Abstract: A method of manufacturing a base plate, after deburring and heat-treating a half-finished base plate, cuts off a scrap section at the ends of the scrap section from a half-finished actuator attaching area so that cutting surfaces left in a finished actuator attaching area are positioned onto the inner perimeter of the finished actuator attaching area and are oriented to at least partly face an actuator attaching position inside the finished actuator attaching area.

Abstract: An actuator mounting section includes a plate member including a first plate and a second plate. The first plate is formed with an opening which accommodates an actuator element. The second plate includes a main body portion which overlaps the first plate and supporting portions which support opposite ends of the actuator element. A narrow portion narrower than the first plate is formed at a part of the main body portion of the second plate. A weld seal portion is formed by laser-welding the first plate and the second plate at the narrow portion. Adhesive is provided between the opposite ends of the actuator element and an inner surface of the opening of the first plate.

Abstract: An actuator mounting section includes a plate member including a first plate and a second plate. The first plate is formed with an opening which accommodates an actuator element. The second plate includes a main body portion which overlaps the first plate and supporting portions which support opposite ends of the actuator element. A narrow portion narrower than the first plate is formed at a part of the main body portion of the second plate. A weld seal portion is formed by laser-welding the first plate and the second plate at the narrow portion. Adhesive is provided between the opposite ends of the actuator element and an inner surface of the opening of the first plate.

Abstract: An actuator mounting section comprises a plate member includes a first plate and a second plate. The first plate is formed with an opening which accommodates an actuator element. The second plate comprises a main body portion which overlaps the first plate and supporting portions which support opposite ends of the actuator element. A narrow portion narrower than the first plate is formed at a part of the main body portion of the second plate. A weld seal portion is formed by laser-welding the first plate and the second plate at the narrow portion. Adhesive is provided between the opposite ends of the actuator element and an inner surface of the opening of the first plate.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly includes a base plate, a load beam, a first end of which is supported by the base plate, a magnetic head supported at a second end of the load beam, a flexure including a plurality of wirings electrically connected to the magnetic head, the flexure extending from a surface of the base plate to an edge of the base plate, an adhesive applied in a space formed between the surface of the base plate and a surface of the flexure facing the surface of the base plate to bond the flexure to the base plate and to the edge of the base plate.

Abstract: A head suspension includes a base to be attached to a carriage, a load beam having a rigid part and a resilient part that connects the rigid part to the base, the load beam applying load onto a read/write head, a flexure attached to the load beam and supporting the head, an actuator attaching part located between the base and the head, and a piezoelectric element being deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto to move the head in a sway direction relative to the base. For the head suspension, it bonds the piezoelectric element with a bonding tape to the actuator attaching part and applies an adhesive to fix the piezoelectric element to the actuator attaching part.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a base plate, after deburring and heat-treating a half-finished base plate, cuts off a scrap section at the ends of the scrap section from a half-finished actuator attaching area so that cutting surfaces left in a finished actuator attaching area are positioned onto the inner perimeter of the finished actuator attaching area and are oriented to at least partly face an actuator attaching position inside the finished actuator attaching area.

Abstract: An actuator mounting section comprises a plate member includes a first plate and a second plate. The first plate is formed with an opening which accommodates an actuator element. The second plate comprises a main body portion which overlaps the first plate and supporting portions which support opposite ends of the actuator element. A narrow portion narrower than the first plate is formed at a part of the main body portion of the second plate. A weld seal portion is formed by laser-welding the first plate and the second plate at the narrow portion. Adhesive is provided between the opposite ends of the actuator element and an inner surface of the opening of the first plate.

