Cleaning card

A cleaning card is a card which is developed for the cleaning of different types of card readers which are needed for payment and authorisation transaction. All in one there are two types of card readers: the tip-reader and the motorized reader. DISKO and CLEAN TEAM COMPANY has developed cleaning cards for the cleaning of the electonical components in the card readers which have the function of reading the information from the inserted Credit/Debit-card.

History

In the year 1983 there's the development of the cleaning card for card readers in America. This card was not protected by patent and was distributed by Head Computer Products, the predecessor to Clean Team Company. The cleaning card produces friction whereby the cleaning step is done.

Evolution

Today cash machines (ATMs) are an indispensable element of monetary transaction. People are increasingly dependent on these machines, both for depositing and receiving cash. The performance of ATMs can be negatively affected by various defects, often caused by dirt build-up. So the cleaning card is so important nowadays. With that concept it is possible to clear the magnetic heads and/or the chip reading contacts in the card reader without any complicated working steps like to dismantle the components for cleaning. No service technician has to be phoned, each person can do the cleaning with these cleaning cards.

Cleaning card

This cleaning card convinces with a special technology, the cleaning of chip reading contacts and magnetic heads goes on without any fluids, only by friction.

Area of application

Cleaning cards are used for the cleaning of magnetic heads or the chip reading contacts in a card reader. Both of these can be found in tip-readers or a motorized readers.

Especially, these cleaning cards suppress completely rejections of cards by cleaning of these components which are responsible for transactions.

Particularly for outdoor devices like cigarette, ticket vending machines or ATMs, dirt will lead to a reduction of the card reading function. Actually with indoor devices, without any cleaning, a card rejection rate from 0.2% to 0.5% is noticed already after 1 month without cleaning.

A card reader, in for example a cash machine, is suited with a tip-reader or a motorized reader. Now you have to differentiate between card readers which implement magnetic heads, chip reading contacts or both. For all kinds of situations DISKO has developed a special cleaning card to clear the electronic components for the reading function.

Tip-reader

..is a card reader where the card will be inserted manually to be read. The payment-or authorisation-transaction is executed and the card is pulled out manually (POS terminal)

Cleaning of the magnetic head

The magnetic head inside the tip-reader is a fixed component and for this reason it only can be cleared by these cleaning cards. The cleaning of the magnetic head is very important because it's responsible for the reading of the card and so it decides acceptance or rejection of the inserted card.

Due to the use of this cleaning card it's not only the reading area of the magnetic head which is cleared. There is also a cleaning process on the edges of the magnetic head through the formation of micro fibre wrinkles due to the transaction of the micro fibre above the magnetic head. The cleaning in these high dirt build-up areas is especially important and ensures efficient cleaning of the card reader.

Cleaning of chip reading contacts

Contaminated contacts can result in rejection of the inserted payment or authorisation card. The cleaning card with a moving slide system and a top layer made from elastic micro fibre cleaning cloth ensures optimal cleaning of chip reading contacts.

Motorised readers

..are built in, for example cash points. The Credit/Debit-card is inserted into the card slot, where the first magnetic head is placed. If a magnetic stripe can be recognized, a shutter will be opened and the card will be transported to the second magnetic head by roles. The card is read, thereby the device knows whether the transaction goes over the micro chip or the magnetic stripe. If no micro chip is placed on the card, the transaction goes directly above the magnetic head. If the datas give the order for a transaction over the micro chip, the card is placed on the chip reading contact and is stopped. The chip contacts, powered by a contactor, are fitted on the chip and now the transaction begins. If the reading of the magnetic stripe respectively by the micro chip is not possible, the card will be declined.

Cleaning of magnetic head

Therefore, a DISKO cleaning card out of micro fibre is needed, which can be recognised from the first magnetic head by pieces of magnetic stripes. The card is now inserted, the first magnetic head is cleared and the card is transported to the second magnetic head by roles. It tries to read the magnetic stripe on the card. If because of nonexistent data the card cannot be read, it will be moved bidirectionally 3 times. So the cleaning is done.

Cleaning of chip contacts

A special designed DISKO cleaning card is a cleaning revolution for chip reading contacts without a complicated removal of the technical components. Before the cleaning card is fed in, the spring system is put under tension manually. The card is inserted, is read by the first magnetic head and so the shutter opens. The further transport to the second magnetic head happens via roles. Here the card is read again, so the device recognises that the transaction process must go over the micro chip. Once the chip landing contacts come in touch with the cleaning card, the spring system is released, the high-quality micro fibre top layer moves over the chip reading contacts and ensures an optimal cleaning.

Patent

Stan Eyler patented many different types of cleaning cards and was the first innovator of the cleaning card. Eyler developed cleaning cards for credit card readers, thermal printers, currency validators and employees stated that he had well over 300 types of cards developed. Alexander Krknjak has developed also a lot of different cleaning solutions, especially for the needs of the European market. In the year 1996 he patented a special cleaning card for cleaning chip reading contacts in tip- and motorized readers because during the reading of the inserted smart card, no friction is created. Without any friction it's difficult to clear the reading components. This new innovation of cleaning cards includes a sliding pad made of micro fibre which can be moved manually or by a special precision spring system. So friction between the reading components and the micro fibre pad is created and the cleaning is done.

External links

• Disko, producer of cleaning cards
• Authorized U.S. seller of Disko cleaning cards
• US manufacturer of cleaining cards
• Authorized Scandinavian seller of DISKO cleaning cards