MyBinding Knowledge Base
What is a Continuous-Duty Paper Shredder and Why You Should Have It in Your Office?
When choosing a new paper shredder for your office, you absolutely need to look for a continuous-duty model. You may be wondering what that is and why it’s important. This article will not only educate you about this type of device and why you should get one, it’ll give you a few product recommendations as well. Keep reading to get answers to the three most common questions about continuous-duty paper shredders.
- Why continuous-duty? What does it mean? If you’ve ever shopped for a paper shredder, you know that there are basically two types of these products: cross-cut and strip-cut. However, shredders can also be classified by whether they’re continuous-duty or not. It simply refers to whether the shredder has the ability to shred non-stop. Many of the less expensive shredders and almost all of the personal-sized machines cannot run continuously. You’re able to use the machine for 5, 10, or 15 minutes and then you need to let the machine cool down. Meanwhile, a continuous-duty machine can shred and shred and shred. You can shred all day and you won’t need to give the machine a break because the motor can handle that amount of work.
- Why is it important? There are many reasons to use a continuous-duty shredder. If you have an large office in which multiple people need to shred their documents, a machine that runs continuously can keep your employees productive and get the documents destroyed as quickly as possible, no downtime required. Even smaller offices can benefit from this type of device, as can individuals, especially those who do a lot of shredding. After all, can you imagine what it would be like if you had a large stack of paper to shred and you had to keep letting the machine rest every few minutes? Not only would the chore take a long time, it would be extremely frustrating and stressful. And who needs more stress?
- What machines can shred non-stop? Generally speaking, professional-grade units are the machines that are most likely to be able to run continuously. Most of Fellowes’ higher-end models such as the PowerShred C-420C and MS-460Ci have this ability. (In fact, the MS-460Ci would be a great choice if you want a smaller device for personal or small office use.) German manufacturer Dahle has some departmental devices that can run without end, as does MBM DestroyIt. (Check out their centralized office devices such as the 2604 SMC, a product with the highest security rating possible.) GBC also makes great products, including the ShredMaster GLS28 which can shred 28 sheets at once. Other manufacturers to check out are Martin Yale, Intimus, and HSM.
The bottom line is this: if you need to constantly shred large amounts of paper, a continuous-duty shredder is what you need. It will save you and your employees a lot time, leading to greater productivity. It will also keep you from becoming frustrated with a machine that can’t handle all of your documents. Get a continuous-duty shredder for your office today and you’ll be able to destroy your documents much more quickly.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