Abstract: Interconnections for attaching a suspension assembly to an arm of an actuator or positioning device are disclosed. In illustrated embodiments, the interconnection includes one or more weld connections formed along opposed side seams of overlapping portions of the arm and head suspension assembly. In illustrated embodiments, the weld connections are formed along side surfaces generally transverse to upper and lower surfaces of the arm. In another embodiment, a groove pattern is formed, for example via a laser etching process, in an overlapping portion of the head suspension assembly or arm and an epoxy is inlayed in the groove to connect the head suspension assembly and arm. Illustrated embodiments also include multiple connections including, for example, a swage connection and a weld or other connection.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate disk drives, and in particular to realizing a positioning accuracy equal to that of an actuator having the mountable maximum number of suspensions, in an actuator having the smaller number of suspensions than the mountable maximum number. An embodiment of a magnetic disk device includes an actuator having an arm to which a suspension for applying a predetermined load onto a slider with a magnetic head is attached, and an arm to which a plate is attached instead of having the suspension. The plate attached to the arm in place of the suspension has a partially small section with respect to a section perpendicular to an arm longitudinal direction (constricted part), and the constricted part is located between a plate leading end and an arm attachment part.

Abstract: A jointing apparatus includes a first laser head which emits a laser beam for adhesive heating and a second laser head which emits a laser beam for welding. In jointing components of a work with a thermosetting adhesive agent, the defocused laser beam is applied to an adhered part for a short time. Thereupon, the adhesive agent is primarily cured so that the components are tacked together. In spot-welding the components, the laser beam for welding that is converged by the second laser head is applied to a spot-welded joint.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for maintaining proper alignment of a hard disk micro-actuator and magnetic head with respect to a drive arm's suspension during the curing process of the bonding agent used in their coupling. Embodiments may include a system to couple an actuator element to a suspension element comprising: a shim element to be plated at a first location between an actuator element and a suspension element to maintain a relative orientation of the actuator element with respect to the suspension element during a curing process of a bonding agent at a second location between said actuator element and said suspension element.

Abstract: A hard disk drive that includes an actuator arm assembly with an adhesive attached to an actuator arm and a head gimbal assembly swage openings of the arms. The adhesive can be attached to either head gimbal assembly or arm before they are joined together. The head gimbal assembly is then placed on the actuator arm: A swage ball is pushed through the openings to swage the head gimbal assembly to the actuator arm. The adhesive strengthens the attachment of the head gimbal assembly to the actuator arm. The increase in strength can further attenuate vibration that is transmitted into the actuator arm assembly.

Abstract: A head actuator is made thinner without sacrificing its strength to thereby achieve the thinning of a hard disk apparatus. On the base end of each of two suspensions is provided a boss that protrudes in the direction of the side on which a magnetic head is provided, and a suspension fixing section having a hole into which the bosses are inserted is formed towards the tip of an arm. The boss of one of the suspensions is inserted into the hole from the upper end section thereof, and the boss of the other suspension is inserted into the hole from the lower end section thereof. Thus, the arm is fixed in place by being held by the two suspensions from above and below.

Abstract: An HGA includes a head slider with at least one head element, a precise positioning actuator fixed to the head slider for precisely positioning the at least one head element, and a support for supporting the actuator. The actuator has a pair of movable arms capable of displacing in response to a drive signal applied to the actuator. The head slider is mounted between the pair of movable arms. The head slider and the actuator are adhered by at least one adhesive film.

Abstract: A system and method for an improved magnetic head arm assembly (HAA) is disclosed. The HAA includes three principal components, a head gimbal assembly (HGA), a flexible printed circuit (FPC) assembly, and an actuator coil assembly. The design allows for HAA rigidity, yet each of the components is designable and manufacturable independent of one another, in addition to other advantages over current methods.

Abstract: A milliactuated disk drive suspension assembly includes a mount plate, a functional end for supporting a transducer-carrying slider, a hinge disposed between the mount plate and the functional end, and a sway compliant region on the mount plate adapted to facilitate displacement of the functional end in a trackwise sway direction relative to the mount plate. A pair of milliactuators can be mounted to span the compliant region in a closely spaced arrangement to develop maximum mechanical advantage between a milliactuator actuating stroke and a transducer sway stroke. The mount plate is free of swage mounting features and is mounted to a disk drive actuator arm using a swageless interconnection that allows the milliactuators to be closely spaced so as to improve their mechanical advantage.

