HSM StoreEx: Hard Drive and Digital Media Shredders Explained

HSM's StoreEx line is the company's dedicated range for destroying hard drives, solid state drives and optical media. HDS models are hard drive shredders, producing a coarse cut around 0.78" x 1.5-2", available at security levels H-4 and H-5. OMDD models use a finer 2x2mm cut for optical and small-format magnetic media. The distinction matters because degaussing has no effect on solid state drives at all, and a coarse hard-drive cut can leave an intact NAND flash chip inside a fragment.

Paper is only half of information destruction. The retired drives in the IT store cupboard are the half nobody wants to sign off on. Here is how HSM's range addresses it.

Why drives need physical destruction

Software erasure fails in predictable ways. A drive that will not spin up cannot be wiped. A drive with reallocated bad sectors may hold readable data in blocks the controller has retired. And on SSDs, wear levelling means the controller decides which physical cells get written, so an overwrite pass may never touch the cells holding the original data.

Degaussing solves none of this for solid state media. A degausser erases magnetic media by collapsing the magnetic field. SSDs store data as trapped electrical charge in NAND flash cells and are entirely unaffected. This is among the most consequential misunderstandings in IT asset disposal.

Physical shredding removes every one of these dependencies, and produces debris a compliance officer can photograph.

HSM StoreEx HDS models

The HDS line shreds whole hard drives into metal and circuit board fragments.

HDS 150. The compact entry model, sized for an IT department retiring drives in modest batches rather than a destruction facility. Handles hard drives and digital data media.

HDS 230. The heavier machine, with a cut of approximately 0.78" x 1.5-2". Available in several configurations:

• H-4 with tray — standard commercial data destruction, debris collected in a pull-out tray
• H-5 with tray — higher security level, same collection arrangement
• H-4 with discharge conveyor — for continuous batch running, debris carried clear automatically
• H-5 with discharge conveyor — highest security in the line with continuous discharge

The tray versus conveyor choice is about volume, not security. Trays suit periodic destruction sessions; conveyors suit sustained batch work where stopping to empty a tray becomes the bottleneck.

Browse HSM hard drive shredders.

HSM StoreEx OMDD 130

OMDD stands for optical and magnetic data media. The OMDD 130 uses a much finer 2x2mm cut, intended for optical discs, small-format magnetic media and solid state media where particle size is critical.

This is the model that matters for SSDs. A NAND flash chip is roughly 10 to 15mm across, so a coarse hard-drive cut can leave a whole chip intact inside a fragment. A 2x2mm cut cannot.

See HSM digital media shredders.

Understanding H security levels

DIN 66399 applies separate media classes alongside the familiar P levels for paper. H covers hard drives; O covers optical media; T covers magnetic tape; E covers electronic media.

• H-4: appropriate for confidential commercial data. The common specification for general corporate drive disposal.
• H-5: appropriate for data whose disclosure would threaten the organisation. Specified where regulated personal, medical or financial data is involved.
• H-6 and H-7: classified and top secret tiers, requiring progressively finer destruction.

Buy on the H level your data classification requires, and check the stated particle size rather than accepting a general "destroys hard drives" claim.

Which model for which media

• Spinning hard disk drives, commercial data: HDS 150 or HDS 230 at H-4
• Spinning drives, regulated data: HDS 230 at H-5
• High batch volume: HDS 230 with discharge conveyor
• Solid state drives, M.2, NVMe: OMDD 130, or an HDS paired with fine secondary destruction
• Optical discs, memory cards, USB sticks: OMDD 130
• Mixed estate: HDS for spinning drives plus OMDD for solid state and optical

Several HSM SECURIO paper shredders also carry a separate 2x2mm OMDD cutting unit alongside their paper cutters, including P36i and P40i variants. For an office destroying occasional discs and drives alongside paper, that combination can remove the need for a second machine entirely.

Practical siting considerations

• Noise. Drive shredders are considerably louder than paper machines. Plant room rather than open office.
• Debris handling. Metal fragments are heavy and sharp. Plan collection and disposal.
• Power. Larger models are three-phase.
• Throughput realism. Quoted drives-per-hour usually assumes continuous feeding by an operator.
• Serial capture. Log serial numbers before destruction so drives reconcile against your asset register.

Quick reference

• HDS 150: compact hard drive and media shredder
• HDS 230: approx 0.78" x 1.5-2" cut, H-4 or H-5, tray or conveyor
• OMDD 130: 2x2mm cut for optical, small magnetic and solid state media
• Degaussers: no effect on SSDs whatsoever
• SSDs: need a cut fine enough to break individual NAND chips
• Buy on: the H level and stated particle size

Frequently asked questions

What is the HSM StoreEx range?

StoreEx is HSM's dedicated line for destroying data storage media. HDS models are hard drive shredders producing a coarse cut around 0.78 x 1.5-2 inches at security levels H-4 and H-5. OMDD models use a finer 2x2mm cut for optical discs and small-format magnetic and solid state media.

Does an HSM hard drive shredder destroy SSDs?

An HDS model will physically destroy the drive body, but a coarse hard-drive cut can leave an intact NAND flash chip within a fragment, since flash chips are only around 10 to 15mm across. For solid state media, a finer cut such as the 2x2mm OMDD is the appropriate specification.

What is the difference between H-4 and H-5?

Both are DIN 66399 security levels for hard drive destruction. H-4 is appropriate for confidential commercial data and is the common specification for general corporate drive disposal. H-5 applies to data whose disclosure would threaten the organisation, and is typically specified where regulated personal, medical or financial records are involved.

Should I choose the tray or conveyor version?

That is a throughput decision, not a security one. Tray versions suit periodic destruction sessions where a batch is processed and the tray emptied afterwards. Discharge conveyor versions suit sustained batch running, where stopping to empty a tray would become the bottleneck.

Can a paper shredder destroy a hard drive?

No. Standard paper shredders have cutting shafts and motors designed for paper and will be damaged by metal. Some HSM SECURIO models carry a separate 2x2mm OMDD cutting unit for discs and small media, but whole hard drives require a purpose-built machine such as the StoreEx HDS line.

Specifying media destruction

HSM Machines supplies the complete StoreEx range alongside SECURIO models with integrated OMDD cutting units. Browse hard drive shredders and digital media shredders, or tell our team your media mix, monthly drive volume and required security level, and we will specify a machine that meets your particle size requirement without overbuying.