Mechanisms of head-clogging by particulate magnetic tapes in helical scan video tape recorders

The head-clogging processes of video heads by particulate magnetic tapes in helical scan video tape recorders were investigated by continuous microscopic observations of the rotating video heads using a stroboscope. It was found that most wear debris of typical tapes is expelled out of the rubbing surface of a video head and piles up on non-contact area of the exit side of the head. The wear debris which forms an agglomerate contacts a tape surface, and is deposited on the tape surface. The following head picks it up on the rubbing surface (contact area) where the magnetic gap is located. A spacing loss occurs with a consequential decrease in reproduced voltage