Abstract: A milliactuated disk drive suspension assembly includes a mount plate, a functional end for supporting a transducer-carrying slider, a hinge disposed between the mount plate and the functional end, and a sway compliant region on the mount plate adapted to facilitate displacement of the functional end in a trackwise sway direction relative to the mount plate. A pair of milliactuators can be mounted to span the compliant region in a closely spaced arrangement to develop maximum mechanical advantage between a milliactuator actuating stroke and a transducer sway stroke. The mount plate is free of swage mounting features and is mounted to a disk drive actuator arm using a swageless interconnection that allows the milliactuators to be closely spaced so as to improve their mechanical advantage.

Abstract: Transducer suspensions are attached to actuator arms by means of bonding a portion of a thermoplastic actuator arm to the magnetic recording head suspension assembly. The actuator arm has rail portions that provide a channel in which the load beam and base plate flange fit. The rail portions are ultrasonically welded using a clamping ultrasonic horn, which causes melted plastic to flow over the flange The clamping ultrasonic horn causes heat to be applied and focused at prongs to cause the rails to flow and expand onto the flange rigidly connecting the base plate and load beam to the actuator arm.

Abstract: A method of attaching a load beam to a head actuator arm. A number of weld holes are provided in the load beam and the actuator arm. A thermoplastic base plate is aligned over the weld holes in the load beam and the actuator arm. A heating tool having a number of pins is clamped over the base plate such that points of the heating tool pins coincide with the number of weld holes. The heating tool is heated such that peaks of thermoplastic base plate material are extruded through the weld holes. The heating tool causes heat to be applied and focused at the points to cause the thermoplastic base plate to flow and expand into the weld holes in both the load beam and the actuator arm, thereby rigidly connecting the thermoplastic base plate and load beam to the actuator arm.

Abstract: An HGA includes a head slider with at least one head element, a precise positioning actuator fixed to the head slider for precisely positioning the at least one head element, and a support for supporting the actuator. The actuator has a pair of movable arms capable of displacing in response to a drive signal applied to the actuator. The head slider is mounted between the pair of movable arms. The head slider and the actuator are adhered by at least one adhesive film.

Abstract: A method of forming a swagable metal actuator arm tip having a metal swage plug for ceramic actuator arms, the method comprising the formation of a metal swage plug within a tip opening in an actuator arm, the metal insert being an appropriate metal in either solid, thixoformable solid, or liquid (molten) form. The insert, once formed or adhered within the tip opening, constitutes the metal swage plug. There are six basic methods by which the metal insert can be formed or adhered into the tip opening to form the metal swage plug: cold forming, die casting, pressure infusion casting, forging, thixoforming, or the use of adhesives.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for assembling baseplates, which are joined to head suspensions, to actuator arms of an E-block for use in disk drives employ an assembly fixture for orienting and holding the head suspensions with reference to a pivot bearing formed in the E-block. An adhesive is interposed in a gap formed between each baseplate and corresponding actuator arm to maintain the suspensions in alignment relative to the pivot bearing. The assembly fixture includes clamps for maintaining the suspensions in a proper orientation. Each suspension has a locating surface that is planar with the gap for alignment of the suspensions.

Abstract: A transducer suspension system comprises an actuator arm and a suspension. The suspension is comprised of a load beam and a laminated member. The laminated member has an electrically conducting layer and electrical insulating layer, and an electrically conductive support layer. The electrical conducting layer is formed into electrical lines. The support layer is formed into a continuous underlying conductive plane. The conductive plane is connected to the arm by means of a frequency dependent shunt. The combination of the conductive plane and the shunt provide for higher frequency performance with reduced interference susceptibility.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for suspending and positioning at least one read/write head over at least one substantially flat surface of magnetic media is disclosed. The actuator assembly is comprised of at least one HSA and at least one actuator arm. Each actuator arm has an actuator arm distal end mating surface for coupling to at least one HSA and actuator arm upper and lower bearing mating surfaces for coupling to other actuator arms. Each HSA has an HSA proximal end mating surface for coupling to an actuator arm and an HSA distal end mating surface for coupling to a read/write head. At least one of the actuator arm distal end mating surfaces, HSA proximal end mating surfaces, actuator arm upper bearing mating surfaces, and actuator arm lower bearing mating surfaces is roughened to increase frictional coupling such that component alignment is not disturbed if the disk drive system is subjected to a mechanical shock. In addition, adhesive may be employed between the mating surfaces to increase coupling strength.