Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
Is P-4 enough for shredding documents containing personal data?
For ordinary personal data, yes, and P-4 is the level most internal policies and data protection guidance set as the minimum. DIN 66399 defines P-4 as a particle area of 160 mm2 or less; this machine cuts 4.5 x 30 mm, which is 135 mm2. For special category data such as health records, or for anything your own policy classifies as sensitive personal data, the usual requirement is P-5, and HSM builds the same B24 cabinet at 1.9 x 15 mm to meet it.
Does it shred credit cards and CDs?
Yes to both, and this is the highest security B24 that does. The model carries an O-3 rating for optical media and is rated by HSM for credit cards, alongside paper, staples and paper clips. Feed discs and cards one at a time rather than in a stack. Note that the 1.9 x 15 mm and 0.78 x 11 mm versions of the B24 drop optical media and, in the finest cut, cards too, because the tighter cutting geometry cannot pass rigid material.
How many people can share one B24 before it becomes a bottleneck?
The limiting factor is the bin, not the motor. The 9.2 gallon container holds about 415 cross-cut sheets. A team of four to six people doing normal office shredding will fill it roughly once a day. Above that, someone is emptying it mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and the machine starts to feel like a chore. For a shared floor or a department of ten or more, the SECURIO B32 at around 1,000 sheets per fill is the better fit.
What is the duty cycle before it needs to cool down?
HSM does not publish a run time or cool-down duty cycle for the B24 in its datasheet, so we will not invent one. What the datasheet does state is an overload-protected paper feed that reduces jamming when the machine is over-fed. In practice, treat continuous heavy feeding at the maximum sheet rating as the thing to avoid; feeding slightly under the rating and letting the automatic start/stop cycle the rollers is what the machine is designed for.
Will 11 x 17 tabloid paper fit?
No. The throat is 9.45 in (240 mm). Letter and legal paper feed short-edge first at 8.5 in wide with clearance to spare, but tabloid is 11 in across the short edge and will not enter. Folding tabloid in half works but halves your effective sheet capacity. If tabloid is routine, the SECURIO B32 (12.2 in throat) or B35 (15.75 in) is the correct machine.
What bags fit, and do I have to use one?
HSM 13 gallon tear-resistant shredder bags, part 3310000014, on a 100 count roll; the same bag serves the Classic 108, AF150 and AF300. You do not have to use one. The waste container is a rigid pull-out bin and can be tipped straight into a recycling cart. Bags mainly help when the shredded material has to leave the building in a sealed form, or when dust is a concern.
Is this machine NSA approved?
No. NSA/CSS Specification 02-01 requires a maximum particle of 1 mm x 5 mm and listing on the NSA Evaluated Products List. A 4.5 x 30 mm particle is far larger, and this model is not on the EPL. A DIN rating and an NSA listing are separate things; even HSM's P-7 machines only qualify if they appear on the current EPL. For classified US government destruction, check the EPL directly before purchasing anything.
How does this compare with the AF150, which has the same cut?
Same 4.5 x 30 mm cut, same P-4 rating, same 9.2 gallon bin, same 610 W motor. The difference is feeding. The B24 is a manual machine rated at 14 to 16 sheets per pass. The AF150 adds an automatic feed tray that takes up to 150 sheets, closes, and runs unattended, but its manual slot only handles 8 to 10 sheets. Choose the B24 if people stand at the machine and feed thick stacks; choose the AF150 if they want to drop a pile and walk away.