Datastroyer Laser Shredder (LS-1.2) - Concept Model

Originally codenamed "Project Light-saber" by our engineers and product development team, we are proud to announce the first prototype that we are now calling the "Laser Shredder." We are hoping to have a production model available for purchase in 2017.

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Overview:

The "Laser Shredder" is a new data destruction technology being developed by Whitaker Brothers. As a long-time leader in the data destruction industry, Whitaker Brothers has continued to search for the most efficient means of sanitizing data on a variety of materials and devices. Over the years, one security protocol is quickly replaced by thenext as breaches and threats to data continue to grow. The goal of this device was to provide a leap in technology that would provide a level of destruction so complete as to provide a standard for devices long into the future.

Why it's Needed

We knew going in that mechanical devices that relied on shredding, tearing, and disintegrating were effective, but ultimately had their limits. Today we've reached a point where cutting heads of shredders are so tightly aligned that even a simple paper clip could take them out of commission. No longer"¦ By using laser technology, Whitaker Brothers hopes to provide complete security of documents while avoiding the pitfalls of the current "mechanized" methods of destruction. Although the current model is merely a prototype, a publicly available model will likely be available late 2017.

How it Works:

When the paper is inserted into the throat of the laser shredder the optical amplification process begins immediately. The surface of the paper is instantly irritated by the light waves emitting electromagnetic radiation. The paper absorbs this heat energy at low laser flux. By using a process of laser ablation, we are able to convert the material from a solid to a plasma, which instantly cools into a light dust residue. As the paper is turned from a solid to plasma, it releases a combination of CO2 and a variety of harmless vapors. To make this product more usable in an office environment, we have designed a small evacuation system (not pictured above) that will provide a negative air flow,  while purifying the air using 2 separate HEPA filters. Traditionally, laser ablation is achieved with a pulsed laser, so the challenge was in creating a continuous wave (cw) laser beam so that the paper was completely destroyed--all while maintaining a size and weight that could be easily deployed to customer locations anywhere in the world. Widely used by the medical industry, laser technology is far from its infancy. By incorporating the same quality components that are trusted by doctors to save lives, Whitaker Brothers has created a product that is both visionary and extremely reliable. Currently, the prototype is only configured to destroy 1 page at a time. However, we feel that this is small tradeoff given the laser shredder's increased speed and unparalleled level of security of any other traditional high security shredder currently on the market.

A Quick Note on Safety

Safety is always a number one concern for business operations. Although eyes are never able to get a direct view of the cutting lasers and threat of cornea damage is minimal, we will be including 1 pair of UV shielding safety glasses pictured here as a precaution. Other polarized lenses will work in their place if needed.

Plans for the Future:

Of course, the future lies in destroying all sources of data, not just paper. Destroying CDs / DVDs , flash storage devices, and even hard drives will represent a huge challenge as they require much more power and environmental concerns. Paper, in small batches, is a perfect material for lasers because the plasma cools almost instantly, resulting in a light powdery dust. Plasma from plastics and metal, on the other hand, have longer cool down periods and will have special requirements for safe containment. It will be some time before the destruction large metals found in magnetic media hard drives will be feasible using laser technology. However, plastic based storage media such as CDs/DVDs, flash drives, cell phones and even a growing trend towards solid-state (SSD) hard drives, makes laser technology the best choice for a unified approach for sanitizing all future data, not just paper. Although the current prototype meant strictly for paper destruction is slated for a Q4 2017 launch, we hope to follow this up with a multimedia version in late 2015.