This paper describes an analyzing method of a tape stiffness which is fixed with tape-head contact performance at the tape-edge. New magnetic tape systems have been using the narrow-width tape and the nearby area of the tape-edge to increase an efficiency of recording area of tape, therefore, the analysis of tape stiffness in the width direction has been very important approach to the high density recording. A new method by the laser measures deformation of the tape that is pressed to the precision sphere on the drum, and estimates the tape stiffness by the deformation. The results of an experiment coincide well to the calculative deformation, and reappear well. This analyzing method settles the tape stiffnesss in the width direction of narrow tape to obtain the best tape-head contact in and around the tape-edge. The tape having the most suitable stiffness contributes to the high density recording system.
