Multi-Piece Head Suspension Rail Formation for Disk Drive Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-piece head suspensions for disk drives suffer from detrimental effects on resonance and shock performance due to uneven aerodynamic forces and the presence of beam tabs, which hinder efficient manufacturing and assembly.
Innovation Solution
A two-stage method for forming full-length rails on a multi-piece head suspension, where the beam region is initially tabbed to a carrier strip, then detabbed and supported by a hinge carrier strip, allowing for the formation of contiguous rails on both portions of the beam region, enhancing stiffness and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rails are formed on the beam region while it is tabbed to the carrier strip, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the beam tabs detrimentally affect resonance and shock performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the beam region into two portions: a first portion where rails are formed while tabbed to the carrier strip (improving manufacturing efficiency), and a second portion where rails are formed after detabbing (eliminating harmful tabs). This segmentation allows each portion to address different requirements independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the beam tabs from the beam region after forming rails on the first portion. By detabbing the beam region from the carrier strip and forming additional rails on the second portion, the harmful tabs are completely removed while maintaining the beneficial rails, thus improving resonance and shock performance.
2Strength
If full-length rails are formed on the beam region, then stiffness and resonance performance are improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary rail formation on the first portion of the beam region while it is still tabbed to the carrier strip. This preliminary action allows rails to be formed in a stable, supported configuration, simplifying the overall manufacturing process despite the two-stage nature of the operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic, two-stage manufacturing process that adapts to the manufacturing requirements at different stages. The beam region transitions from a tabbed state (supporting preliminary rail formation) to a detabbed state (enabling complete full-length rail formation), with each stage optimized for its specific requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming rails on the beam region of a disk drive head suspension. Rails are formed on a first portion of the beam region while supporting the beam region at a first location. Rails are formed on a second portion of the beam region while supporting the beam region at a second location that is different than the first location.