To Repair or Not To Repair

Since the era of the papyrus scroll, libraries have had to deal with damaged materials by one of three means—accepting the loss, purchasing a replacement, or repairing the item. The digital age brings with it new approaches to some of these issues, but fundamentally the choices remain the same. One benefit is that as VHS, audiotape, floppy disks, and microfilm fade into memory, one single medium has emerged to replace most others.

The 4 3/4" hard disc may be formatted in a number of ways—as a CD containing music or audiobooks, with data or software on CD-ROM, or as a video DVD—but the physical artifact remains the same. Still, damage to the unit over the course of loans is a fact of life. The "indestructible" CD format has been found to be relatively vulnerable to scratches, cracks, and heat.

With the video revolution many librarians began to see repair as an option not just reserved for prized special collections manuscripts. Replacements were expensive, and as circulation soared, the damage tended to be cumulative rather than identifiable per loan. Many libraries purchased video inspection/repair machines and embarked upon a regular program of repair and cleaning.

Yet even with 20 years of videotape experience under their belts, librarians were not prepared for the exponential growth in demand and resulting collection development dilemmas presented by the DVD. Today, circulation of AV formats in many public libraries approaches 30–40 percent of all materials circulated. With such heavy usage, the question is not whether disc damage will occur but when and how severe that damage will be.

CD audiobooks are expensive ($30–$250), multiple-disc packs make it that much less attractive to discard a product with only one damaged disc, and producers' replacement programs generally only cover the first year after purchase. Sell-through DVDs and music CDs are cheaper (about $22 and $16, respectively), but replacement means buying an entirely new product, assuming it is still available. Combine these factors with the existence of a uniformly sized medium, and repair becomes an essential choice.

Several years ago, low-priced, consumer-oriented DVD/CD-ROM cleaner/repair machines appeared on the market. Basically, they are hand- or electrically operated sanding and polishing machines that remove scratches from the disc's surface. The problems with these machines are durability and slow speed. Most of the machines are low-grade plastic, requiring a lot of hands-on changing of discs with only minor to medium scratch repair possible for all that effort. During the past four years, industrial-grade manufacturers have issued products for video stores and just recently have found a beckoning library market. However, choosing a disc repair unit is difficult with features and price varying widely.

So what unit should you buy? Does it make a difference if you are in a big library with a large budget? Does it matter if you have a substantial AV department or specialized staff who can take on responsibility for the machine? Now add in the many terms tossed around by salespeople—e.g., wet/dry processes, single/multiple stages, automatic vs. manual operation, long-term consumable supplies, staff time costs, and unit durability.

To answer these questions and make the jargon comprehensible, this article showcases these industrial market machines and offers some comparisons with regard to price, function, ease of use, cost of supplies, and other issues.

Unlike the linear magnetic storage medium, the CD format stores data as billions of physical pits on a metal foil disc, arranged in a spiral fashion from the center outward. The pits are converted back into data after being read by a laser. The metal foil disc is sandwiched between two clear polycarbonate plates bonded together.

If the plate is scratched on the read side of the disc, the laser beam is distorted during the reading process and pits are read incorrectly or not at all. Only scratches can be repaired. Cracks, scratches reaching to the metal foil, and defective or damaged pits cannot be repaired. A single scratch can affect the playability of many sequences. But the overall severity of the scratches (i.e., the number, placement, length, and depth) determines if a disc can be repaired successfully.

Unlike CDs, DVDs can have multiple layers of pits (called dual density) and also have two read sides (i.e., there is no label side). These features allow them to hold more data. But this last fact in particular can complicate repair.

More often than not, patrons' problems with new discs are the result of compatibility issues with the playback equipment: DVD vs. CD players, rewrite-formatted discs, regional differences, or MPEG vs. WAV files. From time to time, however, pit defects from the manufacturing process render new discs unplayable. Industrywide figures are not available; however, at the Yankton Community Library, manufacturer defects turn up in about .2 percent of discs.

None of the repair units described in this article can repair manufacturer defects. It is therefore important to discover those defects before security or identification labels are placed on items in order for vendors to accept returns.

In just two to three minutes on average you can guarantee playability. Checking an item for pixilation, improper play, etc., is a snap with one of the special units from Azuradisc, Compact Disc Repairman, or RTI (see reviews below). These units are sold separately from the repair models and are expensive—ranging from $1,899 to $2,945—but should pay for themselves over a three-year period. All units use similar optical sensor technology. These disc evaluators also will—indeed are intended to—evaluate damage and assess viability before repair and/or cleaning is attempted.

This writer prefers the visual inspection method combined with a brief circulation report filled out during the loan period if a problem arises. Regardless of whether a library owns a disc evaluator, the disc should be played briefly to gauge repair success before reentering circulation.

