| With the increased use of Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in mobile applications, the demand for higher shock robustness has grown considerably. However, there still exists a wide gap between the current standards and the end user expectations. In Contact Start/Stop (CSS) drives under non-operating conditions, the read/write head is parked on the disk with a small preload. As the drive experiences an external shock, the head lifts off the disk surface and crashes back onto it causing permanent media damage. In operating conditions, the head files a small distance above the disk surface, and the preload is balanced by the air-bearing forces. Any external shock results in the slider drifting away from the read/write track, and may result in a catastrophic data-error.; The tilt-drop test, wherein the drive is pinned at one end and lifted through a prescribed angle at the other is allowed to fall and make an edge-contact on an impact bar, has become a standard qualification criterion for new drives. In the present study, a methodology for simulating shock response in both operating and non-operating conditions, in a tilt-drop situation has been developed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
