Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is P-4 good enough for documents containing personal data?
For most organisations, yes. P-4 caps particles at 160 mm2 and is the level commonly written into privacy policies for routine personal data such as invoices, correspondence and staff paperwork. Where policies get stricter - clinical records, financial account data, anything the organisation has classified as high risk - P-5 is usually specified instead. Read your own retention and destruction policy first; the DIN class it names is the answer, not the machine's marketing description.
How does the sheet capacity compare with the other Pure 940 models?
All three use the same 400 mm cutting head width and the same 1,920 W drive, so the difference is entirely the cut. This P-4 version takes 33-35 sheets at 80 g/m2, the P-5 version takes 19-21, and the 1/4-inch strip-cut version takes 51-53. HSM also publishes higher figures measured at 70 g/m2 paper, which is thinner than the 20 lb bond most US offices use, so quote the 80 g/m2 numbers when comparing machines.
Will it take stapled and clipped documents?
Yes. The cutting rollers are solid steel and induction hardened, and HSM rates the machine for paper containing staples and paper clips, so files can be fed as they come out of the drawer. Remove ring binders, bulldog clips, plastic wallets and anything laminated. Occasional metal is expected; a steady diet of heavy fasteners will still wear the rollers faster than paper alone.
How many sheets fit in the bin before emptying?
HSM rates the 165-litre cabinet at roughly 2,178 sheets of P-4 waste, the highest sheet count of the three Pure 940 configurations because these particles settle densely. For an office putting through five to ten reams a week, that is an emptying interval of several days. The cabinet pulls out and the whole unit is on castors, so the bin can be wheeled to a collection point rather than carried.
Is this shredder NSA approved?
No. NSA/CSS Specification 02-01 requires a maximum 1 mm x 5 mm particle and requires the specific model to appear on the NSA Evaluated Products List. This is a P-4 machine, several classes below that, and it is not listed. Do not use it for classified material. If you need NSA-listed destruction you are looking at a dedicated P-7 high-security shredder from the current EPL.
Can it shred CDs and DVDs?
Yes, HSM rates this configuration at O-3 for optical media and T-4 for data carriers, and it will also take credit cards. Feed discs singly, not inside a paper stack. If your destruction policy sets a specific optical class, check it against O-3 before relying on this machine for discs - the P-5 version of the Pure 940 reaches the higher O-4 class if you need it.
How many people can share one?
It is comfortable as the single shredder for a floor of roughly ten to twenty people, or as a departmental machine for a team that generates a lot of paper. The limiting factor is rarely the motor; it is how often someone is willing to change the bag. If only two or three people will use it, a SECURIO AF150 or AF300 autofeed shredder is a far better fit for the money and the floor space.