Abstract: A guide pin-manufacturing method includes the steps of plating a stepped cylindrical main portion (which is formed of brass or another non-magnetic material) with a hard, thick chromium plating layer by rotating the main portion in a plating liquid, forming a large number of minute grooves in the entire surface of the main body such that the grooves extend in the circumferential direction of the main body, and forcibly fitting two collars around the respective ends of the main portion. By execution of these steps, a guide pin to be arranged inside a data cartridge is manufactured. The guide pin arranged in the data cartridge guides the magnetic tape such that the magnetic tape travels in a stable manner.

Abstract: Tape guides for a magnetic tape cassette comprise a half of cylindrical tube each adapted to fit securely over a support post within the housing of the cassette. The method of manufacturing the guides consists of forming thin-walled portions as grooves on at least the inner or outer side of a tube, with or without inwardly protruding ribs, which facilitate the division and provide a tight fit of the half piece to the post, and then dividing the tube along the plane into two halves. The tube is made of a metal, particularly brass or stainless steel, or plastics and formed by drawing or other irregular-shape forming technique, with polishing, plating, and/or precision polishing before division.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hollow tape guide for guiding magnetic recording tape. In this method, a round rod-like metal wire is sheared by shearing cutters into a blank a predetermined length, having a first end and a second end. Then, the blank is shaped and made into a blank having a shallow recess in the second end. The blank is then extruded and made into a cup-shaped blank closed at the first end by a bottom and having a predetermined length and a predetermined wall thickness. Finally, the bottom of the cup-shaped blank is punched out, thereby providing a hollow tape guide. The bottom is thick when the rod-like blank is too long, and is thin when the rod-like blank is too short, so that the cup-shaped blank may have the desired length and desired wall thickness.