Slider Tester Guide Member for Multi-Slider Inspection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slider testers can only inspect one slider at a time, making the process inefficient and time-consuming, and the flying height of sliders varies across the disk due to differing peripheral rotational speeds, potentially causing interference with the recording surface.
Innovation Solution
A slider tester with a movable table that supports multiple suspensions, a guide member with inclined surfaces to maintain appropriate flying height, and a clamp mechanism for secure slider attachment, allowing simultaneous inspection of multiple sliders while preventing interference with the disk surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple suspensions are mounted on a common table for simultaneous inspection, then productivity is improved, but the flying height of sliders becomes unstable due to varying peripheral rotational speeds across the disk
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is positioned at a specific radial location on the disk where the peripheral rotational speed provides the optimal flying height for sliders. By localizing the inspection region to this specific area, the patent ensures that all sliders regardless of their position on the multi-position table maintain stable and appropriate flying heights during inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary structure that physically guides and positions the sliders during inspection. It ensures that sliders are properly aligned and maintained at the correct radial position on the disk, thereby stabilizing the flying height condition for all sliders being inspected simultaneously on the common table.
2Productivity
If sliders are moved to the inner peripheral portion of the disk for inspection, then productivity is improved by utilizing the full disk area, but the flying height becomes smaller causing interference with the recording surface
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is positioned in advance at the optimal radial location to counteract the tendency of sliders to experience reduced flying height. By establishing this guide structure before inspection begins, the system preemptively prevents the harmful effect of slider-disk interference that would occur if sliders were allowed to operate at inner peripheral positions without guidance.
3Reliability
If conventional single-slider inspection is used, then flying height stability is maintained, but productivity is reduced due to sequential testing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple inspection stations onto a single common table, allowing multiple sliders to be inspected simultaneously. The guide member ensures that this consolidation does not compromise flying height stability, thereby achieving both improved productivity and maintained reliability through the combination of multi-position mounting and centralized guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member serves multiple functions: it guides sliders to the correct radial position, maintains appropriate flying height, and ensures proper alignment during inspection. This multi-functional component enables the system to handle multiple sliders simultaneously while maintaining the reliability of individual slider inspection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and safe testing of multiple sliders by maintaining appropriate flying heights and preventing contact with the disk surface, significantly reducing inspection time and ensuring accurate results.
Implementation Method 1
When the disk is rotated at high speed by a spindle motor, the slider is caused to fly slightly above the surface of the disk by air that flows between the disk and slider, thereby forming an air bearing between the disk and slider.
Implementation Method 2
a guide member which is located between the lift tab and the recording surface of the disk and supports the lift tab, thereby preventing the slider from falling onto the disk
Data Source
AI summary
A slider tester includes a disk, movable table, table drive mechanism, guide member, etc. A plurality of suspensions are mounted on the movable table. A slider is mounted on each suspension. A guide member can support respective lift tabs of the suspensions. The guide member includes a first guide surface, second guide surface, and opening arranged in a track width direction of the disk. When any of the lift tabs gets into the opening as the movable table moves in the track width direction of the disk, the slider is dropped toward a recording surface of the disk.