Any disc repair unit sands or buffs out surface scratches and in the process removes some of the protective plastic. Virtually all units place the disc flat on a powered turntable and apply pressure to remove surface imperfections. The most important aspect of this process is that the sanding occurs evenly across the entire disc to create a flat, nonwavy surface. Also, because sanding removes some of the plastic particles, the layer gets thinner and can only be repaired a certain number of times, depending on the damage.

Two main points of contrast separate the various machines. There are single-stage and multistage machines. And there are waterless (dry) and water-use units.

Single-stage machines sand, buff, and polish discs in one step. Multistage units require separate pads; some units automatically change pads, but others require operator assistance.

In many units, water is used to disperse the sanding solution (usually an aluminum oxide mixture); to cool the disc as it spins at high speeds (approaching 2500 rpm); and to remove the sanding debris and contaminants.

Libraries that use protective, identification, or security labels and donuts may be better off using a dry-process unit. However, in testing, neither the Disc-Go-Pod nor RTI's Eco-Junior adversely affected label adherence owing to disc placement and the relatively small amount of water used. Adzuradisc recommends use of foil labels only. Also, double-sided discs containing imprinted title-side information will be buffed off regardless of the process used.

Prices for these industrial units range from a low of $395 to a high of $5,995. The initial purchase price is not the only consideration, however. Librarians must also think about the cost of operation—dedicated staff time (i.e., Will staff be able to undertake other tasks while repairing discs?), the ongoing cost of consumable supplies, and expected calibration and maintenance on the equipment through its life expectancy. Durability of components is also a major issue.

Perhaps most important is a calculation of how much damage and what type of damage you have now and what you expect in the coming years. Several factors come into play: How large are your library's various disc collections currently and what is their expected three-year growth? How many discs are damaged each month and what is the damage expectation within a larger collection? By my estimates, you can take your yearly disc damage total, multiply by the replacement costs, and then multiply this by 70 percent, which is the percentage of discs you can expect to save through repair. Conservatively, you should be able to invest that much in a disc repair unit because you will save that amount. Don't worry about computing the cost for supplies or staff time at this point. It's a wash. Remember, replacing discs takes staff time, paperwork, and supplies as well.

With that in mind, performance, unit durability, and ease of use—in that order—are paramount in choosing a machine. The costs of consumable supplies and staff time are secondary. The initial cost of most of the high-end machines reviewed, even related to yearly savings, is formidable. But libraries can engage in cooperative ventures to recoup costs. Two or more libraries can purchase a unit together and rotate or centralize use. Some libraries have even entered the entrepreneurial arena, treating cleaning as a revenue-generating opportunity. They may offer a self-serve cleaning station for patrons or for-fee cleaning of discs for video stores.

OPERATION Azuradisc offers two models. The 747 is a two-stage, dry-method unit that will buff out fine to medium scratches but is not designed to handle serious gouges. The 747 has a preset 20-second timer. The 1600 is a wet-method six-stage unit, though repair of normal damage requires only two to four stages. The 1600 has a shut-off timer that is set by the operator depending upon the perceived damage in a range from 20 seconds to six minutes. The unit runs smoothly and quietly; however, it uses lots of water (regular tap water), and a waste-water receptacle must be provided. Disc insertion into either unit is simple; using a "fast-on" twist system the disc is precisely placed flat on the turntable. Both units require manual changing of disc pads.

COSTS A start-up supply kit containing pads, polishing liquid, and other supplies for around 300 discs is included. The cost of supplies per disc repaired once the starter package runs out will be about 12¢–20¢ for the 747 and 20¢–30¢ for the 1600. Trade-in and upgrade to the higher-grade model is available. A shelf system for the 1600 is available for $119.99.

CONCLUSIONS Though the 747 is inexpensive, most libraries will probably prefer a more heavyweight machine. While the 1600 does an excellent job of repairing all types of scratches, it requires lots of water, generates commensurate waste, and has a large footprint. (Azuradisc also manufacturers the lowest price CD inspection unit, the iScann at $1,899.)

OPERATION Only a prototype of the FD Discus has been seen. This is a single-stage, dry-process unit. It is definitely industrial-weight and has the largest countertop footprint of the machines reviewed here. The company promises "now anyone can perform CD repair…with almost no training." Indeed, this machine requires just one pad, a small amount of consumable polish, and one push of the button. In three to five minutes, the disc is playable. The literature also states that the polish is "recycled," though this reviewer is concerned that plastic surface-particle contaminants would be detrimental to reuse.

COSTS Supply costs were unavailable at time of publication; however, the liquid applied is minimal, so cost should be comparable to other dry-process machines. The optional caster-wheel stand is $349.

