Investigation of Head-Tape Interface in Non-Window-Type Drum

Abstract

To design a low-tape-tension mechanism, the differences in the head-tape interface between a window-type drum and a non-window-type drum (without the head windows) in a rotating head system were investigated. The head-tape spacing was observed using a transparent dummy head instead of the actual magnetic one, and tape deformation was measured using a non-contact displacement meter. In addition, tape deformation near the head was simulated numerically. We found that tape was deformed at the drum gap, and tape tension at the head-tape contact was lower in the non-window-type drum than in the window type. We concluded that a low-tape-tension mechanism useful for thin tapes can be constructed using a non-window-type drum.