Seagate STT8000A manual Capstan Tape Head

Chapter 4 Drive operation and maintenance

Cleaning the drive read/write head

To maintain the tape drive, you should periodically clean the read/write head. No other periodic maintenance is required. For new cartridges, clean the head after two hours of tape movement. Thereafter the drive can be cleaned as per normal operations.

Caution. Never clean the read/write head of the drive with anything other than a lint-free swab or an approved cleaning cartridge. Do not touch the head with anything other than a lint-free swab.

You can clean the drive head by one of two methods: you can use the Seagate- approved 3M DC2000 cleaning cartridge DC051111 (12947), P/N CKDC2000, which is available through Seagate Express 1-800-531-0968, or you can manually clean the drive head. To manually clean the drive head, follow these steps.

1.Moisten a clean, lint-free swab in 90% isopropyl alcohol so that it is wet but not dripping. (Never use a dry swab.)

2.Hold the drive access door open and wipe the head gently using a side-to-side motion. The upright rectangle with the stripe in Figure 4-6 is the head.

Figure 4-6

Cleaning the drive head and capstan

Capstan Tape Head

3.Use a new swab saturated with 90% isopropyl alcohol to wipe the capstan. The capstan is the flat, roller to the left of the head as shown in Figure 4-6. Rotate the capstan until its entire surface is clean.

4.Allow the drive to dry for 3 minutes before using.

Page 28 STT8000A Product Manual