Abstract: The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic substrate having a front surface and a back surface. Coated on the front surface of the substrate is a lower support layer, or sub-layer, and at least one magnetic upper layer which together comprise the front coating. The magnetic upper layer contains a primary magnetic particulate pigment and a binder system therefor. The topmost magnetic upper layer is compressed, yielding a dense coating, with less than 14% porosity, and has a thickness of from about 0.02 micron to about 0.3 micron. The lower support layer comprises a nonmagnetic or soft magnetic pigment particle, and a binder system therefor. A back coating is formed on the back surface of the substrate. The magnetic medium of the invention has fewer than 400 tape dropouts per square inch at a 60% threshold, and fewer than 30 dropouts per square inch at a 40% threshold.

Abstract: A method for producing a magnetic recording medium includes applying a non-magnetic back coat to a substrate, applying a magnetic front coat to the substrate, in-line calendering the coated substrate using opposed rolls, at least one of the rolls being a generally compliant roll, and off-line calendering the substrate using opposed, generally non-compliant rolls. The off-line calendering optionally includes steel-on-steel calendering and the method optionally includes only one off-line calendering pass and only one in-line calendering pass. Calendering the coated substrate optionally occurs using at least one nip, the calendering including calendering the coated substrate through a final nip including generally non-compliant rolls. Other methods, and magnetic recording media produced by such methods, also are disclosed.

Abstract: A coater incorporates a die, a reservoir, a gravure cylinder, and a doctor blade for applying coating fluid to a moving surface. The flow rate of coating fluid to the gravure cylinder is controlled to equal the rate at which coating fluid is consumed by the coating process. This eliminates the need to recycle surplus coating fluid. The coating fluid can be quickly and conveniently replaced with a solvent in the reservoir when coating is not being performed to reduce the occurrence of coating defects arising from excessive evaporation of solvent and premature solidification of coating fluid.