Agent Feeding Stabilization for Hard Disk Drive Head Suspensions
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the mass production of hard disk drive head suspensions, the feed amount of unhardened agents such as adhesive and solder paste to micro actuator elements is not stabilized due to differences in distance and shape between waste and definitive portions, leading to inconsistent feed amounts during the feeding process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a structural object with a frame including a waste portion that matches the definitive portions in form and positional relationship, allowing the feeding part to wastefully feed the agent to the waste portion before definitively feeding it to the definitive portions, ensuring consistent feed amounts and characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the feeding head moves directly from standby position to the first flexure element to conduct definitive feed, then the production time is reduced, but the feed amount of the agent becomes unstable and inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a waste portion that receives a preliminary wasteful feed before the definitive feed to the first flexure element. The feeding head moves to the waste portion and feeds the agent wastefully, which stabilizes the remaining agent in the feeding part before conducting the definitive feed, thereby ensuring consistent feed amounts without increasing production time significantly
Solution Approach 2:
The waste portion acts as an intermediary element between the standby position and the first flexure element. By feeding the agent to this intermediate waste portion first, the system stabilizes the feeding process and ensures consistent agent delivery to subsequent definitive portions without requiring direct movement from standby to production areas
2Manufacturing precision
If a waste stage is arranged for wasteful feeds before definitive feeds, then the feed amount stability is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the waste portion with the frame structure of the chain sheet. The waste portion is formed as an integral part of the frame rather than being a separate waste stage, thereby reducing device complexity and space requirements while still providing the necessary function for stabilizing feed amounts through preliminary wasteful feeds
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves multiple functions: it supports the flexure elements during production and simultaneously provides the waste portion for stabilizing the feeding process. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate waste stage, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining feed amount stability
3Ease of manufacture
If the waste portion has a different shape or is located at a different distance from the first definitive portion compared to distances between adjacent definitive portions, then the feeding process is simplified, but the remaining agent in the feeding part becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the waste portion have the same shape and size as the definitive portions, and positioning it at the same distance from the first definitive portion as adjacent definitive portions are spaced apart. This local uniformity ensures that the feeding conditions are identical for both waste and definitive feeds, stabilizing the remaining agent in the feeding part
Solution Approach 2:
The waste portion is designed to be equipotential with the definitive portions in terms of shape, size, and positional relationship. By creating equivalent feeding conditions (same distance, same shape), the system ensures that the agent delivery characteristics are consistent, thereby stabilizing the remaining agent volume in the feeding part before definitive feeds
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method of feeding an agent, capable of stabilizing a remaining agent of a feeding part in characteristic and amount just before definitively feeding an agent to each definitive portion. The method includes intermittently moving a feeding part to a plurality of definitive portions defined on a structural object to definitively feed a flowable agent with a predetermined amount to each one of the definitive portions. The structural object includes a semi-finished product part with the definitive portions and a frame to be separated from the semi-finished product part. The frame includes a waste portion for the flowable agent. The waste portion has a same form as the definitive portions. The feeding part wastefully feeds the flowable agent to the waste portion with a same amount as the predetermined amount and thereafter starts the intermittently moving for the definitively feeding of the flowable agent.