Numerical and experimental investigations of a hard disk drive subject to shock and vibration

Numerical and experimental methods were used to analyze the behavior of a hard disk drive subject to mechanical loads, such as shock and vibration. A commercially available finite element solver is used to determine the response of the key structural components to a particular load case in the absence of an air bearing between the slider and the disk. The structural finite element model is coupled with a finite element solution of the Reynolds equation to investigate the response of the head/disk interface to external loads. The design of the air bearing surface of a typical magnetic recording slider is optimized for shock response and steady state flying using the genetic algorithm.