Two Shaft Shredders vs. Four Shaft Shredders for Data Destruction

Two Shaft Shredders vs. Four Shaft Shredders

Shredding of materials is a common practice in the recycling and data destruction industries. There are several types of industrial shredders that a company may use. These shredders vary according to the type of material that can be shredded; the quantity of material that can be processed; the speed of processing and the final shred size. Basically there are two common types of shredder – two shaft shredders and four shaft shredders. The capacity and speed of a shredder depends on the size of the shredder itself; the infeed hopper; and the motor that is driving it.

Two shaft shredders are designed to take a large amount of waste and reduce it in size.    Two shaft shredders are not designed to shred materials to small particle sizes as required by data destruction laws and regulations. If a shredder is going to be used solely for volume reduction than a two shaft shredder will suffice. If, however, a shredder is to be used for destroying material or data, it is necessary to have a four shaft shredder due to its power and capacity to produce small particles. Two shaft shredders essentially only tear material.

Four shaft shredders are capable of shredding to small sizes because of their interchangeable screens, which come in a variety of sizes.  The shredded material must be smaller than the holes in the screen to drop through the screen or else the material keeps circulating in the shredder until it is cut smaller than the opening in the screen.  The process not only cuts and shreds the metal but by forcing it through the cutters and screens, it also compresses and compacts the material rendering it completely unrecoverable. Four shaft shredders are able to produce consistently sized output pieces. It is because they are able to reliably shred to exact minimal sizes that these shredders are recommended for product destruction.

Four shaft shredders are more expensive to purchase and run than two shaft shredders. Four shaft shredders also require more advanced energy sources.  A portable generator won’t power a four shaft shredder!  However, all highly regarded destruction companies use four shaft shredders.

Data Killers provides nationwide, on-site destruction of any type of equipment or media with assured compliance and the ability to shred material to as small as 2mm sizes. Our four shaft shredders can shred over 1000 lbs. of metal and plastic per hour. All of our shredders have multiple screens to control the particle output size. Data Killers is the data and product destruction arm of Turtle Wings, Inc., an ISO certified, woman-owned, HUBZoned company holding multiple GSA contracts.