Design and Material Synergy for High-Performance Actuator Components

Abstract

The continuing magnetic disk drive storage industry goals of higher recorded data densities will require increases in tracks per inch (TPI) which will ultimately demand changes in designs/or materials. Rotary actuators represent one application whose configuration and material composition can influence disk drive performance through projected enhancements in tracking accuracy. Ceramic-metal composites allow specific component geometries to be altered to take advantage of the new material properties. This synergistic approach to design and materials allows a much greater improvement to the mechanical performance of actuator components than either material or design substitution alone would allow. This work describes both the fabrication of Aluminum-Boron Carbide reacted metal matrix materials and their practical implementation with specific design strategies developed through numerical models to achieve high performance head/suspension/actuator structure assemblies. Improvements in the overall frequency response behavior of the head support structure are contrasted with equivalent example configurations of conventional materials through simulations which have been experimentally verified.