Stepped Load Beam Design for HDD Slider Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The tight mechanical clearances in hard disk drive (HDD) head gimbal assemblies limit the static and dynamic characteristics, leading to potential contact between the flexure and load beam during operation or shock events, affecting slider flying stability and requiring additional clearance.
Innovation Solution
A stepped suspension load beam configuration with a main body comprising proximal, intermediate, and distal portions in different planes, providing mechanical clearance and fabricated using a single pressing or folding technique, reducing stress and allowing for minimal additional manufacturing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If tight mechanical clearances are used in head gimbal assemblies, then device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but reliability deteriorates due to potential contact between flexure and load beam during operation or shock events
Solution Approach 1:
The load beam is segmented into multiple portions (first portion, second portion, third portion) with different thicknesses arranged longitudinally. This segmentation allows each portion to serve different functional purposes: the thinner first portion provides flexibility and clearance for normal operation, while the thicker second and third portions provide structural strength and shock resistance, thereby maintaining reliability without requiring excessive overall clearance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the load beam are given different local properties through varying thickness. The first portion has reduced thickness to enhance flexibility and provide necessary clearance during normal operation, while the second and third portions have increased thickness to provide structural support and resistance during shock events. This local differentiation allows the structure to maintain both simplicity and reliability.
2Reliability
If additional clearance is provided between flexure and load beam, then reliability improves by preventing contact during shock events, but device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing uniform clearance throughout the load beam, the structure is segmented into portions with different thicknesses. The first portion provides localized clearance where needed during normal operation, while the thicker second and third portions maintain structural integrity during shock events. This segmented approach achieves reliability without requiring complex overall clearance design.
Solution Approach 2:
The load beam is designed with dynamic thickness variation along its longitudinal axis. The thinner first portion allows dynamic movement and clearance during normal operation, while the thicker subsequent portions provide rigid support during shock events. This dynamic structural adaptation enables the beam to respond appropriately to different operational conditions without requiring excessive clearance throughout.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex multi-step manufacturing processes are used to create stepped load beam portions, then manufacturing precision improves, but productivity decreases due to additional manufacturing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is merged into a single pressing operation that forms all three portions of the load beam with their different thicknesses simultaneously. This single-step process eliminates the need for multiple separate manufacturing operations, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision for the stepped portions while significantly improving productivity by reducing the number of manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process utilizes parameter changes in the pressing operation to create the stepped structure. By controlling the pressing forces and tooling parameters, the single pressing operation achieves the desired thickness variations in different portions of the load beam. This approach maintains precision through controlled parameter adjustment while avoiding the time consumption of multiple sequential operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A stepped suspension load beam is described, such as for a hard disk drive, in which the main body is composed of a proximal portion that lies in a first plane, an intermediate portion between the proximal portion and a distal portion and that lies in a second plane that angles upward from the proximal portion, and a distal portion that lies in a third plane that angles back down from the intermediate portion, thereby forming a load beam stepped in the longitudinal direction. Further, the proximal portion may be formed to taper in at a first angle, the intermediate portion formed to taper in at a second angle that is less than the first angle, and the distal portion formed to taper in at a third angle greater than the first and second angles, thereby forming a load beam stepped in the transverse direction.