Apr 28, 2018 LTO tape storage technology is very poorly designed, typically there are no air filters on the tape drives, and there is an air circulation system

Apr 28, 2018 LTO tape storage technology is very poorly designed, typically there are no air filters on the tape drives, and there is an air circulation system that constantly sucks dust directly through the tape drive mechanism. But the drive system is sensitive to dust, and the solution is that you have to clean it with tape cleaning media. But even so the cleaning media is itself mildly abrasive and slowly wears down the drive heads until they no longer work. ... Here’s an idea, how about designing tape drives that turn themselves off, or go into an ultra low power idle state when they’re not doing anything, and don’t need cooling? Or maybe design tape drive systems to have a HEPA micron particulate filter on the front of them to protect a stand-alone tape drive or robotic tape library from dust? Yet oddly it seems absolutely no LTO manufacturer does this. It’s as if they are intentionally designing their products to slowly destroy themselves, due to environmental concerns that may be out of control of the equipment owner.