Gladiator shredder handles digital storage devices

Tthe Gladiator shredder from Intimus, Wabash, Indiana, is a high-torque, low-speed shredder designed specifically for the physical destruction of a wide range of digital storage media and feature specially hardened cutters.

The shredder is equipped with two separate cutting chambers, each with its own clearly labeled feed chute. This dual-chamber design allows the Gladiator to be used for hard disk drive (HDD) and solid-state drive (SSD) destruction. Large cutters on the HDD side destroy conventional hard drives, including chassis, platters and circuit boards. Smaller cutters on the SSD side destroy solid-state drives and optical media, including CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays, as well as tapes and other items like credit cards, ID badges, floppy discs. The relative DIN levels met for each type of media are H-4, E-2, 0-2 and T-2, the company says, referencing the German particle-size standard for media destruction.

A master control panel mounted to the front of the unit controls all machine functions. It includes a lockable master switch and an emergency E-stop button. Items are placed in the appropriate feed chute, which is equipped with a hinged safety flap to prevent material from inadvertently exiting the cutting chamber. Shredded material falls into a 32-gallon bin, Intimus explains.

At 41-inch-wide-by-33-inch deep, the Gladiator requires only minimal floorspace. The unit is powered by a 4.5-horsepower motor and is available in two electrical configurations.