Parametric Study of Swage Ball for Hard Disk Drive Swaging Process Using Finite Element Method

Abstract:

Ball swaging is a general method in head stack assembly process to permanently attach Head Gimbal Assemblies (HGA) on the actuator arm. In this process, the swage ball is guided by a pin through the inner base plate’s hole in order to deform the base plate to tightly attach to the actuator arm. However, the loosing problem can still be found quite often in the current swaging process. This research focuses on ball sizes and the number of balls used which currently no theoretical guidance in choosing the both parameters. Besides, the best combination of the both parameters can give the best swaging performance. The three-dimensional finite element model is created and analyzed to estimate the swaging performance according to the variation of both parameters by using the tightening torque and the fixing distance of base plate to determine the quality of the ball swaging process. The results from finite element method are treated as the sampling points which are used to create the interpolation in order to increase the considered cases to cover all happening cases from both parameters. After that, a searching algorithm is implemented to determine the most suitable ball size and the number of ball used for the process. By using the finite element analysis together with the interpolation and a searching algorithm, the optimal design parameters for a complex problem with multiple conditions of consideration can be easily found.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 275-277)
• Pages: 2241-2247
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.275-277.2241
• Online since: January 2013
• Authors: Arbtip Dheeravongkit, Narongsak Tirasuntarakul
• Keywords: Ball Swaging Process, Finite Element Method (FEM), Head Gimbal Assemblies (HGA), Optimization

References

[1] T. Kamnerdtong, S. Chutima and K. Ekintumas, 2005, Effects of Swaging Process Parameters on Specimen Deformation, The 8th Asian Symposium on Visualization, 23rd to 27th May 2005, Chiangmai, Thailand, p.50. 1-50. 7.

[2] Surachet Chutima, Tosanop Khumnerdthong, Sittiphong Seangsanon, 2009, Swaging Process Analysis and Improvement of Head Stack Assembly for Hard Disk Drive using Finite Element Method, The 23rd Conference of the Mechanical Engineering Network of Thailand, 4th – 7th November 2009, Chiangmai, Thailand.

[3] Kiatfa Tangchaichit and Weerapol Kaewka, 2010, A Study of the Head Stacks Assembly (HSA) during the Swaging Process: Optimization of the Ball Velocity, KKU Research Journal, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp.104-112.

[4] Panupich Kheunkhieo and Kiatfa Tangchaichit, 2010, 3-Dimensional Stress Analysis of a Ball Swaging Process Using the Finite Element Method, KKU Research Journal, Vol. 15, No. 7, pp.581-591.

[5] Kenichiro Aoki – Keiji Arga, 2007, Numerical ball swaging analysis of head arm for hard disk drives, Springer Microsyst Technol, No. 13, pp.943-949.

DOI: 10.1007/s00542-006-0299-4

[6] Cleve Moler, Numerical Computing with MATLAB [online], Available : http: /www. mathworks. com/moler/chapters. html [2012, May 7].

[7] Jacob Fish, Coglar Oskay, Rong Fan and Roshdy Barsoum, 2005, AL 6061-T6 – Elastomer Impact Simulations, 21 June (2005).