Simulation of Head-Disk Interface and Ramp/Lift-Tab Interfaces During Load/Unload Process of Hard Disk Drive

Abstract

A 2-D dynamic model was proposed to describe the dynamic behavior of the ramp/lift-tab interface of a one-inch hard disk drive with consideration of the air bearing force and contact stages during the unloading process. The contribution of the geometric parameters of the ramp/lift-tab interface on the dynamic performance of the suspension lift-tab was studied through simulation. A modified Reynolds equation and an iterative formulation for numerical scheme were presented considering continuum Poiseuille flows. The dynamic model developed for the lift-tab motion was extended to simulate the contact and separation stages of head-disk interface. The contact forces and deformation at the ramp/lift-tab contact interface were calculated. The effect of the horizontal velocity of the suspension lift-tab on the dynamic performance of the slider was analyzed. The results show that the dynamic characteristics of slider were independent on the geometric parameters of the ramp and the velocity of the suspension lift-tab. The calculation method to solve the Reynolds Equation proposed in the paper is with enough precision and high efficiency.