

SEM Goes Hollywood

September 7, 2016 at 11:10 am by SEM

In 2012 Hollywood decided to make the movie Argo, starring Ben Affleck, about the 1979 Iranian Hostage event when the U.S. Embassy was overthrown. One of the key scenes in the movie involved the need to destroy sensitive information very quickly, embassy employees are frantically feeding classified documents into an SEM disintegrator.

SEM products were also featured in footage from an ABC news story, “Rare look inside the U.S. Embassy Ravaged by Iran”, about a visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, at the 1:11 mark of the story, the reporter states that “even some of the equipment used in 1979 is still here.” A close up then focuses on the SEM disintegrator.

In the Movie “Mad Money”, a story about three Federal Reserve Bank employees whose role is to destroy old, worn-out currency, Queen Latifah, Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes are shown feeding the currency into an SEM disintegrator, of course they “‘borrowed” some of it before it entered the system.

As a supplier of shredding equipment since 1967, SEM has placed shredding systems in many sensitive locations both here and abroad. High security agencies within the Federal Government and many World Wide Central Banks throughout the globe have active systems that have been functioning for up to 20 or 30 years.

In addition to shredding/disintegration, SEM is also mentioned in the very recent movie 13 Hours, the story about 9-11-12 terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy/diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. In one of the scenes, while under attack, embassy employees were erasing sensitive data on magnetic media (hard drives) using an SEM degausser.

In one of the most widely witnessed scenes in recent history, the 1975 rooftop evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, an SEM disintegrator, located under a canopy on the roof is in plain view. During a recent visit to that site, a U.S. Govt. employee took a photo of the unit which is still located on the roof. He also removed the model/serial number plate and sent it to us. He may not be 100% sure, but he believes that after 40 years, the unit is still operational.

As the inventor of the disintegrator and a leading supplier of high security destruction and sanitization solutions to the Federal Government and fortune 100 commercial customers for the past 50 years, our product line has evolved to keep up with the ways in which information is stored. While disintegrators are still a viable and effective solution, our product line has evolved into a complete line of solutions to erase and shred the newest forms of information storage media. From magnetic media like hard disk drives and back-up tapes to optical disks to solid state technology, SEM has developed and introduced a comprehensive line of media end-of-life solutions to meet the information security demands of today.

Higher Education Institutions: The Great Debate

August 8, 2016 at 9:15 am by SEM

Technology is a huge part of our lives today. From computers to tablets to all kinds of PDA’s. But what do you do with these devices when they are at the end of their life considering all the sensitive information on them? This is particularly a problem for colleges and higher education universities. Just think of all the different types of IT related products that are used on a college campus. There are computers and laptops for the staff. Most students use some type of laptop, tablet, cellphone and USB drives. So when these devices are at the end of their life what do you do with them? Simply throw them in the trash, use a third party service, or set up a secure in-house destruction program?

Back to school education knowledge college university concept

Outside Shred Service

In the past this has been a common solution because of convenience. Particularly in years past when the volume of IT devices was low. The premise was simple,  call a shred service and they come out and destroy the media for you. It’s kind of an out of site out of mind thing. However as the volume increases it can get expensive. There is typically a fee to come to your location and then pricing is based on your volume with a minimum fee. So why not put that money into a piece of equipment where you could destroy the drives yourself and also ensure maximum security?

In-house Destruction Options

When you are starting to think about setting up your own in-house destruction program there are a few things to think about. What is your volume? What type of drives are you looking to destroy? What is your budget? Depending on these answers to these questions you could possibly purchase your own destruction device and actually have it pay for itself in the first year or 2 compared with what you are paying for a destruction service. Also doing it yourself ensures maximum security.

High Security Destruction

When dealing with high security and classified data that is associated with National Defense, the US Federal Government implements a two step process in which a hard drive is degaussed with an NSA level degausser and physically destroyed. To that end, SEM offers a variety of Degauss and Destroy Bundle Solutions for both NSA Level and/or commercial level information.

If you need to destroy hard drives or any other type of electronic media, SEM has a solution to meet a wide variety needs and budgets.