Abstract: A pushpin assembly for a spiral track writer is provided. The pushpin assembly includes a body, a bushing, and a pushpin. The body mounts on a pushpin arm of a spiral track writer. A cavity is defined in the body and extends between a first opening and a second opening of the body. The bushing slide fits within the cavity such that an inner wall of the cavity surrounds the bushing. The bushing surrounds a shaft portion of the pushpin. A tip portion of the pushpin extends through the first opening and engages an actuator arm of a headstack assembly of a hard disk drive for writing spiral tracks onto a media disk. A longitudinal force greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold exerted on the tip portion results in the bushing and the pushpin being displaced in a longitudinal direction relative to the body.

Abstract: A servo writer is disclosed for writing servo data onto a disk of a disk drive. The servo writer comprises a push-pin operable to contact an actuator arm of the disk drive, an actuator for actuating the push pin, and a retract capacitor. The retract capacitor is charged, and the actuator actuates the push-pin in order to position the head radially over the disk. If a power failure occurs while actuating the push-pin, a current is applied from the retract capacitor to a voice coil of the actuator arm in order to retract the actuator arm.

Abstract: A method of writing spiral servo tracks to a disk of a disk drive is disclosed. The disk is heated by applying a heating power to a heater for a time interval. After the time interval, the heating power is reduced, and the spiral servo tracks are written to the disk. In one embodiment, an external spiral servo writer comprises a heat lamp for heating an exterior surface of a head disk assembly (HDA) prior to writing spiral servo tracks to the disk.

Abstract: A servo writer is disclosed for writing servo data onto a disk of a disk drive. The servo writer comprises a push-pin operable to contact an actuator arm of the disk drive, an actuator for actuating the push pin, and a retract capacitor. The retract capacitor is charged, and the actuator actuates the push-pin in order to position the head radially over the disk. If a power failure occurs while actuating the push-pin, a current is applied from the retract capacitor to a voice coil of the actuator arm in order to retract the actuator arm.