Proper Handling And Storage Of Your Tapes

Are you looking for the most suitable and safest method to store your tapes? Perhaps, you want to learn how to properly handle your tapes to prevent any damage? Then, you’ll be glad to know that you’re in the perfect place! Honestly, tapes are products that need to be kept with extra care; otherwise, their quality might get compromised.

When handling storing tapes, you need to look out for multiple factors that can affect the life of your tapes. This article will help you identify these factors and also guide you over the proper way to handle and store your tapes.

It’s essential that you handle tapes in the most suitable method to ensure longer life and effective use. To properly handle tapes, simply follow the tips mentioned below:

• Don’t keep the tapes in humid places or under strong sunlight for long durations.
• Use and store the tapes in clean environment to prevent the adhesive from contaminating or drying.
• Try not to drop the tapes very often.
• Avoid contamination by dust, dirt, food, smoke, or airborne pollutants.
• When not in use, store the tapes in proper storage containers instead of leaving them on table tops for long durations.

It’s highly recommended that you treat your tapes the same way that you would treat your books to maximize their performance. Read below to understand the most suitable methods and conditions for storage of your tapes.

When it comes to tape storage, there are various factors that you need to bring into consideration. Most environmental conditions have a direct effect on the lives of your tapes. Following are the factors and conditions that are crucial to get the desired performance from your tapes:

1. Temperature

Tapes need to be stored in a cool place with temperatures less than 23°C. If exposed to high temperatures, the tape will typically result in deformity. The elevated temperatures increases tape pack tightness, which further results in distortion of the tape backing causing permanent deformities.

2. Humidity

Largely humid environments tend to have a diverse effect on the tape performance. Storage in humid areas causes the tapes to absorb moisture, which thickens and tightens the tape pack. For starters, humidity can play a major role in deforming and distorting your tapes. Furthermore, Fungal growth is also expected in humid places which can badly damage the tapes. It is highly recommended to store tapes in dry areas with less low or no moisture.

3. Dust And Smoke

As a tape keeper, it’s essential that you try your best to avoid all sorts of dust particles or pollutants. Dust is a major problem for all different kinds of tapes especially Magnetic Tape. The dust particles usually get wound into the tape pack causing it to loose adhesiveness and therefore, become less effective. Hence, you should prefer cleaning the tape storage area often to remove any dust.

4. Airborne Pollutants

Polluted air generally carries different types of corrosive gases that can prove to be a major problem for tapes. Such gases cause tapes with metallic contents to deform and deteriorate with the passage of time. In the presence of these gases, you need to take several precautionary measures to protect your tapes from the polluted air. It is suggested to store your metallic tapes in plastic containers as they act as an effective armor against air pollutants.