A slide actuator includes a fixed member, a movable member capable of reciprocating in a predetermined direction with respect to the fixed member, a plurality of balls interposed between the fixed member and the movable member and configured to movably support the movable member, a retainer interposed between the respective balls and configured to keep an interval between the respective balls constant and reciprocate in a predetermined stroke range, a wall portion of the fixed member provided in a moving direction of the retainer, and a retainer spring configured to couple the wall portion and the retainer. The retainer spring is disposed to suppress displacement of the retainer in the moving direction. A spring constant of the retainer spring is set to a value for causing sliding friction in the balls and pushing back the retainer in a range in which the retainer moves beyond the predetermined stroke range.

A pivot assembly bearing apparatus includes: a shaft extending in an axial direction, a first rolling bearing, a second rolling bearing and a first sleeve bonded to an outer peripheral surface of the first outer ring of the first rolling bearing, a second sleeve bonded to an outer peripheral surface of the second outer ring of the second rolling bearing and a spacer abutting on a lower end surface of the first outer ring and an upper end surface of the second outer ring. A part of the first sleeve protruding downwards in the axial direction from the first outer ring is bonded to the spacer, and a part of the second sleeve protruding upwards in the axial direction from the second outer ring is bonded to the spacer.

According to one embodiment, a monitoring unit of a magnetic disk device monitors a supply voltage supplied to a plurality of actuators by a first threshold value at which power supply by back electromotive force of a motor is started, and a second threshold value that is larger than the first threshold value. In a case where the supply voltage is lower than or equal to the second threshold value and is higher than the first threshold value, a controller interrupts execution of processing of reading/writing data to a magnetic disk in at least one of the actuators according to a predetermined condition based on execution status of the processing in the actuators.

A tolerance ring has a hollow band with outwardly extending corrugated protrusions forming waves that engage an inner surface of a bore of a housing. At one end of the tolerance ring is an inwardly flared guide surface extending axially and radially from the band. The guide surface acts as a tapered entrance to assist the insertion of a shaft into the hollow band during assembly of the ring into the bore of the housing.

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) includes a load/unload (LUL) ramp subsystem that includes a translatable ramp assembly that includes a biasing member and a magnet coupled thereto, which is magnetically engaged with a guide post to provide a bias force at an interface of a lead screw and the ramp assembly. The bias force acts upon the interface by reducing a gap between outer threads of the lead screw and inner threads of a mating threaded interface structure of the ramp assembly that would otherwise cause lead screw hysteresis without the bias force.

According to one embodiment, a microactuator includes a wiring substrate, and a piezoelectric element connected to first and second connecting pads of the wiring substrate. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode provided on surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate. The first electrode includes a first electrode portion on an end portion on a first main surface. The second electrode includes a fifth electrode portion having an electrode end which faces the first electrode portion across a gap and provided on the first main surface. The piezoelectric element includes a protective insulating layer covering at lease an end portion of the fifth electrode including the electrode end.

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves an actuator elevator assembly for moving an actuator assembly along at least one support feature to provide a head slider access to at least two different disk media of a disk stack. The HDD includes a piezoelectric-based locking mechanism, including at least one piezoelectric actuator, movably coupled with the support feature, such that actuation of the actuator either locks or unlocks the locking mechanism relative to the support feature. When unlocked, the actuator assembly can be translated along the length of the disk stack via the actuator elevator assembly.

A method of operating a data storage device is disclosed comprising an enclosure comprising a first head actuated over a first disk surface and a second head actuated over a second disk surface. A manufacture printed circuit board (PCB) is coupled to the enclosure, wherein the manufacture PCB comprises at least one dual channel configured to execute concurrent access operations. While the manufacture PCB is coupled to the enclosure, the data storage device is operated as a dual channel device. The manufacture PCB is decoupled from the enclosure and a product PCB is coupled to the enclosure, wherein the product PCB comprises a single channel configured to execute a single access operation.

A data storage device comprising a first actuator configured to actuate a first head over a first disk surface, and a second actuator configured to actuate a second head over a second disk surface. A plurality of access commands are received from a host, and a cost metric is computed for executing a seek to execute each access command of the plurality of access commands, wherein the cost metric is based on an access latency of the seek, a power consumption of the seek, and an estimated combined current draw of the first and second actuators during the seek. The access commands are sorted into an execution order based on the cost metrics computed for the access commands.

A method for writing data to a dual-actuator disk drive includes providing a multi-actuator disk drive having a first actuator communicating with first disk platters and a second actuator communicating with second disk platters, receiving in a storage controller coupled to the disk drive a data stream including groups of blocks of data to be written to the multi-actuator disk drive, alternately distributing from a disk controller in the disk drive sequential ones of the groups of blocks of data from the data stream to the first actuator and the second actuator as defined by commands from the storage controller, and simultaneously writing from the first actuator to the at least one first disk platter ones of the groups of blocks of data routed to the first actuator and writing from the second actuator to the at least one second disk platter ones of the groups of blocks of data routed to the second actuator.