A predictive technique for evaluating structural vibration gain of damped suspensions in hard disk drives

• Published in: Microsystem technologies : sensors, actuators, systems integration Vol. 16; no. 1-2; pp. 67 - 71
• Main Author: Lowry, Mark
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.01.2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Deformation; Design; Disk drives; Electronics; Electronics and Microelectronics; Energy dissipation; Energy storage; Engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Finite element method; Friction; Hard disks; Instrumentation; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Magnetic and optical mass memories; Mechanical Engineering; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Mechanical instruments, equipment and techniques; Methodology; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Micromechanical devices and systems; Modal damping; Nanotechnology; Nomograms; Physics; Precision engineering, watch making; Resonant vibration; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Storage and reproduction of information; Strain energy; Structural vibration; Technical Paper; Temperature; Viscoelasticity; Complex Shear Modulus; Voice Coil Motor; Hard Disk Drive; Vibration Suppression; Loss Factor; Finite element method; Vibration damping; Vibration; Resonant structure; Suspension; Hard disk; Modeling; Optimization
• ISSN: 0946-7076; 1432-1858
• DOI: 10.1007/s00542-008-0753-6

The problem of resonant vibration of suspensions used in hard disk drives has been the subject of ongoing research. This study focuses on implementation of a finite element modeling methodology to predict the response for a suspension that includes an added damping component, either as a traditional constraint layer damper or as a design tool. High gains in suspensions result in off-track of the slider, which is the mechanism for reading and writing data. Analytical methodology uses the concept of modal strain energy to predict the modal damping of the structure at each resonant mode. Loss factors and strain energies of each material used in the structure quantify the amount of modal damping at a particular mode. Development of the methodology allows optimization studies of standard damping applications, such as a constraint layer damper. In addition, the methodology enables FEA as a design tool to develop innovative solutions for improved efficiency and higher performance.