CONCLUSIONS The FD Discus is definitely easy to use and less labor-intensive than most of the other units tested, but it brings with it a hefty price tag coupled with the large footprint. It's for libraries with larger budgets. (CDR's Check-a-Disc, for $1,995, is the only inspection unit authorized by the DVD Format/Licensing Corporation.)

OPERATION The Disc-Go-Pod is a wet-process, single-stage machine with the smallest footprint of all of the units reviewed. Discs are secured by a screw cap "play-side-up" on a direct-drive-powered turntable. Care must be taken not to strip the cap when tightening it sufficiently to prevent the CD from rotating freely. The machine runs for a preset five minutes. An aquarium-style pump feeds the water-based aluminum-oxide solution from a reservoir into the disc turntable compartment when the unit is turned on. The repair/buffing occurs as two small, nonpowered buffing discs rotate over the CD using the aluminum oxide. Buffing disc contact is regulated at the beginning of each cleaning cycle by screwing individual buffing pads down onto the CD once the repair cycle begins. The solution is pumped out at the end of the cleaning cycle and the CD removed and wiped off. The solution evaporates quickly and should be removed daily; however, it is reusable. In order to remove the reservoir, the pump and tubing must be removed and the reservoir detached from the unit.

COSTS The Disc-Go-Pod, though attractively priced at $395, has only a 30-day warranty. This is especially relevant because of the mostly plastic components; several parts have a questionable life span. Operational supplies are relatively inexpensive, and the starter kit includes two bottles of liquid abrasive plus two sets of pads.

CONCLUSIONS Concerns about ease of use and durability preclude recommendation of this machine. Disc-Go-Pod is also sold by Compact Disc Repairman under the Fix-a-Disc Junior name.

OPERATION JFJ makes a multistage, dry-process unit that uses a combination of two course and fine grit sanding pads and two course and fine sponge polishing pads. Two different types of polishing semipastes can be applied to the sponge pads. Depending on the severity of the damage, cleaning and polishing are completed after two to four stages. Discs are placed play-side-down off-center on top of a powered turntable; pressure is manually applied by placement of the arm via a thumbscrew on a square spindle. It is easy to apply too much pressure to the disc and cause damage to the sponge surface, but this damage does not adversely affect the CD. With improper positioning, the CD could become "pinched" on the spindle causing uneven sanding. According to the manufacturer, a new arm will allow the operator more precise control in setting the sanding/polishing depth on the pad and will solve any problems. Pad replacement is very easy, using Velcro™. The timer can be set to cycle anywhere from two to 180 seconds.

COSTS A 90-day free trial period is available for libraries. A 90-day warranty is included, upgradable to one-year for $50. A set of pads, one bottle each of the polishing pastes, antistatic spray, "scratch wizard" kit, and an instructional video are included with purchase. JFJ also offers a two-spindle machine able to perform repairs on two discs simultaneously for $749.

CONCLUSIONS The machine is built for durability, with a powerful motor and heavy-duty components. Operation is fairly straightforward, with minimal training, yet the multistage process allows for variation depending on the severity of the damage. Overall, JFJ's machines are the best bet for most libraries looking for a less-expensive, dry-method machine.

OPERATION Long known for manufacturing high-quality, industrial-grade video inspection and repair units to precise tolerances, RTI has entered the disc-cleaning industry with a unique unit. The Eco-Junior is a four-stage, low-water-usage unit that positions the CD vertically. The CD is held in place with a quick connect system. Cleaning is precisely controlled by microprocessors that regulate surface pressure, disc rotation speed, and direction on a powered sanding spindle. The machine determines the length of the process, which can last up to three minutes. Individual color-coded sanding and buffing discs are easily changed manually and attached with an innovative magnetic connector system. RTI claims the Eco-Junior is the only unit on the market that repairs a disc absolutely flat after ten repairs and restores CDs to new, pristine condition. Innovations in the Eco-Junior include a sanding unit that is precisely controlled to execute counter rotation so as to eliminate buff marks. The machine does require a container for waste water; distilled water is recommended.

COSTS The ongoing cost of sanding and polishing discs is fairly high, and the unit's precise tolerances may demand maintenance. However, RTI backs its products with a one-year warranty and a high degree of professionalism in service and repair. RTI offers discounted packages for the Eco-Junior when purchased together with the DiscChek inspection machine ($2,945). The Eco-Senior, a totally automatic four-stage, wet-process machine, will debut in the next few months with a price of $6500.

CONCLUSIONS This unit is extremely durable, yet has a relatively small footprint. Its precision controls consistently turn out a disc in top condition. Eco-Junior is the best overall choice for most libraries looking for a more-expensive, wet-method machine.