Dynamics and reliability of access system of high density magnetic recording

Abstract

To meet the continuous increase in demand for improved performances in the servo mechanical system of magnetic recording access system, several novel structures for the actuators/micro-actuators are proposed and their dynamic performances are characterized through simulation, optimization, prototyping and experimental investigations. These structures include: 1) a force coupled actuator to suppress the lateral translational vibration motion mode; 2) a flexural pivot for use in disk drive actuator to achieve a friction free and potentially cost-low design; 3) an actuator assembly with small skew actuation; and 4) a split electrodes piezoelectric suspension for dual-stage head positioning. This research also addresses the reliability evaluation and lifetime estimation of the piezoelectric actuators by proposing a probabilistic approach, i.e., P-E-N curve and the electric load-strength interference model. The reliability model is further extended to a two-dimensional case to take into account both electric driving voltage and temperature effects.