Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 0.78 x 11 mm really P-6 and not P-5?
Yes, and it is worth being precise because the two are often confused. DIN 66399 P-6 requires particles of 10 mm² or less with a width of 1 mm or less. This head cuts 0.78 x 11 mm, an area of 8.6 mm² with a 0.78 mm width, so it satisfies both conditions. P-5 permits up to 30 mm², so this machine is a full class finer than a 1.9 x 15 mm shredder.
Is this machine NSA approved?
No. NSA/CSS 02-01 requires a maximum particle size of 1 mm x 5 mm and requires the exact model to appear on the NSA/CSS Evaluated Products List. No AF500 variant is on the January 2026 EPL, and 0.78 x 11 mm particles are longer than the 5 mm limit in any case. A P-6 rating on its own does not make a shredder NSA approved. The HSM SECURIO B24 in 1 x 5 mm is the listed HSM office model.
How many sheets does it take at once?
Six sheets of 80 g/m² paper, per HSM's datasheet for this article. That is the honest working figure for the manual slot. The automatic tray still accepts a 500-sheet stack; the machine simply feeds it through six or so sheets at a time. Do not judge this model by its stack size - as a hand-fed shredder it is deliberately slow, and that is what the security level costs.
Can it shred credit cards, CDs or plastic ID badges?
No. This cutting head is rated F-3 and P-6 only, meaning film and paper. Feeding cards or discs into a 0.78 mm micro-cutter risks damaging the cutting rollers, and any resulting failure would not be a warranty matter. If you need to destroy cards and discs as well as paper, keep a second machine for media or choose the 3/16" x 1 1/8" AF500, which carries O-3 and T-4 ratings.
What is the warranty position on a P-6 machine?
HSM's datasheet for this article states a three-year machine warranty. HSM's separate lifetime warranty on the induction-hardened solid steel cutting rollers applies to security levels P-2 through P-5, so it does not extend to this model. That is a genuine consideration when comparing it against the P-5 AF500, which does carry the lifetime roller cover.
How much shredded material does the bin hold at this cut size?
The container is 82 litres, or 21.7 gallons. HSM does not publish a sheet-equivalent figure for this particular cutting head, so we will not invent one. As a guide, finer particles pack down more densely than strip-cut waste, so the bin holds more paper by weight at P-6 than a strip-cut machine of the same volume would - but the machine's slower throughput means you will reach a full bin less often anyway.
Does it need special maintenance?
Oiling matters more here than on any other AF500 head. Fine cutting discs trap paper dust, and a neglected P-6 cutter loses sheet capacity and starts jamming on four sheets instead of six. Use HSM cutting-block special oil, applied across the full width of the intake with the machine running, then reverse briefly. Do not use aerosol lubricant, WD-40 or cooking oil - all three leave residue that makes the problem worse.